THE CHASE: PART 2 of 3 ON RUINOUS TEACHERS’ CONTRACT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
Second of Three Parts
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, 2015) — This is the story of The Chase.
The Chase for public information.
That should be easily available.
But it’s not.
Hidden ‘Public’ Information
The Pittsfield School Department and School Committee have hid it from public view, even though by law it is a public document.
The hidden information details the salary schedules for teachers in the contract the city of Pittsfield just signed with the United Educators of Pittsfield. The contact provides teacher pay raises over three years ranging from 15 to 18 percent. Keep in mind that the average total compensation for teachers in the Pittsfield public school system exceeds $80,000 a year for a contractually defined work “year” of 183 days.
Taxpayers, you got mugged, rolled, beaten, and robbed, once more.
Pact Signed on Day AFTER the Election
In perhaps the most arrogant and cynical move ever perpetuated by the school department, school committee, and the mayor, your city “leaders” did not sign the contract until Nov. 3, the day after the election, even though terms had been finalized by mid-September. Kathy Yon (rhymes with “con”) signed for the school committee, agreeing to the “hold off” date to ensure taxpayers wouldn’t find out about it until after she and the other stooges pledged to perpetuate this scam had securely won re-election. The Suits rewarded Yon’s traitorous act in a manner unknown. You can be sure it was generous.
That was bad enough, but the reprobate clowns took it a step further. After signing on the day after the elections, they did their best to hide the details of the settlement, particularly the salary schedule, which THE PLANET exposed yesterday.
For teachers with bachelor’s degrees, the low-end pay hike will be 15.96 percent over three years. At the high end, those in this group will get a larcenous 17.81% increase in pay. For those with master’s degrees, the low-end will receive a 16.22% pay hike. The high end at the Master’s level will walk away with 17.81%. Meanwhile, Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski struggle to stay solvent in light of rising taxes, wage freezes or cuts, job loss, or fixed incomes.
Now to The Chase
If you go to the city’s web site, you will find a hot link to the school department. Click on that, and you get the PSD home page. The teachers’ contract is not there. In the search window, type in “teachers’ contract.” You won’t receive the contract. You’ll get budget information and RFPs.
Fortunately, you have THE PLANET. Here is a copy of the contract:
If you’ll notice, the 128-page document has three blank pages — 75, 76, and 77. Click the link and scroll to those pages. All you will see is a title telling you they are for salary schedules and nothing else.
To find the salary schedules, THE PLANET contacted supersleuth Terry Kinnas, former school committee member, survivor of the Scopes Monkey Trial, and curent Supercitizen. Kinnas made a trip to the Mercer Building at First and Orchard streets, headquarters of the lametrust known as the PSD Administration. This is where pant-load superintendent Jason “JIV” McCandless pulls down his $200,000 a year. Apparently, self-respect is not a job requirement.
Kinnas asked for the missing salary schedules. What ensued was a tragicomedy of obfuscation and obliteration that would have made the Keystone Kops seem like the High Brows at La Scala.
- The superintendent didn’t know where they were.
- The superintendent’s secretary didn’t know where they were.
- JIV’s office referred Kinnas to Human Resources. HR had no clue.
- HR sent Kinnas to the business office.
- Kristen Behnke, assistant super for business and finance, didn’t know.
- When it became known that THE PLANET was ready to breath fire, Behnke involved her assistants in the biz office in the hunt. Behnke has 10 of them: Jeanne Biros, Patricia Brown, Kim Dascani, Pam Delmolino, Bridget Kennedy, Tina Kirby, Amy Lane, Julia Marko, Cynthia Ray, and Kathleen Roche. T-E-N — assistants! No administrative overload in that hen house (we checked; it’s definitely not a harem).
Finally, somehow, the persistent Kinnas emerged with the salary schedule. He and THE PLANET teamed to score another small triumph for The Little Guy. Tomorrow in Part Three, we take you inside the unbelievable details of the teachers’ pact. You won’t believe your eyes and years.
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“Great minds have sought you — lacking someone else.” — Ezra Pound, “Portrait D’Une Femme,” (1912).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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This is immoral. These people are immoral. Apparently mayor Dan Bianchi is just fine with this and so is also immoral. Open and honest government? This is why Dan Bianchi never had a bats chance in hell of getting reelected. He was not a friend of the people he was the enemy.
Why would they hide this information? Because they are ashamed of what they have done and that they themselves are involved in such underhanded dealing? It is borderline criminal if you ask me. Despicable.
I do not expect Linda Tyer to be much different but hope springs eternal.
So they say.
Dusty, immoral is too weak a word for these criminals. When Jesse James was robing someone, he had a gun to their head. These sob’s rob you while smiling at you. Teachers way back were woefully under paid but today they are woefully over paid. If the school dept spending is not reigned in, it will signal the end to life as we use to know it in Pittsfield. We can not continue to give 75 cents of every hard earned tax dollars to these thieves. Enough is enough. Just think.. If it weren’t for Valenti and Gaetani these thieves would have no one looking over their shoulders. Thank you both for all you do. Without you, we would not even know how bad things are here in pittsfield.
I was told that the contract was settled (based on my memory, not actually seeing any documents) around 1% each year.
I’m not saying the Planet is wrong, as he has the information in hand. But I will say I’ll be shocked if it is true.
As a citizen, I’ll be asking some hard questions.
Barry
We should get a spreadsheet released every year, by Department with every employee’s name, department, job title and a descriptor (administrative, direct staff, etc.). it should have the # of years in the system, their pay for each of the last 5 years (or from when they started if fewer than that), It should calculate the annual and cumulative increases – and if any one year is greater than 3%, explain the rationale.
the spreadsheet should be released on-line, automatically every year – right after W-2’s. it should break out regular, OT, and extraordinary (more than 3) sick days used each year as well.
Public employees should be subject to public disclosure and the data should be easy to find and easy to understand.
Great process outlined here by Southeast. Taxpayers have every right for such information from public employees. I hope Mayor Tyer follows this plan.
Barry.. we should have seen you asking some hard questions when you and the other 10 criminals were stuffing the THS project down the throats of the taxpayer. Don’t pretend you don’t know what Tyers thoughts are. We all know you and her are attached at the hip. Nothing will change for the better with you and her being Mayor. I’m sorry one thing will change. Big raises for the sob Sigs who foisted you and her on us. You are off the council but it will be worse for the taxpayer when you are the mayor.
Depressed, why didn’t you run? As far as I know, if you live in Pittsfield and get the required number of signatures – you can run for office. one can pile on to Barry all you want, but he did the job as he saw it. He’s not LT, so why should he answer for her? I’ve known her a long time, and I am pretty sure she has answers and opinions of her own – and I bet they don’t all mirror Barry’s.
Mr. Clairmont , the 16% to 18% is on actual dollars in an individual’s pay check over 3 years. For example, fy16 to fy18 an individual will make $6,271 more on the $38,646 base for fy16 BA scale. This is 16.2%.
You are the worst teacher I had in the school system. You are the last person that should be commenting on this
http://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-third-department/2003/2003-18978.html
HR didn’t know his mortgage numbers either.
Let’s not forget the extravagant number of ‘sick’ days these teachers get. They get so many they almost never use them up in any given year and they carry over every year. Then when they retire they cash in these ‘sick days’ for yet another huge payout.
Page 70 of contract posted yesterday. After 20 years of service, you qualify to be paid at 10% for unused sick days. Incentive not to use them, so district does not need to hire a substitute. Anything less than 20 years, no payout for the unused sick days.
DT, there should be no, none, zero payout for unused sick days. Folks in the dreaded private sector don’t get that, people who work less than 183 days a year (not counting the 10 ‘in-service’ half days) sure as heck shouldn’t.
Funny, but when teachers complain about their ‘low pay’ they don’t mention all these perks they get. Nothing but the half truth, and only the half truth.
I knew a friend in north county who accrued literally over 90 sick days and took months off for a medical procedure. While I do not think he was wrong, as it saved his life… 90+ paid days is crazy. They need a cap. They paid a long term sub during this time as well.
And us poor folk in private sector, what do we get when we need 90 days off to get well? We have to depend on long term disability which we help pay for. So this teacher you speak of got full pay for 90 days, and paid alot less towards his/her medical bills, and was/is paying alot less for health insurance, as compared to the private sector.
Does everyone see the problem here?
Didn’t Bianchi just give teachers a pay raise a few years ago? I recall he took the money from “free cash” to pay the first year of it. Now this. Th3is makes two pay raises for teachers in his 4 years as Mayor.
The school system is a cash cow for the powers that be in Pittsfield. Superintendent makes twice what the mayor makes and has a slew of assisstants to do all the work. Teachers make as much as more than the mayor. New school buses while still paying for the old ones we don’t have anymore.
A new high school we don’t need and cannot afford. The people being denied a vote on. Now the people denied access to public information that Planet Valenti has exposed.
71% of every dollar you pay in taxes goes to the schooling “free” education of “the children”. In true communist fashion, everyone pays, whether you decide to have children or not.
Want to cut taxes by 71%? Eliminate the Pittsfield Public School system. Parents educate your own children.
When Pittsfield goes into receivership, the very first thing to get massive cuts will indeed be; the school department.
Dan,
That wasn’t the only contract trying to be settled during the last couple of weeks before the election. Ask the city employees within city hall. Contract negotiations meetings were held all over the building.
Dan: I would be interested to learn how the police and fire dept. budgets compare to the school dept. Perhaps over a five year period.
Also, do they all (city employees) have the same health insurance with the same premiums?
Correction…..should have said “contracts” and not “budgets”.
I cannot speak to the signing date, that may be political. However when I compare my annual salary this year over last year, my increase is just shy of 2%, and I believe 1% of that is tied to chapter 70 funds. If those chapter 70 funds are cut, so is that part next year. So before everyone gets their nose out of joint, I am no where near on track to get 17.81% (I am at high end of master’s schedule).
Perhaps bachelors was improved to attract new graduates, not sure, we only received the schedules that apply to us. However, I will tell you, that if you do not continue on and get your masters, you will only be teaching for 5 years (one license cycle-preliminary). The system is set up to ensure that you must get a masters degree or more to continue on (state licensing requirements).
So I guess I am heading over to payroll later to see why I am being shortchanged.
I think the super citizen is wrong…at least in my case.
Ps. Dan, how’s the contract negotiations going for Community College professors and adjunct teachers?
Is Berkshire Community College funded by taxpayers? I don’t think it is.
DT, in no way, shape, or form does having a master’s degree make someone a better teacher than having a bachelor’s. Just another example of a broken system. And actually, seeing how the public school system only goes to 12th grade, why is even a bachelor’s degree required? Does one relearn 6th grade math when getting a bachelor’s degree? I’ve known and met many people with bachelor’s and master’s who are downright stupid.
No Joke… we learn strategies for teaching. But we also learn how to maneuver through special ed laws, regular ed laws, IEPS, how to kiss social workers/counselors asses who see the kids once a month (and text on their phones) then impose their consultant opinions like its the word of God. We also learn how now to get sued, insult the weak willed and feeble and the embracing the beauty of cultural diversity. Apply for a job in districts such as Northampton or Amherst, they make you write an essay as to how you can help their mission towards cultural diversity; despite being run by a bunch of white, female administrators. White males need not apply.
Knowing actual content is secondary these days.
After reading my own post I figure we need a class on how to turn off autocorrect.
Sol.. I have been saying that for years. I feel that any individual who teaches 9ty grade or lower, does not even need a bachelors degree. A person of common sense could handle the job very easily. If we could have these non-degreed individuals teaching, we could have 5 of them to each degreed teacher.Ask yourself this.. How does having a masters degree make a kindergarten teacher any more effective.? The answer is it helps them fleece the taxpayer of their hard earned money to a more significant extent as they do with a bachelors degree. These masters in education aren’t worth the paper they are written on. What we have in teachers is licenced groups of thieves,who take money away from people who do real work and do it with no shame at all. The same thing is true with police who take criminal justice courses. These courses are designed so that a person with out a brain can pass them. All these courses lead to is enrichment of the police. The reason city budgets are ball busters is because the little guy has given up on politics but they must get involved again, or this nonsense will never stop. Ibelieve in the long run that the only thing which will chaqnge these things is an organized citizen revolt and city’s voluntarily seeking bankruptcy. After all ..how much longer cab we tolerate this bs? All citizens best get involved and become informed and unite and demand an end to this nonsense once and for all .A united front is the only way to put an end to this once and for all.
Depressed.. What you say makes a lot of sense. As the school dept. and police dept., are two of every city’s Sigs, It is important to work on them first in an attempt to wrestle control from them and put it back into the hands of any city’s rightful owners the taxpayers. I find all of your posts very refreshing and well thought out. I wonder if you know Mr. Gaetani? I watch his tv show and feel he is the one and only voice of the taxpayer in the city of Pittsfield. You mentioned he will be at the ccm tonight. I can’t make it tonight but i will watch it on re-run. I spoke to him last night and he told me former mayor Charles Smith had a heart attack last week and had to have a stint put in his heart artery. He came home yesterday from Bay State. He hopes to be on Mr. Gaetani’s show next week, if he is feeling better. Mr. Gaetani asked me to say hello to his friends and supporters on the planet. HE is also a little behind the 8 ball with a broken shoulder but nothing gets this man down. We are fortunate to have him representing we the taxpayers.
A stint, eh?
Well said Depressed.
The Master’s is most often a Masters in Education. How does this increase a teacher’s knowledge in English or say Biology?
I agree. The ones with masters and bachelors degrees are often air heads. Many have no idea what critical thinking actually involves and they all parrot the liberal lines about various issues, but have no idea why they believe as they do.
Ever had a conversation with the DCF/social workers in the 21-35 range? Holy Cripes, you could pop those heads with plastic darts
One would think that with the salaries and benefits payed out in Pittsfield, we would have the best teachers in America working here. What’s wrong with this picture?
Dear Deep; One percent is. Ore than ssi get’s and you’re payed to much to begin with.
Dear Miss Vito…the grass always looks greener from the other side of the fence. Perhaps you could prepare yourself for a career (or a late life second career in teaching). The requirements are on the Massachusetts Dept of Education website.
Then you will get paid as much as a teacher with your qualifications in whatever district you teach.
With regards to social security increases, that you will have to take up with your federal elected officials. However, remember that social security was never intended to be the only retirement plan for an individual, but a portion of retirement.
Also, any pension you earn as a teacher probably will reduce the social security payments you already have earned.
Best of success…
it appears that the supreme court is starting to use some common sense in restricting assault weapons. The court rejected a local weapons ban challenge from gun owners who challenged a Chicago suburb’s ban on assault weapons. This group feels that people should be allowed to have weapons like the Bush master AR-15 which was used in the Newton Conn. massacre. What kind of individuals need these kind of weapons to protect themselves? Sanity has to start somewhere. Maybe this is a start.
Barry you’re an accountant and one percent was your guess? Right, and where was the Champion of all facts that night…LOw? L T didn’t know either,right?
I see the two yutes from PHS skateboard park were brought to justice. Thankfully they received only minor injuries. Maybe community service of confiscating their helmets,picking up cigarette butts from the park or have them sing Christmas carols to shuts in and nursing home patients for punishment . The SRO’s should be congratulated for a job well done.
I wrote about the teacher’s contract in September.
I did not dig into the specific numbers regarding changes to the pay matrix. That’s a murky process because you had two scales with teachers falling in various grades depending on qualifications. The contract merges the two scales into one so some teachers will see changes in their classification and others will not.
The contract calls for a minimum 1 percent raise each year and then up to another 1 percent depending on state aid. Here is a link to that September story which may help provide some additional context for the negotiations and how the contract came to be.
http://www.iberkshires.com/story/50197/Pittsfield-Schools-Teachers-Union-Agree-To-New-Three-year-Contract.html
Hope it helps.
So then Andy, a teacher would get a 1% COLA but with the added steps actually gets much more. This is a old trick when combined with dropping steps is designed to make raises look like 1% instead of actual increases. Was the School Committee stupid or complicit?
Mr. McKeever , the 16% to 18% is on actual dollars in an individual’s pay check over 3 years. For example, fy16 to fy18 an individual will make $6,271 more on the $38,646 base for fy16 BA scale. This is 16.2%.
That may be so and that comes from changes to the pay matrix. I didn’t dig into that because it gets convoluted. To do a fair analysis, you have to start analyzing the worth of each step and job, lawful requirements, compare it to other districts, question the how reasonable it would be to negotiate, the history of how it came to be in previous discussions, and the pros and cons of every step, job, and incentive. It isn’t 16 percent across the board.
I didn’t go that far in my story. So, yes, there may be some teachers who change where they fall in the matrix and get a significant boost. I touched on the change in scales but didn’t go that deep into it. I think that is the angle you and Dan are taking on it so I just shared the work I did to help provide a fuller picture of the contract.
Thanks,
The true story, ANDY, is presented in the figures dug up by TERRY. Yes, it would have entailed a lot more work, but your story would have been a lot more accurate to have gone “that far.” The changes in the steps IS the story of the pay raises. This “angle” provides not only the “fuller picture of the contract” but also the more accurate one. To write that the teachers got 1% a year perpetuates the scam that the PSD and the Pittsfield School Committee are pulling.
It’s nice to have those extra steps toward the end of a career and retire at 80% of your three highest year$$$$$$$$$$$.
Pittsfield politics’ financial management is a joke! Within 4 fiscal years, Pittsfield politics will reach its tax levy limit, which means the political hacks will have to ask voters for a Proposition 2.5 override in order to raise taxes each year.
The lovely Linda Tyer has not put forth any plans to change Pittsfield politics’ financial management! During the first 2 years of the lovely Linda Tyer’s administration, (a) Sabic Plastics is moving out of Pittsfield, which means that between 300 to 500 jobs will be lost in Pittsfield, and (b) the financing for the new Taconic High School will begin, which means the usual 5% tax hikes will increase to 7% tax hikes each year.
In politics, it pays to be politically connected. Whether it is Massachusetts Public School teachers, or bureaucrats, or political hacks, they all receive generous and lucrative public salaries and benefits. If you are not one of the chosen few who are politically connected, then you get to pound sand.
Pittsfield politics is totally corrupt. The Good Old Boys club takes care of the vested interests that are going to bankrupt the municipality someday in the near future. The people are suppressed and intimidated from citizen participation in their state and local government. That is why most of the politicians run unopposed every “election” cycle.
Ron…did you say the two Yutes, what is a Yute? Lol.
Nov. 4….the Feast of the Immaculate Deception.
Juan, Absolutely-but I would rather call it the feast of fools. The only problem is these fools will be feasting on we poor taxpayers. I truly think, that in the not too distant future, many communities will resort to citizen revolts. When money is spent like their is no tomorrow, by these sob’s, sooner or later, people will respond. After all, How long can the public allow these criminals to steal their money and have them nor respond. Lets hope when the revolt starts, we can prevent ourselves from killing each other. There are many people with short fusses out there. We are in for some rough trips ahead.
How much money does the head of the teachers union make? What is in all this for him?
Enough to afford him a nice lexus automobile. Not bad for someone that young with children.
Do you think the wool would have pulled over Gaetani’s eyes? Don’t think so.
Top Ten Best Places to be a Teacher:
According to the statistical website :
http://www.goodcall.com/data-center/the-best-places-to-be-a-teacher-in-the-u-s/-The Best Places to Be a Teacher in The U.S.-GoodCall DataCenter
The top ten(10) best places in the United States to be a teacher are:
1) Lancaster, PA pop. 59,325 *
2) Syracuse,NY pop. 144,669 *
3) Charlottesville,VA pop. 44,349 *
4) Ithaca, NY pop. 30,515 *
5) Rochester, NY pop. 210.358 *
6) Richmond, VA pop. 214,114 *
7) Manchester, NH pop. 110,378 *
8) Columbus, OH pop. 835,957 *
9) PITTSFIELD, MA pop. 44,057 *
10) Olympia, WA pop. 48, 388* *2013 population #
Factors such as; cost of living index, available teaching jobs, amenities, etc. are figured in the analysis, but Salaries carry the most weight.
Based on Salaries alone, Pittsfield ranks second (2nd) in the U.S.
This was figured independently, before the new contract.
So they may be the highest in the country now. Now at least Mayor Bianchi has something to brag about. He, being a fiscal conservative, has negotiated a teachers contract making them near or at the highest paid in the land. Whadda guy!
A taxpayers nightmare.
The state is giving 170 thousand in a grant for job training to Pittsfield. Supposedly of the 1700 jobs in Berkshire County, sixty percent of them are higher level employment.
Mr. Cat..I see you are a fan of mr. Gaetani. You should have seen him at ccm meeting. Fearless, is an understatement. He is the man of Titanium. Front and center, addressing the gang of 11. I believe when he started talking he introduced himself as the Pitbull Watchdog for the taxpayers of the city of Pittsfield. I would have hated to be a Viet Cong soldier who had to come face to face with him, in the jungles of Viet- Nam. You are correct, the gang of 11 definitely fear him. I am very glad that Mr. Gaetani is on our side..The Taxpayers now have two champions: Mr. Gaetani and Mr. Valenti. It is amazing how just two people like them have kept us informed with what we need to know. Long live these two Italian heavyweights. We need many more like them.
LOw,why would you hug someone that tried to can your ass from the council, you didn’t see Barry give into the fluff.
In no uncertain terms, Gaetani set the agenda for the coming year. cross the i’s and t’s, cuz the man with the Hardest Bark isn’t leaving.
Hate to say it but Mazzeo again kicked LOw and Barry’s ass again tonight. Final Grades will be forthcoming.