Teachers walked out of Forest Park High School as a group to the sound of applause at 2:18 p.m. Monday.
As the teachers made their ways to the faculty parking lot, students stood outside the school and showed support for their educators.
Teachers at Forest Park, Battlefield and Patriot High Schools, as well as Potomac Middle, started a “Work to Rule” campaign Monday in response to the recent school budget proposal.
Superintendent Steven L. Walts’ proposed budget does not include a step increase for any schools employees for a third year in a row. There are no plans for staff or program reductions, either.
The budget, which was discussed at two recent School Board meetings, also indicates that there are no plans for raises until 2016 at the earliest.
On Monday, teachers entered their respective schools as a group at the same time — 7:15 a.m. at the high schools — and left schools when their contract hours ended at 2:15 p.m.
A crowd of about 30 teachers walked out the front door of Forest Park to their cars shortly after that scheduled time, many of them wearing “Work to Rule” pins.
Nicholas Watkins, an English teacher for 10th and 11th grades at Forest Park, said around double that number walked in together in the morning.
“There were 50 to 60 teachers,” he said, wearing a “Work to Rule” badge.
Teachers and staff members who receive stipends or other compensation for coaching athletic teams or other like commitments remained at the school as required. Watkins said that contributed to a lower turnout at the end of the day.
This is the third year that teachers in Prince Willliam County have not had a step increase. This year they will not get a raise and it is predicted that there will be no raise through 2016. This is absurd. In the same newspaper was an article saying Prince William County was the 9th wealthiest county in the United States. 9th wealthiest? Pay your teachers and pay them well. They also have the largest class sizes in the state of Virginia, on average.
Couple all this with the fact that Virginia teachers and principals no longer be offered continuing contracts if they change jurisdictions and they will no longer have the VRS pension at the amount retirees now have. Why on earth would they want to stay in education. You can love your job, love kids, love helping kids learn, but at what point will the many dedicated teachers in Prince William County throw up their hands and just say ENOUGH?
What is ‘work to the rule?’ Work to the rule simply means teachers will only do the job as required by their contract. There will be no extras. They arrive at the designated time. They teach their lessons. They plan, grade, during the school day. They do not stay after school to help kids on their own time and they don’t take their crates full of papers home with them to grade. They use supplies provided by the school and buy nothing out of their own pockets. Working to the rule is difficult. Teachers plan lessons that are easy to grade and adjust their teaching styles to accommodate their new schedules. Work to the rule could go on for the rest of the year. It isn’t a one day event.
Yes, it perfectly legal. What do they hope to accomplish? They hope to educate the public, and perhaps public officials, about how much extra a teacher really does that is above and beyond what they are really paid for.
Several teachers and the PWEA Executive Director spoke today during citizens time at the BOCS. They implored the supervisors to consider education when they set the tax rate. Again, the 9th richest county in the United States should pay its teachers decently and have lower class sized. To do otherwise is simply unacceptable.
Prince William Teachers–May the force be with you!
Additional information: Washington Post
I didn’t know so many PW teachers we’re fans of Ayn Rand..
Didn’t I hear that we also have the highest teacher to student ratio on the state? Not a statistic I would brag about.
I can’t figure out why they don’t just work to the rule 100% of the time. When someone pays you to do X and you then do X+Y+Z you create distortions and false expectations. I have zero problem with teachers or anyone else for that matter performing to the letter of the contract. If the county wants more, then offer a better contract.
I don’t disagree, Cato, but I don’t think it is the nature of the beast. Most teachers are nurturers.
Public employees at all levels of government are under attack by self-described conservatives. I remember when public service was considered nobel, but no more. Good for the teachers to fight back.
@Starry, they certainly are. It used to be a respected preofession.
Update:
Teachers staged a grade in during the BOCS meeting yesterday. They implored the supervisors to consider the classroom overcrowding and years without a step or raise when setting the tax rate.
The school board relies on the BOCS for its operating costs.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/feb/15/teachers-stage-grade-prince-william-supervisors-me-ar-1689625/
I’m with Cato on this. I don’t mind the teachers working to the rule. Good for them. I also don’t think they should be paid a penny more than their contract dictates unless they can show how they are a cut above their peers.
A friend of mine that works in the IT industry has taken two years of 5% paycuts. That’s something that happens in the free market. PWC teachers have been insulated from that. So, I don’t shed a tear if they haven’t gotten a raise in a while.
PWCS should manage it’s enourmous treasure chest a bit more carefully.
Teachers don’t get paid a penny more than their contract. They work longer hours, take crap home and work on it there, help children after school and all sorts of other things they aren’t compensated for. Not getting a step increase is the same as a pay cut. Teachers have not been insulated from anything. To say otherwise indicates that you have no idea what you are talking about.
As long as your free market keeps popping out kids, the teachers will have a job.
They don’t want your tears and with your attitude most are probably hoping you send you kids to private school. You should be thanking the ones you had that you have an education to do the job you are now doing so you can insult from on high. What you do have didn’t just fall out of the sky. Sorry, but you really have a crappy attitude and don’t know up from down on this topic. I don’t know why you think teachers are paid more. The coaches are because they assume extra duties.
@Moon-howler
“Not getting a step increase is the same as a pay cut.”
I don’t disagree (because of inflation) but I disagree on the extent. When people in the public market are getting REAL pay cuts on top of no raises the fact that a teacher gets paid the same without an increase means that they aren’t sharing the pain in the same way as the person I used as an example. 10% pay CUT + no raise > no raise.
“To say otherwise indicates that you have no idea what you are talking about.”
I don’t think you meant that.
“They don’t want your tears and with your attitude most are probably hoping you send you kids to private school.”
Maybe. But they still want my tax money to support their salaries. I’m pretty sure I’d be one of those parents teachers hate.. Overly involved. Questioning the teacher if I disagree.
“You should be thanking the ones you had that you have an education to do the job you are now doing so you can insult from on high.”
Everyday I thank the teachers that helped me graduate with a 1.1 GPA.
“Sorry, but you really have a crappy attitude and don’t know up from down on this topic.”
Except that I am a product of that system and currently pay for it.
After you pay your taxes, its not longer your money. Same with me. Public coffers are public coffers. If one person suffers, why must everyone suffer? Did you get a pay cut? Noooooo. Where did the money come from that paid you? [raised eyebrow?] They don’t want YOUR money. The money all goes into a big pool. I no longer have kids in school but I ran several through the system. When I look at my real estate and car taxes and then start adding up all the little Howlers that went through the system, and for how long, I still should be paying back. I expect to support libraries, roads and school systems, and to some degree, the arts, because I live in a civilized society. If I didn’t want these things, usually provided by municipalities, I could go live in Bum-****, Virginia, and not worry about it.
Parents should question teachers if they work with their child, whether you disagree or not. Why have an adversarial approach to anything. If you go in and act like you pay someone’s salary, which you don’t, then you might find some teacher ‘tude. Actually the school board pays their salary. The school board gets the money from the Board of Supervisors. You are a long way from paying someone’s salary, as am I.
You graduated. Teachers can’t go home with you and make you care. You were given an opportunity. Your choice is what to do with it. Meanwhile, 13 years of free education is nothing to sneeze at. Let’s say the average cost per pupil was 8,000 a year. You got over $100k worth of education. Ever look at it that way? A diploma from PWCS is not a bad start in life, particularly if you have acquired a good skill set along the way. I doubt that you are old enough to have paid all that back with your taxes. I doubt that I have paid for all the little Howlers.
And yea, I meant it. Teachers don’t get paid extra for most of what they do beyond the school day. Now, if they coach, yes. Sometimes teachers are paid to teach a class after hours if funds are available. Most of that is free though. Also, that is why more teachers walked in together than walked out. Some had after school responsibilities. I did read that grading papers outside of school was allowed as part of ‘work to the rule.’
It’s difficult to do and goes against the grain. It should also be taken very seriously because it works both ways. 2 minutes late would normally be forgiven. Under a work to the rule iniative, it can get dicey.
One more thing, marin, teachers raises usually come in 2 parts. Teachers get a step increase like most employees do in other jobs That generally happens automatically. Then there is the raise. Those not getting a step increase are taking a cut in pay that can never be made up.
If you are on step 3 and get held there for 4, 5 and 6, then for the rest of your time in that employment you are 3 years behind. That is a pay cut.
I am curious why you want teachers to feel pain..Also why do you have an elitist attitude about private sector jobs over public jobs? Very often, in this area, a private sector job would dry up immediately if the govt pulled the plug on the contract.
“I am curious why you want teachers to feel pain.”
I don’t. But teachers – atleast the professional education association – seem to not care about the taxpayers. To them we are simply a fruit to be squeezed of juice. And – bare with me here – I’m less concerned with me tax hit than I am a person making a lot less but having to bear the same percentage of tax hit. Again, this is just something not thought of with the PEA.. For them it’s about how to get more and more.
“Also why do you have an elitist attitude about private sector jobs over public jobs?”
I don’t – not really. But, public jobs depend on taxpayer monies where private sector jobs don’t (not directly at least..we can argue about degrees of seperation). In the private sector money is paid for results. But, in the public sector we’re told that education is “different” and that we can’t look at it in a “results-driven” way. Or, if we do then teachers have to audit teachers because only they understand how the system should work. Very circular reasoning.
I don’t mind paying for results. If you can show me that a teacher has kicked butt and all her pupils are up as Rhodes Scholars – give that person a helluva raise. You show me a teacher that has a few students that can’t read and I’m expected to provide a cost of living increase? That’s a tough pill to swallow.
What I’m really asking for as a parent and as a taxpayer is: what is the value for the dollar I am spending NOW and the dollar and nickle you are asking me to spend in the future.
Marin, most of the people I saw there yesterday speaking were also county tax payers. one of them lived in the City but who’s county. Do you expect the military to care about the taxpayers? Didn’t think so. They have a job to do and expect to be paid. How about cops? Do you expect them to care about the taxpayers? The teachers care about their students. Most of them care about the parents of those students.
It isn’t about getting more and more. Its about being able to sustain. They too live in the county.Very often it is ‘our’ tax money since those same teachers pay taxes. The tax rates are the same but all houses are not equal. Usually one’s house is fairly compensurate with their income. When this is not the case, there are other problems. I will pay a lot more in taxes than some folks and a lot less than others. Renters pay tax because their landlord pulls it out of them.
I think you are getting a lot of bad information from somewhere. Education is different than other fields. just is. You can’t compare education to architecture or accounting jobs. You can’t even compare k-12 education to higher education. You can’t compare George Mason to Computer Learning Center. The variance seems to be in the products–the students.
In the private sector–perhaps you are paid for results but those results are not necessarily measured the same. If you sell caars, you count the cars you sold. If you translate text from one language to another, what is the metric? breed dogs? teach ooops there’s that T word..Piano?
In education you expect results also. Those results just can’t be all about the SOLS. There are many definitions of ‘results.’
Some teachers have no control over whether a kid can read or not. Like I said, there is just a lot you don’t understand about this subject.
11th grade English teacher gets a kid who can’t read. Is she supposed to just not teach the others and try to teach the kid to read?
You have made this a right/wrong, black/white issue when really it is very complicated.
Why don’t you go observe rather than reading books by some dumbos who are making generalized statements and who don’t know what they are talking about. They probably aren’t even talking about this area.
Marinm,
There is no other job like teaching. Your job in other fields depends on the work you do as an individual, you are responsile for accomplishing YOUR task and you determine the work effort YOU alone will put into that endeavor.
A teacher has a completely different job. I wish you could be a teacher for a week and see for yourself the multiple challenges they face. How do you think huge class sized impact the teacher AND students?
I am a taxpayer, so what. That does not entitle me to crap on a profession I might actually know very little about.
Marinm,
do you work for a company that depends on government contracts, cause if you do, you absolutely do depend on my tax dollars.
@Elena
I would never call myself a teacher but I have developed lesson plans, a course and have taught people that attended my course.
And everyone of those students was armed. 🙂
“do you work for a company that depends on government contracts, cause if you do, you absolutely do depend on my tax dollars.”
Worse. I’m going to be a straight up Federale soonish. Waiting on my paperwork. Part of the current administrations want to grow govt. They are eliminating my contracting position to bring me on as a government employee at a higher rate of pay and government benefits. As a member of the federal government you will have a say on my pay – you just can’t see it.
“11th grade English teacher gets a kid who can’t read. Is she supposed to just not teach the others and try to teach the kid to read?
Sounds like every teacher that has passed that student has failed that child and did so in a way that defrauded the county government.
I do find it interesting that I agree with teachers on their protest. I agree with teachers being compensated for being a cut above but I disagree on giving teachers raises just because they show up and do their required job function every day and somehow believe they are entitled to a mandatory raise every year, that they ought to be tested to see which ones are good or need training and that job protections should be equal to that of the private market – we can be fired without cause at anytime without notice.
“I am a taxpayer, so what. That does not entitle me to crap on a profession I might actually know very little about.”
If asking for our teachers to do more, do better and get compensated at a level that the electorate is happy with is somehow ‘crapping’ on a profession I think some people need to grow a thicker skin. Maybe (public) education isn’t for them?
You are one person. Most PWC residents are happy with the school system. Does that mean every teacher? Of course not.
I think maybe you are the one who public education isn’t for. NO one else is being bitching about them but you and you don’t even deal with it yet. You either have some bad baggage from when you were a kid in school or else you are just reading crap that people are writing about it that might not even live around here.
What is it you want them to do better and more of? You don’t agree with Cato because he think they ought to all work to the rule all the time.
Kids can’t read for many different reasons. Some have reading disabilities they cannot overcome. I am not going to argue over some hypothetical condition. Just accept that all children cannot be reached regardless of effort.
There is absolutely no reason why PWC teachers shouldn’t want and expect to be compensated for the work they do in a manner that is commensurate with the salaries paid to those around them. PWC is not out of step, in fact, it has lower salaries than many different counties.
When you go work for the feds, I am sure you will take whatever you can get also; I am pretty confident you won’t give it back.
Teaching a few lessons and writing some direction for a course does not a teacher make.
From Jim Livingston, chairman of the meet and confer team, PWEA:
“NO one else is being bitching about them but you and you don’t even deal with it yet.”
Yet, I’m required to pay for it. So, I’m allowed to bitch. Ain’t the 1A wonderful?
“You either have some bad baggage from when you were a kid in school or else you are just reading crap that people are writing about it that might not even live around here.”
Nope. I was quite happy with the education I got and I was happy with the teachers I had. I have no baggage and I have not ‘read crap’.
So, try again.
“You don’t agree with Cato because he think they ought to all work to the rule all the time.”
I have no issue if teachers want to work to the rule 100% of their employment.
“Just accept that all children cannot be reached regardless of effort.”
That does not mean they should be advanced past their ability.
“PWC is not out of step, in fact, it has lower salaries than many different counties.”
I linked a report from the greater school something or other showing that was not accurate. That was a year or so ago?
“Teaching a few lessons and writing some direction for a course does not a teacher make.”
As indicated I said I would NOT refer to myself or style myself as a teacher but that I had walked in those shoes for a week.
“Kids can’t read for many different reasons. Some have reading disabilities they cannot overcome.”
I’m ok with that type of social program.
But don’t mind me if I am strident. Which do you like best? 1A or 2A.
The difference is, I know what I am talking about on this subject.
You should. Teachers aren’t compensated for much they are required to do to get the job done. It is not a good situation. Working to the rule aways short-changes education, in my opinion. In all the years I have lived in the area, I have only seen it done 1 other time. It should not be taken lightly.
Parents and students will notice how much that they have come to expect as a package deal isn’t getting done. I am sorry they have to do it and support them in their efforts.
I totally agree. It isn’t the teachers that are passing them on. It is the school system. I would say that the teachers in most cases are 100% innocent.
Let’s see it. I guarantee things have not gotten better. Also make sure you are comparing Northern Virginia schools.
Social program? What kool aid are you drinking? Learning disabilities are a condition, not a social program. Not all kids will learn to compensate.
We have actually experienced a pay cut if you think about it. Changes in our health care premiums and co-pays have actually reduced our salaries.
Additionally, some in the media make it seem like vet educators are not evaluated each year. Whether it is in long or short format, our administrators evaluate us each year.
While this was not my technical “evaluation year”, I was expected to set, formally record, and turn in individual and team goals this year. These goals had to be specific with methods and dates for collecting and checking data, conferencing with administrators, and for final results. My lesson plans were inspected and I was observed by my principal without prearrangement. I will have at least have one more formal (with written feedback) observation, and will be expected to turn all of my data for review, discussion, planning, and evaluation.
Finally, I have to compile “artifacts” for PPP (professional performance process), which are shared within school teams throughout the year. These artifacts are to be documented evidence of how my work is positively impacting student learning. There are 6 areas in PPP, and all in all, 25 key elements for which I need to have artifacts.
Remember, this is not even my evaluation year…and I am a school counselor:) Imagine the scrutiny that PWCS classroom teachers face on an annual basis. Fret not PWC citizens, we are all evaluated each year, thank you very much.
Additionally, it is not as hard as you think to fire a teacher. Educators who are not meeting their evaluation standards (and I am not just talking about test scores…their are MANY ways to evaluate a teacher), or who have other difficulties, are regularly put on “action plans.” If they do not show acceptable improvement in their allotted period of time, administrators can and do discontinue their contracts.
Thanks Diversity Gal. I also think being stuck on a step for 3 years is a pay cut. There is no way to move over those steps once things start trudging along again. The salary freeze and the step freeze also affect the supplemental retirement program. I don’t even claim to understand the VRS payback. If anyone knows, please let us know.
Thanks Diversity Gal for commenting with real life experiences!
“Which do you like best? 1A or 2A. The difference is, I know what I am talking about on this subject.”
I think they are equal. A common phrase is that the 2A exists to make sure the govt never violates the 1A.
“Let’s see it. I guarantee things have not gotten better. Also make sure you are comparing Northern Virginia schools.”
I posted it on this blog over a year ago and you discarded the data as bogus and not-relevant. That the data was collected by the school boards themselves didn’t matter to you.
“Social program? What kool aid are you drinking? Learning disabilities are a condition, not a social program. Not all kids will learn to compensate.”
I don’t think you read what I wrote.
@DG
Good insight, thank you.
@marin, not sure what you mean. I dont recall what you wrote from school boards. The best info is from independent sources. School boards, like boards of supervisors, love to blow their own horns.
http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/wabe/2012.pdf
Page 52 is of interest as it goes into total compensation.
Thanks Marin. I found something wrong with this information already, at first glance. This might have been the source of our argument a year ago. Here is the problem. PWC does not pay for family health care. They only pay for the employee. The top plan costs $535. The employee pays some on the coverage. I could go look that part up if it is important. I would say that the county might pay 400 a month on the employee which would be $4,800 a year. That’s a lot less that what this guide shows. I am also not sure what that VRS Retiree Health Care is. Your health care is not paid for by the county once you go into VRS. The 403B matching is a little low. For those who participate it might end up being just under $4000 a year for those at the top. Maybe the average would be $1500 if you applied it across all the employees.
Read your comment #18. I used the same reference you did; the Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE)
Can you explain the healthcare numbers a bit more. How much does the County pay versus the employee? Those numbers do interest me.
For reference I’d say I have a Cadillac-type plan offered through my employer. The total cost for family coverage is 1,426.52. I pay 548.29 and my employer covers 878.23. That means after my salary my overhead as an employee is still another 10K more (that I don’t see).
In a nut shell, the county pays all but 47 bucks a pay period for the employee. The family stuff is out of pocket for the employee,
http://portal3.pwcs.edu:7779/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/INTRANET_PAGE/PERSONNEL/BENEFITS1/KEYCAREENHANCED_PLAN_DOCUMENT.PDF
If you go look at the cobra and retiree packages you get a pretty good idea of the ‘raw’ deal without any help from the county. Warning. Those figures are per month.
The link I left you –look at 12 month employee and full time. SB family is if husband and wife are employed. don’t look at that. Good luck.
@marin
I do not believe they pay on any family members, just the employee.