COMMENTARY

October 3, 2003

The paramount duty of the state is . . . high school football?

In Marysville, 11,000 students are being kept out of their classrooms while teachers walk the picket line each day. But when normal school hours end, coaches drop their picket signs and head to the football field. The academic futures of students, particularly seniors, are on the line because of the strike, but football season continues uninterrupted.

So what exactly merits shutting down Marysville schools in a strike that is now only a few days shy of becoming the longest in state history?

The union is seeking a substantial increase in "extra duty pay," otherwise known as TRI (Time, Resources and Incentives). Depending on seniority, Marysville teachers currently receive anywhere from $3,512 to $7,889 for the equivalent of ten work days or 70 hours of "extra duty" each year. Extra duties include things like grading papers, class preparation, parent conferences, etc. Currently teachers are not required to verify that the time they spend on extra duties correlates to the classroom and directly benefits their students.

If the union's demands are approved, three years from now when the contract ends, teachers will receive anywhere from $6,787 to $14,331 for those ten extra days. This amounts to an hourly rate for extra duties of $96.96 for beginning teachers and $204.73 an hour for the most experienced teachers.

Important note: These increases apply to defined positions, not individuals. That means, in three years, a first-year teacher will automatically receive the top rate of $96.96 per hour for beginning teachers.

The total increase in "extra duty pay" amounts to an 11 percent increase in base salaries.

In addition, most teachers receive annual "step increases" for additional years of service. Teachers in the Marysville School District are currently the second highest paid in the state, earning an average salary of $54,169 before benefits. Benefits bring total compensation to an average of more than $66,000 a year.

The union also wants the school district to increase its portion of teachers' health insurance premiums by $25 per month for the first year of the contract, $50 for the second year, and $75 for the third year.

The total package demanded by the MEA would amount to a $14 million increase in spending over three years.

Readers will have to make up their own minds about whether it is reasonable to deny children an education in pursuit of these demands.

Contact: Marsha Richards | Communications Director | 360.956.3482

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org