APS Pay lags ACPS, FCC, FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The problem with APS as well as all other districts in the area is that in the past 12 or so years, school systems have frozen the pay scale and have not given step increases many times. So dedicated, loyal teachers area up to 4-5 steps below their actual years of experience. Prior to 2009, COLA adjustments and steps were a given each year- it’s how teacher progress just like feds who move up the pay ladder. The COL in Arlington is way higher than surrounding counties- maybe comparable to Alexandria but our pay has not kept up. I did the math, for my years of experience and degree, I should be on a step making over $20,000 more than I do now. The other part that super insulting, a new hire with my years of experience would make that amount and someone with 4 fewer years would make the same as me. APS loses tons of teachers to FCPS because it’s cheaper to live there/they already live there and most teachers would make more because they would get hired at the step level they should be at, even if their scale is slightly lower than APS. It’s going to catch up with them soon- they need to start giving extra steps to teachers hired in certain time frames.

This. Teachers who have been there for 10 years have never received a raise.

That’s not true. I’ve been with APS 4 years and got a step and COLA after my first year

Someone who’s been with APS 4 years doesn’t have the income gap of someone who’s been there for 12+ years. We had many step freezes and I believe only 2 COL scale adjustments. The COL in Arlington has skyrocketed in the past 15 years- but teacher pay has not kept up due to the freezes. Teachers hired before 2009 have had it the worst.

Between 2008 and 2020, or so, enrollment was growing from 800-1000 kids a year and they had to build a number of new schools/add tons of capacity to existing schools. They could have increased class sizes a LOT to keep costs down and decrease the amount of new construction, but the argument was that it was better to keep class sizes down--which meant more teachers and more new capacity, which meant the budget could not be used for raises. That was the tradeoff, class size increases or salary increases. Not saying it was fair or the same tradeoff teachers would have made (and there was a third option, which was somehow persuade the county to raise taxes and fund it all), but its what they decided to do at the time.

Class size increases were modest even though APS enrollment went from 18,500 in 2008 to over 28,000 in 2020 (over 50 percent increase). The budget went from $450M to $750M in the same timeframe, which is a 60 percent increase but I don't think county revenue went up that much--maybe it did.

These are relevant points that teachers ignore when complaining about their APS salary. If it's just about money, then go where you'll get the highest salary. But if you want a decent salary and benefits package and retirement contributions and the work environment is important to you, then you should be looking at the whole picture - just like anyone else in any other career does. If you want 30 students in a class instead of 24 because you get paid a few thousand more, then please go and do that. If you love teaching and enjoy doing it in APS, then stop whining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just leave - Go!!! APS has plenty of applications to fill your spot.

Is that why there are so many positions that have been reposted?

Because they are are looking for teachers who are not like the dinosaurs they have.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The problem with APS as well as all other districts in the area is that in the past 12 or so years, school systems have frozen the pay scale and have not given step increases many times. So dedicated, loyal teachers area up to 4-5 steps below their actual years of experience. Prior to 2009, COLA adjustments and steps were a given each year- it’s how teacher progress just like feds who move up the pay ladder. The COL in Arlington is way higher than surrounding counties- maybe comparable to Alexandria but our pay has not kept up. I did the math, for my years of experience and degree, I should be on a step making over $20,000 more than I do now. The other part that super insulting, a new hire with my years of experience would make that amount and someone with 4 fewer years would make the same as me. APS loses tons of teachers to FCPS because it’s cheaper to live there/they already live there and most teachers would make more because they would get hired at the step level they should be at, even if their scale is slightly lower than APS. It’s going to catch up with them soon- they need to start giving extra steps to teachers hired in certain time frames.

This. Teachers who have been there for 10 years have never received a raise.

That’s not true. I’ve been with APS 4 years and got a step and COLA after my first year

Someone who’s been with APS 4 years doesn’t have the income gap of someone who’s been there for 12+ years. We had many step freezes and I believe only 2 COL scale adjustments. The COL in Arlington has skyrocketed in the past 15 years- but teacher pay has not kept up due to the freezes. Teachers hired before 2009 have had it the worst.

Ok, but it’s false to say there haven’t been any raises in 10 years

No one said there were no raises in 10 years. But in a high COL area like this, salaries need to keep up with the rising long costs and when you miss 4-5 raises in those 10 years, the pay drop is significant. There’s also the fact that new hires are hired at their years of experience so there is not incentive for loyalty to the system. But dcum thinks all current teachers are horrible and there are 1000s of way better applicants just lined up so I guess it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The problem with APS as well as all other districts in the area is that in the past 12 or so years, school systems have frozen the pay scale and have not given step increases many times. So dedicated, loyal teachers area up to 4-5 steps below their actual years of experience. Prior to 2009, COLA adjustments and steps were a given each year- it’s how teacher progress just like feds who move up the pay ladder. The COL in Arlington is way higher than surrounding counties- maybe comparable to Alexandria but our pay has not kept up. I did the math, for my years of experience and degree, I should be on a step making over $20,000 more than I do now. The other part that super insulting, a new hire with my years of experience would make that amount and someone with 4 fewer years would make the same as me. APS loses tons of teachers to FCPS because it’s cheaper to live there/they already live there and most teachers would make more because they would get hired at the step level they should be at, even if their scale is slightly lower than APS. It’s going to catch up with them soon- they need to start giving extra steps to teachers hired in certain time frames.

This. Teachers who have been there for 10 years have never received a raise.

That’s not true. I’ve been with APS 4 years and got a step and COLA after my first year

Someone who’s been with APS 4 years doesn’t have the income gap of someone who’s been there for 12+ years. We had many step freezes and I believe only 2 COL scale adjustments. The COL in Arlington has skyrocketed in the past 15 years- but teacher pay has not kept up due to the freezes. Teachers hired before 2009 have had it the worst.

Ok, but it’s false to say there haven’t been any raises in 10 years

No one said there were no raises in 10 years. But in a high COL area like this, salaries need to keep up with the rising long costs and when you miss 4-5 raises in those 10 years, the pay drop is significant. There’s also the fact that new hires are hired at their years of experience so there is not incentive for loyalty to the system. But dcum thinks all current teachers are horrible and there are 1000s of way better applicants just lined up so I guess it’s fine.

Look above it literally says “ This. Teachers who have been there for 10 years have never received a raise. ”