Decent salary but checks aren't coming! Y can't pay on time?

amother

Gold

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 6:59 pm

I am so frustrated with the Jewish schools! My husband and I are both in chinuch/education. It's a field we're both passionate about and don't want to do anything else. Between the two of us, we work in 3 different Flatbush schools. B'H our salary is decent and we would be able to cover our monthly bills, however, we both don't get our paychecks on time. We're at the point that in order to cover our monthly bills we keep tapping into our savings. By the time we get our paychecks, there's always next months bills and never an opportunity to replenish our savings.

I'm so frustrated that it's already October and from the 3 schools, not one school paid yet for September. We're in the middle of yomim tovim and have extra bills to pay. Every time I've asked when we can expect our paycheck, the answer is always maybe next week. It ends up being months. At this rate, I doubt we'll be getting paid before sukkos.

We had this over the past few years too where the schools always paid late, sometimes we'd go months without paychecks. Now our savings is totally dwindled down and we can't afford to keep using it up. I'm so nervous already. We both want to work in Jewish schools. We want to positively influence Jewish children and really make a difference in the schooling system that needs so much help.

Why can't the Jewish schools pay the teachers on time? They charge plenty of tuition. I'm sure there are always parents that pay on time. My husband and I have tried numerous times to figure out the schools cheshbon to see why it's a problem across the board in Brooklyn, but we can't come up with a solution.

Thoughts?

mummiedearest

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 7:08 pm

thoughts:

1) they charge plenty of tuition, but plenty of parents do not pay in full, due to their own finances or because they feel it's cool to trick the schools. true story.

2) some parents have set up a different payment schedule to be able to pay over the course of a full year.

3) schools have lots of expenses that have to be paid, and brooklyn schools have a known culture of paying teachers late/less than expected. they get away with it because teachers continue to work for them. since it's become accepted practice, schools have no interest in changing how they pay teachers.

4) note "accepted practice" above. it's accepted by the teachers. parents are not kept updated about their kids' teachers' paychecks. it is the school's responsibility (once parents have paid in full, something the schools should be enforcing where appropriate) to make sure you are paid on time. it is not, however, your responsibility to accept not being paid. brooklyn desperately needs a yeshiva teachers' union. start one. go on strike. make some noise. you're not being paid anyway, and staying in the classroom won't get you paid any faster. if you quit on your own, I'm sure they'll find a replacement quickly enough. if you do it as a group, well, there aren't enough recent sem grads around to fill all those roles. if you're passionate about jewish education, help ensure a better educational environment for the kids in your school, present and future. good luck!

amother

Gold

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 7:52 pm

kb wrote:

I'm not debating the unfairness of the situation. But if your income should cover your expenses, then as long as you're getting paid eventually you should be able to reimburse your savings.

Am I missing something?

It's covering our expenses, almost exactly. There's no room to put any back in savings, especially since we always having yomim tovim that costs more. It could be years before we reimburse our savings.

amother

Blue

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 7:54 pm

I feel bad saying this, but perhaps either you or your husband should look for a career in a different field or public school. Its unacceptable to not be paid on time!

When one of my friends was single, she was a teacher at a Jewish school, living completely on her own with no family support. She literally was living paycheck to paycheck (she had student loans on top of living expenses) and stopped being a teacher partly because the school wouldn't pay her on time, causing her to rack up unnecessary credit card debt.

That's why I am not a teacher. I work in a regular office job and get paid weekly on time every week. I would love to be a teacher, but it wouldn't work for me with the low salaries and late payment issues.

watergirl

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 8:05 pm

amother wrote:

Ita with the first part of this. If you have a degree and teacher certification, you can go teach in many any other types of yeshivas (I am specifying yeshivahs since you said you are passionate about jewish education) and get paid on time. While I know that this issue exists, its only done where people allow it to happen. There are many yeshivahs out there, like where I used to live in NY that pay on time. Do you have the require qualifications to teach in a more reputably run school?

amother

Olive

Wed, Oct 05 2016, 8:32 pm

Awhile back There was a large Jewish school that did this for awhile...the teachers got together and went on strike. The kids had no school for a week. The teachers refused to return until they were paid what was owed and pay checks delivered timely from then on. By day 2 or 3, parents were up in arms, angry where their tuition dollars were going if the teachers weren't being paid. The school managers had to answer to them. It wasn't pretty. Someone in the administration ended up quitting or getting fired not sure. But it worked. I think the management was restructured and finances dealt with more smoothly after that. This probably only works if it's all the teachers not getting paid. If it's only a few they'll just hire other people.