Submitted By a Concerned Troy Parent–
Troy High School teachers abruptly close doors to students and make the parents sign off on it.
Are the students caught in the middle of a contract dispute between the teachers’ union and FJUHSD?
This is just one of many forms that came home with the students from Troy teachers yesterday.
Troy teachers are now:
Unavailable for help before or after school
Unavailable for tutoring before or after school
Unavailable to write letters of recommendation for colleges or scholarships
Unavailable for AP testing review before or after class time
Teachers have decided that they will no longer be available to help the student outside of their contracted work hours.
Is the unavailability due to a union contract dispute?
Before break teachers were wearing red to protest the lack of a contract.
Some, many, or all explained to the students, during class time, why they were protesting.
The understanding was that their teaching salaries were not enough. So when it is ever enough? You be the judge. Here is the salary list for the district.
The District’s school year consists of 180 instructional days of 372 minutes each-6.2 hours a day 180 days a year. Mr. Bainter, for example had total compensation of $136, 221 for 2014 and makes $122 per hour in total compensation if you do the math. Guess it is not enough for him or the rest of them for that matter.
Keep in mind that they do not work the whole year and the wages/total compensation are unsustainable: http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/calstrs-teachers-retirement-pension-system-in-deep-trouble/#respond
“Using the State accounting system for pensions, CalSTRS, the teacher retirement plan, had a $8.9 billion increase in liability, bringing it to an admitted unsustainable $67.3 billion. Using Federal pension accounting systems, the real unfunded liability is over $170 billion—and growing. At some point the taxpayers will be forced, by law, to bail out another government failure.”
Teachers want more, but are totally divorced from the fiscal reality.
Teachers want more and will totally turn their backs on the students in order to have their ‘unsustainable’ demands met. Looks like Troy teachers are doing just that.
#1 by LMS on January 13, 2016 - 6:07 pm
I student taught under Suzanne Boxdorfer, English teacher at Sunny Hills High School, in the same district. Amidst all of this unhealthy banter, please allow me to woefully inadequately attempt to paint a picture of this lady.
While I was at Sunny Hills, she was contacted by a former student’s university about an emergency, life-threatening situation–the student had listed Ms. Boxdorfer, her high school English teacher, as her emergency contact. This student believed Ms. Boxdorfer cared for her more than her parents. Ms. Boxdorfer flew out of state–on her own money and time–to be with this girl in need. Suzanne buys books for kids, regularly goes to their games and events–even ones not school related. She has looked for missing students in the ditches and railroad tracks of Fullerton. She buys food, ensures college enrollment for at-risk kids, and has given driving lessons to more than one homeless or foster student lacking parents to do so. Her classroom standards are exceptionally high; in this world of lax principles and low expectations, she does not ever take late work, kids do not disrespect her or each other, and no one ever wears a hat inside. Academically, her students are among the best prepared in the school; all leave her classes know how to write very well. Kids rarely fall behind in her classes as she will not allow it. For those struggling, she has gone to their homes. She has met them at the library. She has returned at 8pm or Saturday morning to accommodate students’ schedules. She succeeds with the most at-risk and the highest achieving.
Few know these things as she is humble and quiet about it; I know because I had the joy of shadowing her for ten months. Her former students are editors of national magazines and leaders in Washington, D.C. Some flip burgers. But ALL will tell you she is the best teacher and likely the best person they ever have met. And that she deserves ten times what any salary might be. Visit her. Speak to her students. Be amazed.
#2 by Anon on January 13, 2016 - 8:22 pm
Ms. Boxdorfer sounds like a wonderful and dedicated teacher. She seems like a selfless individual, one that every parent would want for their child’s teacher.
I wonder what her thoughts would be about closing the doors to students because the teachers have not gotten a raise. I wonder what her thoughts would be about the unsustainable fiscal condition of the district.