DCPS budget cuts

[Anonymous]

The problem with teacher pensions is the same problem as the one with any social benefit program that pushes the real cost down the road without covering the debt adequately now. I think we are now aware that every generation is happy to screw the next generation over by saddling it with these albatrosses and I think, frankly, that it shouldn’t be allowed. If governments want to fund pensions to recruit/incentivize good teachers, they should have to account for/pay the real cost now. The easiest way to do that is via 401k contributions, even very generous ones. I think teachers deserve more than whaf they get on most fronts, but guaranteed pensions aren’t sustainable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with teacher pensions is the same problem as the one with any social benefit program that pushes the real cost down the road without covering the debt adequately now. I think we are now aware that every generation is happy to screw the next generation over by saddling it with these albatrosses and I think, frankly, that it shouldn’t be allowed. If governments want to fund pensions to recruit/incentivize good teachers, they should have to account for/pay the real cost now. The easiest way to do that is via 401k contributions, even very generous ones. I think teachers deserve more than whaf they get on most fronts, but guaranteed pensions aren’t sustainable.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Wash Post just reported that the DC Council Chair is rejecting the cuts and sending back a revised budget that restores the teacher positions. Mendelson says the CFO’s insistence on adding money to the reserve fund is an unnecessary policy choice that the law does not allow the CFO to force on the mayor, and argues that laying off teachers makes no sense when DCPS got a $200M increase in funding for next year. Also mentions that DCPS central office always seems to get funded at the expense of the schools. Kudos to Mendelson!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wash Post just reported that the DC Council Chair is rejecting the cuts and sending back a revised budget that restores the teacher positions. Mendelson says the CFO’s insistence on adding money to the reserve fund is an unnecessary policy choice that the law does not allow the CFO to force on the mayor, and argues that laying off teachers makes no sense when DCPS got a $200M increase in funding for next year. Also mentions that DCPS central office always seems to get funded at the expense of the schools. Kudos to Mendelson!

Thank you, Mendelson!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a highly effective teacher, the only two things keeping me in DCPS as opposed to teaching in another district are the pay and the pension. I'd be out of here pretty fast if either of those things went away. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. DCPS already has a problem with teacher retention because of working conditions and it would almost certainly get worse without our compensation. As it is, I'm planning to hang on another 15 years until I can retire at 60 ( not 55). Also please note that DCPS teachers do not pay into social security, we pay into the pension instead. So we are sacrificing that safety net in order to have our pension.

Not sure how much sacrifice is involved here. Teachers pay substantially less (only 8 percent) into their pensions than the rest of us pay into Social Security (12.4 percent) and they will get many, many, *many* times more back than do Social Security beneficiaries. On top of that, they get to retire crazy early. They pay way less and get way more, courtesy of taxpayers.

30-35 years is crazy early? Our country is backwards. That 8% is not matched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wash Post just reported that the DC Council Chair is rejecting the cuts and sending back a revised budget that restores the teacher positions. Mendelson says the CFO’s insistence on adding money to the reserve fund is an unnecessary policy choice that the law does not allow the CFO to force on the mayor, and argues that laying off teachers makes no sense when DCPS got a $200M increase in funding for next year. Also mentions that DCPS central office always seems to get funded at the expense of the schools. Kudos to Mendelson!

Nice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a highly effective teacher, the only two things keeping me in DCPS as opposed to teaching in another district are the pay and the pension. I'd be out of here pretty fast if either of those things went away. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. DCPS already has a problem with teacher retention because of working conditions and it would almost certainly get worse without our compensation. As it is, I'm planning to hang on another 15 years until I can retire at 60 ( not 55). Also please note that DCPS teachers do not pay into social security, we pay into the pension instead. So we are sacrificing that safety net in order to have our pension.

Not sure how much sacrifice is involved here. Teachers pay substantially less (only 8 percent) into their pensions than the rest of us pay into Social Security (12.4 percent) and they will get many, many, *many* times more back than do Social Security beneficiaries. On top of that, they get to retire crazy early. They pay way less and get way more, courtesy of taxpayers.

30-35 years is crazy early? Our country is backwards. That 8% is not matched.

+1

To retire crazy early you need to start in DCPS at age 22 and never leave. Don’t feds who do that get to retire ‘crazy early’? Most teachers did not do this and don’t retire at 55.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish we all had pensions, too, but pensions are becoming unsustainable for public schools, just like they have for private industry as we're all living longer.

From 2002 to 2020, total state and local K-12 spending in the US rose 33 percent, while teacher retirement spending rose a whopping 220 percent.

Pensions are eating up a growing percentage of per pupil spending. The 100 largest districts in the US are spending an average of $1,549 per student per year on pensions.

It is bonkers that teachers still get pensions.

No. It’s really not. It's bonkers that most people don't get pensions.

Also, DCPS teachers do not collect any social security. That is the pension for everyone else. In addition, teachers fund a big chunk of it from their Sal. 8% of our pre-tax earnings go into our pensions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but if private companies can’t afford pensions any longer ( I’ve worked for 30 years and just have my personal 401k) how can taxpayers afford them?

Private companies choose not to afford them. It's no coincidence that exec salaries have skyrocketed as pensions have disappeared.

DCPS teacher here and you don’t know what you’re talking about I’m afraid. An infinitesimal number of teachers would ever receive that much pension. I am hoping to make it to age 62 (don’t know if I will - the stress is doing me in). At that point I should get about $36K annually. If I retire sooner, it will be closer to $24K. The $36 K would be after about 17 years of teaching. A huge chunk of that invested money has come out of my paycheck, as required. Plus we get no social security. It’s not that sweet!!

100% this. And the joke is on all of us, because corporations have done everything they can to profit off the public (eliminating pensions, avoid paying taxes, refusing to pay a living wage, cutting corners, and eliminating safety and epa regulations all to create revenue for shareholders). And the best part - they get you to think teacher pensions are the problem. Guess we really are as stupid as they think we are…

Do you know how much regular people would have to save in their 401K to get what teachers get in their pensions? You'd have to save, like, $5 million. Do you know many people who have $5 million in their 401ks? Teacher pensions are a *complete* boondoggle. The reason pensions don't exist anymore except for, like, teachers and cops is because they are comically expensive.

Many CEOs make 50 million dollars. Now that is expensive. And even when they run a company into the ground, they walk away with piles of cash. I’m way more outraged about that than teacher pensions

I know it's fun to shake your fists at CEOs, but do the math. A teacher typically gets a $70,000 pension. Multiple that by 30 years. $2.25 million. Now multiple that by tens of thousands of teachers. You can easily get up to more than $50 BILLION real quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people on this board understand how many of your experienced teachers (the ones you all want at the JKLM etc schools) are only sticking around because of the pension.

Teachers who are only teaching because of the pension should quit. We dont want them. Seriously. Leave. We want teachers who actually want to teach kids.

You sure about that? I love kids and am an expert at teaching my subject area but I’m tired and stressed. Am hanging on for the pension. It would take YEARS for a new teacher to reach my level of expertise. Don’t knock the experienced, yet tired, teacher. We are golden!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people on this board understand how many of your experienced teachers (the ones you all want at the JKLM etc schools) are only sticking around because of the pension.

Teachers who are only teaching because of the pension should quit. We dont want them. Seriously. Leave. We want teachers who actually want to teach kids.

You sure about that? I love kids and am an expert at teaching my subject area but I’m tired and stressed. Am hanging on for the pension. It would take YEARS for a new teacher to reach my level of expertise. Don’t knock the experienced, yet tired, teacher. We are golden!!

Tired and stressed aren't really great qualities in teachers. Not sure experience makes up for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people on this board understand how many of your experienced teachers (the ones you all want at the JKLM etc schools) are only sticking around because of the pension.

Teachers who are only teaching because of the pension should quit. We dont want them. Seriously. Leave. We want teachers who actually want to teach kids.

You sure about that? I love kids and am an expert at teaching my subject area but I’m tired and stressed. Am hanging on for the pension. It would take YEARS for a new teacher to reach my level of expertise. Don’t knock the experienced, yet tired, teacher. We are golden!!

Tired and stressed aren't really great qualities in teachers. Not sure experience makes up for that.

Most good teachers are tired and stressed by this time the year. You think first and second year teachers are less tired or stressed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people on this board understand how many of your experienced teachers (the ones you all want at the JKLM etc schools) are only sticking around because of the pension.

Teachers who are only teaching because of the pension should quit. We dont want them. Seriously. Leave. We want teachers who actually want to teach kids.

You sure about that? I love kids and am an expert at teaching my subject area but I’m tired and stressed. Am hanging on for the pension. It would take YEARS for a new teacher to reach my level of expertise. Don’t knock the experienced, yet tired, teacher. We are golden!!

Tired and stressed aren't really great qualities in teachers. Not sure experience makes up for that.

Most good teachers are tired and stressed by this time the year. You think first and second year teachers are less tired or stressed?

Don't listen to this fool! Fight for your pension. Teachers deserve it. That and the summers are the main benefits other than the joy of making a difference (which many better paid and more appreciated jobs can provide.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people on this board understand how many of your experienced teachers (the ones you all want at the JKLM etc schools) are only sticking around because of the pension.

Teachers who are only teaching because of the pension should quit. We dont want them. Seriously. Leave. We want teachers who actually want to teach kids.

NP but you say this and then complain when your kid is taught by a long term sub. People can do their jobs well and mainly do them for a paycheck or pension. I don’t assume my accountant loves doing my taxes. He’s doing it for the paycheck, but he still does a good job.

Yup. I don’t care why teachers teach. If the pension is what keeps them teaching, great! Please continue to do this job few people want and can do well. Please.

+1. DCPS is begging for teachers. My friend who is a SAHM is about to become a DCPS FT teacher and she just needed to complete a certificate. If you want all the perks and great pension, you can be a teacher too! It’s not hard.

[Anonymous]

As a current who has been teaching for 30+ years and still loves every day, all those people out there who think teachers have it made, why don't you come join us? I heard there are lots of openings, great hours, long summer breaks, and fabulous pensions waiting for all new hires.