Voluntary salary reduction

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Voluntary salary reduction

by Helen

Aug 26, 2009

On Monday we received a letter from our principal stating that due to lower than expected enrollment and the resulting budget issues, we have all (staff, teachers-full and part time) been asked to take a voulntary pay cut. The amount we give up is to be decided by each of us, and we need to let the school know by Monday what our decision is. The only person who will know what (or whether) we give up is the financial director. Our principal will not know who gave, and how much.If enough is not given up then there will be across the board pay decreases and layoffs. The pay decrease they are hoping for is 10% of each salary, so it is very significant. I am wondering if any of you are or have ever been in a similar situation and how everything is working out at your school. Needless to say, we are all scared and upset. It's difficult to teach and work under all of this stress. Any advice? Thanks.

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Donna music/TN Can you at least get a donation receipt for the amount you give up, so you can get that benefit?

The other question is, have you yet asked parents if they'd be willing to do a voluntary tuition increase? If it were a choice of my DD's teachers losing 10% of their salary (and potentially losing teachers) or my increasing her tuition by 10%...See More

Aug 29, 2009

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Helen These are great suggestions, Donna, and I will ask if these are possible. By the way, our salaries were already frozen this year, and we are also losing our retirement fund match, so the pay decrease is not the only reduction. This whole thing is devastating to everyone's financial stability. Some teachers are getting part time after school jobs in...See More

Aug 29, 2009

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Sara It is stressful. The next step though will be to fire teachers and increase class size. I much prefer a salary cut to losing my job and benefits altogether.

What I don't like is the 'voluntary at your discretion' - that's a Horrible Way to go about it. Very poor choice. Someone needs to go and tell them so. They need to take sound leadersh...See MoreIt is stressful. The next step though will be to fire teachers and increase class size. I much prefer a salary cut to losing my job and benefits altogether.

What I don't like is the 'voluntary at your discretion' - that's a Horrible Way to go about it. Very poor choice. Someone needs to go and tell them so. They need to take sound leadership here and decide what amount of money they need back. Divide that figure by employees and viola.

If they can't do that, they're not exercising sound leadership. And you got this in a letter??? I'm So sorry - such a thing should have been done in a very different way. You should have all been brought together as a school community and some good speaker - the principal, a board member explaining that times are hard and that we need to put in place an across the board pay cut. Or then to say 'this is voluntary but we implore you to do so for the sake of the school."

A letter?? Is there a faculty member of stature? Then now is the time for that faculty member to call the faculty together and ask the same and to tell everyone that she herself has done this and to ask others to do what they can."

After that no one will like doing it but it will be less stressful. WE can get through this but someone needs to say that aloud to your community - to offer hope and to guide them to how to get through these times and the sacrifices we all have to make to get through it.

You could leave such a meeting feeling like a saint. We need the same inspiring voices that got us through the Depression - we don't need letters.

> On Monday we received a letter from our principal stating > that due to lower than expected enrollment and the > resulting budget issues, we have all (staff, teachers-full > and part time) been asked to take a voulntary pay cut. The > amount we give up is to be decided by each of us, and we > need to let the school know by Monday what our decision is. > The only person who will know what (or whether) we give up > is the financial director. Our principal will not know who > gave, and how much.If enough is not given up then there > will be across the board pay decreases and layoffs. The pay > decrease they are hoping for is 10% of each salary, so it > is very significant. > I am wondering if any of you are or have ever been in a > similar situation and how everything is working out at your > school. Needless to say, we are all scared and upset. It's > difficult to teach and work under all of this stress. Any > advice? Thanks.

Sep 8, 2009

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penny On 9/08/09, Sara wrote: > It is stressful. The next step though will be to fire > teachers and increase class size. I much prefer a salary cut > to losing my job and benefits altogether. > I understand what you are going through. In april when we got our contracts, we were told all staff would be receiving 10% pay cuts. Naturally, we we...See MoreOn 9/08/09, Sara wrote: > It is stressful. The next step though will be to fire > teachers and increase class size. I much prefer a salary cut > to losing my job and benefits altogether. > I understand what you are going through. In april when we got our contracts, we were told all staff would be receiving 10% pay cuts. Naturally, we were very upset, since our salaries are not that high. We have alwyas had 2 of each grade, K-5, one pre- K. This year we have one K and one 1st grade. The year before the two Kclasses had 10 and 11 students and they said we couldn't do that agiain...luckily one was retiring and the other was ready for a change and took another job. It is very difficult...our first paycheck at this salary is on Sept. 30. It is interesting how your school handled it...it seems only right that all would do the same and no one would ask you to decide that. Our head also shared that she would not ask us to do something she was not willing to do herself. That was reassuring...I hope they will decide to show more leadership and resolve it. I am reassured that this is happening in other places, too, the economy, perhaps. > What I don't like is the 'voluntary at your discretion' - > that's a Horrible Way to go about it. Very poor choice. > Someone needs to go and tell them so. They need to take sound > leadership here and decide what amount of money they need > back. Divide that figure by employees and viola. > > If they can't do that, they're not exercising sound > leadership. And you got this in a letter??? I'm So sorry - > such a thing should have been done in a very different way. > You should have all been brought together as a school > community and some good speaker - the principal, a board > member explaining that times are hard and that we need to put > in place an across the board pay cut. Or then to say 'this is > voluntary but we implore you to do so for the sake of the > school." > > A letter?? Is there a faculty member of stature? Then now is > the time for that faculty member to call the faculty together > and ask the same and to tell everyone that she herself has > done this and to ask others to do what they can." > > After that no one will like doing it but it will be less > stressful. WE can get through this but someone needs to say > that aloud to your community - to offer hope and to guide > them to how to get through these times and the sacrifices we > all have to make to get through it. > > You could leave such a meeting feeling like a saint. We need > the same inspiring voices that got us through the Depression - > we don't need letters. > > >> On Monday we received a letter from our principal stating >> that due to lower than expected enrollment and the >> resulting budget issues, we have all (staff, teachers-full >> and part time) been asked to take a voulntary pay cut. The >> amount we give up is to be decided by each of us, and we >> need to let the school know by Monday what our decision is. >> The only person who will know what (or whether) we give up >> is the financial director. Our principal will not know who >> gave, and how much.If enough is not given up then there >> will be across the board pay decreases and layoffs. The pay >> decrease they are hoping for is 10% of each salary, so it >> is very significant. >> I am wondering if any of you are or have ever been in a >> similar situation and how everything is working out at your >> school. Needless to say, we are all scared and upset. It's >> difficult to teach and work under all of this stress. Any >> advice? Thanks.

Sep 20, 2009

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Helen They ended up making an across the board 8% cut. We did let a couple of teachers go at the end of last year, and a few others had their hours cut. I guess this is just the way it is these days, with the economy being what it is. Helen

On 9/20/09, penny wrote: > On 9/08/09, Sara wrote: >> It is stressful. The next step though will ...See MoreThey ended up making an across the board 8% cut. We did let a couple of teachers go at the end of last year, and a few others had their hours cut. I guess this is just the way it is these days, with the economy being what it is. Helen

On 9/20/09, penny wrote: > On 9/08/09, Sara wrote: >> It is stressful. The next step though will be to fire >> teachers and increase class size. I much prefer a salary cut >> to losing my job and benefits altogether. >> I understand what you are going through. In april when we got > our contracts, we were told all staff would be receiving 10% pay > cuts. Naturally, we were very upset, since our salaries are not > that high. We have alwyas had 2 of each grade, K-5, one pre- > K. This year we have one K and one 1st grade. The year before > the two Kclasses had 10 and 11 students and they said we > couldn't do that agiain...luckily one was retiring and the other > was ready for a change and took another job. It is very > difficult...our first paycheck at this salary is on Sept. 30. > It is interesting how your school handled it...it seems only > right that all would do the same and no one would ask you to > decide that. Our head also shared that she would not ask us to > do something she was not willing to do herself. That was > reassuring...I hope they will decide to show more leadership and > resolve it. I am reassured that this is happening in other > places, too, the economy, perhaps. >> What I don't like is the 'voluntary at your discretion' - >> that's a Horrible Way to go about it. Very poor choice. >> Someone needs to go and tell them so. They need to take sound >> leadership here and decide what amount of money they need >> back. Divide that figure by employees and viola. >> >> If they can't do that, they're not exercising sound >> leadership. And you got this in a letter??? I'm So sorry - >> such a thing should have been done in a very different way. >> You should have all been brought together as a school >> community and some good speaker - the principal, a board >> member explaining that times are hard and that we need to put >> in place an across the board pay cut. Or then to say 'this is >> voluntary but we implore you to do so for the sake of the >> school." >> >> A letter?? Is there a faculty member of stature? Then now is >> the time for that faculty member to call the faculty together >> and ask the same and to tell everyone that she herself has >> done this and to ask others to do what they can." >> >> After that no one will like doing it but it will be less >> stressful. WE can get through this but someone needs to say >> that aloud to your community - to offer hope and to guide >> them to how to get through these times and the sacrifices we >> all have to make to get through it. >> >> You could leave such a meeting feeling like a saint. We need >> the same inspiring voices that got us through the Depression - >> we don't need letters. >> >> >>> On Monday we received a letter from our principal stating >>> that due to lower than expected enrollment and the >>> resulting budget issues, we have all (staff, teachers-full >>> and part time) been asked to take a voulntary pay cut. The >>> amount we give up is to be decided by each of us, and we >>> need to let the school know by Monday what our decision is. >>> The only person who will know what (or whether) we give up >>> is the financial director. Our principal will not know who >>> gave, and how much.If enough is not given up then there >>> will be across the board pay decreases and layoffs. The pay >>> decrease they are hoping for is 10% of each salary, so it >>> is very significant. >>> I am wondering if any of you are or have ever been in a >>> similar situation and how everything is working out at your >>> school. Needless to say, we are all scared and upset. It's >>> difficult to teach and work under all of this stress. Any >>> advice? Thanks.

Sep 20, 2009

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