DH and I in chinuch - late pay checks are ruining us Vent

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 6:48 pm

tf wrote:

Of course our schools would have teachers because if a whole lot of people would leave, the school would have no choice but to pay.

Your plan is flawed for two reasons. 1. What the schools have been doing is hiring young girls out of high school and seminary that they pay late and very low salaries. Many of these girls don't know any better and if they do, they don't mind if they have minimal financial responsibilities. 2. You'll never get enough people to leave schools if the pay is late. There are always people that don't stand up for themselves or are too afraid.

amother

Crimson

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 6:56 pm

amother wrote:

A school cannot subsist solely on young unprofessional girls as staff. And the schools that only want to hire young unprofessional girls aren't worth saving. They don't deserve to survive.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:04 pm

amother wrote:

A school cannot subsist solely on young unprofessional girls as staff. And the schools that only want to hire young unprofessional girls aren't worth saving. They don't deserve to survive.

I agree with you but I know of schools that are opting for young unprofessionals and they are still around.

amother

Brown

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:08 pm

I'm the amother above who is the wife of a fundraiser. A few weeks before Pesach, we got a letter in our mailbox from all of the Rebbeim. They acknowledged the hard work of the administration but explained that they needed to feed their families and would not be able to resume teaching after Yom Tov until they were paid in full. They sent an identical letter to all of the members of the board, the Rav of the school and several other influential people. The letter was respectful but decisive.
An immense effort was put into trying to fulfill their just request. About 80% of the outstanding payroll was covered by fundraising and loans. We then got a second letter thanking us for the amazing work and lauding our contribution to the klal and their personal simchas yom tov. No acrimony at all. Just mutual respect between two parties on the same side of the battle. Op, maybe this can help you.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:13 pm

amother wrote:

Thank you but I've tried something similar with English/female staff and it did not work. I did not have enough women that would put their name and follow through. I may just have to band together with the rabbeim but I would be the only English staff. I'm not sure why so many women are scared to speak up. Last year I texted the woman in charge of paychecks inquiring about a check. She did not have my number in her phone and she respectfully wrote back, "sorry, which rabbi is this?" I also don't think female staff would be taken as seriously as Rebbeim. Administrators sometimes underestimate how much the female is supporting her family but they don't doubt the rebbeim.

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:19 pm

amother wrote:

Not EVERYONE has to stand up and do the same thing. It's good enough that only the strong ones do it, and even those, can go ahead in different directions. And, teachers straight out of high school or sem? The school knows they need better than that to teach their upper grades. They will have to break at some point, because there aren't that many out of school girls ready to teach upper grade levels. So they'll have a few? By far not enough to keep their name up!

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:22 pm

OP

Can you or your husband ask the school for a head check? There are gemachs that will lend you money against those head checks and they will do the work of collecting payment on the loan from the school. I'm not a teacher so I don't know which gemachs do it but I have heard from teachers that this is what they do.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:25 pm

Let me end this part of the conversation, I feel that it is pointless. We can debate all day, we have different views.

At the end of the day, I want this system to change. However, I'm only one person. I can come up with plans on how to try and get my pay check faster. The fact of the matter is, I'm only one person and this is a problem across Brooklyn. I shouldn't have to make plans to get my check, threaten the school, quit my job, or beg. These schools should keep up with common decency that when you have workers, you pay them. I'm one person and I will do my best to reach out to Torah Umesorah or other organizations. But, there really needs to be a bigger push from the community and more teachers across the board taking a stand.

amother

Brown

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:26 pm

amother wrote:

The school I'm involved in has both a girls' school and boys' cheder. The Rebbeim sent the letter, but everyone got paid (almost) in full. I know that it's hard to get people together, but perhaps write out the letter and then try and get people to sign it. That is usually easier than getting people on board with a hypothetical idea. I'm sorry for what you're going through. It is also crucial to send the letter to the right people. In our case, the letter was also sent to a wealthy community member who is often tight on his purse strings. He responded by spearheading the fundraising initiative.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 7:26 pm

amother wrote:

I've never heard of this. Thank you, I will look into it.

amother

Ginger

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 9:58 pm

My sympathies. As I understand, you're dedicated to teaching, but unwilling to move out of Brooklyn. You have two options:
1. Get whatever qualifications you need to get a job in the mo system
2. Indulge your dedication after work. Get another job, one that pays on time, and give shiurim on the weekends.

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 10:19 pm

This conversation must go on until every Rebbi and teacher, male and female are paid in full. this issue speaks high volumes about OUR commitment to the future of OUR generations. In my mind the most blame goes to US the parents of OUR children, OUR children's future does not belong to any School, Grand Rabbi, Board, Administrator. Who should pay for OUR children? obviously the amount we pay for tuition is a dismal amount of the cost, we all know the high amount that the MO community pays, granted they pay more per teacher etc, but still it is not even proportionate. WE parents must get to grips, it is totally unfair what we do to our most precious possessions, when the Rebbi / Teacher in class is not paid in full, you know how much education goes on in class. Yes, I know there are exceptions, Im sure the OP is a great teacher, but most teachers can not give their full attention to students when there are mounting pressure from unpaid bills. The parents got tickets to CA or FL from points, give me a break, sell those points and pay your tuition bill, if you cant sell it, give it to your childs educator. We need to stop blaming others, and start blaming our own view of education.

watergirl

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 10:24 pm

amother wrote:

No reason she has to move out of Brooklyn. She can stay put and simply look for a job out of brooklyn. Queens isnt that far. Neither is Staten Island or even parts of Manhatten or even LI. If she has a degree in elementary education as well as the state certification, the only thing that's limiting her pay is herself. Not the schools.

oliveoil

Sun, Sep 03 2017, 10:42 pm

amother wrote:

Squishy I'm from monsey, and I'm very familiar with the school situation there. (There aren't that many schools this could possibly apply to) I'm really confused, I can't imagine which one you're referring to!

amother wrote:

I live in monsey and have taught in four local mainstream schools. I dont know what your talking about. I was always paid at the end of a month for the previous month, so yeah its late but its predictable and I was never owed more than 2 months max in my 14 years of teaching.

and I dont know of a single school that allows girls to go to florida at all, so idk where you're getting 93% from.

We all know Squishy lives in an altered reality. I wouldn't get too caught up in her "facts".