Tuition raised 2k per child to cover teacher’s bloated salar

amother

Maple

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:10 pm

amother [ Pistachio ] wrote:

Of course it matters. Working people don't get the breaks. That goes to the people in chinuch who are now getting the raises. The husband can be a rebbe, the wife can be a sahm and shopping all day, and they will get the break. Never mind tje food stamps, section 8, wic and everything else those people may get. But since we have 2 salaries we don't qualify for anything. I pay a ton of taxes. A ton of tuition. Work full time. No cleaning help. No eating out or vacation. Yet I am paying full tuition while many people who work less and spend recklessly get the breaks. I'm not bitter or jealous. I do what I need to do and think is right. But the truth is that the way financial aid is distributed in most schools is unfair and very subjective and arbitrary.

Working ppl don't get breaks has nothing to do with ppl thinking your rich. On my tuition break application it asks for our salaries, mortgage/rent and a whole lot of other stuff. Nowhere does it say on a scale of 1-10 how rich does the community think you are because you have pretty titles.

Also the second part of your statement was highly offensive, uneducated and dumb. My husband is a rebbe, I work long physical hard hours to compensate for the money he doesn't make and we qualify for nothing and neither of us gets benefits and we pay a lot for health insurance and we pay a ton of taxes and we don't eat out and don't take vacation. And this is true for all rebbeim I know. I don't know where this dumb idea of yours came from that we're all sitting here with our feet up at the nail salon because they raised tuition.

amother

Tanzanite

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:11 pm

This is clearly one thorny issue- I sympathise with everyone, parents and moros.
I would like point out that it takes A LOT of shekels to keep a school running before you even start talking about teachers’ salaries. Theee was a crazy paper shortage around Purim time, driving up prices. If the office staff thinks it’s nice to order lunch for teachers for a staff meeting, they’re not looking to cut corners. For years my colleagues and I have been begging them to stop feeding us, just give us minimal raises! We can bring our own lunches!
The way the pie gets cut is probably very different in different schools but I will say for certain that no Morah I’ve ever met has been “over paid”.

amother

Pistachio

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:13 pm

lasagna wrote:

If it's so glamourlus you can become a teacher and enjoy the so called "easy life" and access the same perks...based on your post you imply that teaching is wrong...I thought we want to invest in good teachers to be role models for our children!?

I'm not implying teaching is wrong. I'm saying that working people aren't necessarily rich and many of us live on shoestring budgets with no perks. Why should the teachers raise come out of my pocket when I'm not getting any raises? I think it's ridiculous to raise teachers by such a high number when times are bad...if I'm struggling too how do you expect me to pay even more tuition. You can raise the salary, but it doesn't need to be by such a big percentage. I'm not getting a raise, and my expenses keep climbing, so how does that make sense?

amother

Pistachio

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:17 pm

amother [ Maple ] wrote:

I didn't mean to offend you. But I personally have relatives who the husband is a rebbe, the wife works minimally and they take advantage of every perk and benefit they can get because they are a chinuch family. They go out to eat, vacation, have cleaning help, and yes the wife goes for her weekly mani pedis. Obviously that isn't every chinuch couple but it exists. The whole notion that teachers deserve huge raises because of inflation is wrong, because most working people aren't getting huge raises. So where are they supposed to get the extra tuition money from?

amother

Maple

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:19 pm

amother [ Pistachio ] wrote:

This lifestyle has nothing to do with chiniuch family or not. It's an attitude and ppl who work often have the same attitude even if they can't afford it but if we say anything then ppl will lash back at you about how hard they work and still can't afford anything.

amother

Forestgreen

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:22 pm

amother [ Pistachio ] wrote:

I also know people like that. Either there is another source of money that you don't know about, or they are living on credit cards. You can't live this way on a Rebbes salary plus programs. You really can't.

amother

Bone

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:32 pm

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

I got the same 2k increase letter today. So many of us send to the same school! It does seem unfair that we just pledged monthly donations to the school (based on our budget) and now they are telling us that tuition is being increased so much. I gave more than 2k in extra donations this year. Let them use that money towards my tuition next year.

It’s obvious all your donations, while remarkable of you personally, didn’t cover their expenses or they wouldn’t feel the need to raise tuition.

I think people are really clueless to what teachers make.

I made $16,000 in a year, teaching four classes four days a week. $4000 a class. Rebbes were making $55k-$70k, depending.

Hey who wants to switch with me! Aren’t you excited to leave your pathetic salaries and become a teacher? Come and join and now you can get a bloated salary too!

lasagna

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:33 pm

amother [ Pistachio ] wrote:

I get it, but if you're struggling, how much more are the teachers struggling? The teachers have low salaries to begin with so yeah, they don't pay the same taxes and get certain benefits but when you really look at it they are coming out the same as you...pinching pennies...
Also, at the end of the day (when you're done with tuitions), you will come out on top financially because you will have the 401k and opportunity for savings etc. a teacher makes a bare minimum and almost never gets a raise and certainly no 401k.

amother

Forestgreen

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:34 pm

lasagna wrote:

They get free medicaid, child tax credit, earned income credit....

amother

Pistachio

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:36 pm

lasagna wrote:

Many jobs don't have 401ks.

lasagna

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:38 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

They get free medicaid, child tax credit, earned income credit....

Again, it seems like being a teacher is so easy and glamourous, so why not join the team? (not at all sarcastic)
I assume most well paying jobs have a good medical insurance benefit as well as disability (and some even go as far as childcare). But, while you are physically paying all your money out of your pocket teachers are as well because it just never comes into their pockets Smile

My relative has the same view and it is so negative on the teachers...don't they deserve some level of appreciation for all the time and energy they put into out children?

amother

Slategray

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:43 pm

I pay almost 40k in tuition for 3 kids (oldest is in 4th grade) and I wish the money went towards teachers “bloated” salaries! The school is scrambling for teachers because no one wants to teach! If you don’t pay your fair share, how will the schools be able to recruit teachers to educate your children! Then people will complain that their kids have a revolving door of young fresh out of seminary teachers who get engaged and leave… I wish my money went towards recruiting good people who get paid enough to both want to come and teach, as well as stay in the teaching field.

amother

Clear

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:46 pm

lasagna wrote:

My relative has the same view and it is so negative on the teachers...don't they deserve some level of appreciation for all the time and energy they put into out children?

What about all those jobs that are necessary but don't pay tons and don't have all these bonuses plus no one is collecting to raise their salary.
If they all quit, our children's lives will be very unpleasant.
The therapists who get paid per diem to pull your child out, the Title 1 teachers, the school nurses, the nurse at the Drs office, the dental hygienist, the bus drivers who drive your kids to school, the guy who fixes the copy machine, the person who delivers the lunches, the cook, the janitors, the garbage collector.
None of them are making it big. 30-60k salaries for at least a 35 hour workweek.
They can't afford the raises but trust me, you and your children's quality of life will go down if they stop working.
Where's the salary raise for them?

amother

Oxfordblue

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:47 pm

I hate to say it but some teachers do have bloated salaries for the sheer number of hours a week they work and dont forget they get all those vacations (chagim, erev YT, Isru Chag, winter break, chanukah) and summer break. Their in school hours are WAY less than anything "full time" so their salary is less. My salary is for 2,000 hours a year that I work in office.
Do not add in hours preparing, grading etc. First thing, after teaching a number of years the prep gets less. Second, EVERY job I have worked at requires unpaid time. OTs, social workers, PTs etc write notes and reports. Any job that requires licensure usually requires continuing education that not only do they pay to attend but they dont get paid for going. Oh and dont forget the teachers often dont have student loans to pay back, malpractice insurance, and other costs of just showing up to work.
Plus teachers get loads of perks. YT discounts, parsonage, tuition discounts, food, chasdei Lev, automatic "hey you are a teacher so you get a lower price" discount... my kids school begged parents to donate to give teachers Pesach bonuses, pay for a chol hamoed outing for them... plus appreciation lunches and gifts... and don't forget the mandatory end of year/purim/chanukah/whenever thank yous from parents that are now "obligatory".

Plus schools have bloated administrators. I know someone getting 6 figures for nothing. No degree, no real position. Just "parent liason" or something like that. All I have seen this person do is update the handbook for uniform policy (not done even every year) and contact parents to show up to meetings if their kid has "issues". Schools waste so much money. They wont open up their books. They wont consider getting an auditor in to help see where to cut costs.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate my kids teachers. I want to show my appreciation. I dont have a lot of money but I say thank you at every opportunity. I gave MM (nothing fancy but I wrote a note). Most of the teachers are beyond amazing. I wish I could give the best ones 2,000 myself!! I just cant afford to pay. I didnt get a raise. All my costs went up. And I work longer hours but end up almost in the same financial situation as teachers who work fewer hours...

Raising tuition (different school but we got a price increase too) when so many families are hurting is crazy. Especially when they refuse to do anything to lower costs.

And yes, I try to get a discount. I open up about all our expenses even the ones we prefer not to share (medical and private ones!). We get almost nothing off. And we pinch pennies all year round. I coupon, price compare, dont have the jewelry the teachers do, dont eat out, dont go on vacation... (last time I flew was to a funeral of a close relative.)

amother

NeonGreen

Tue, May 24 2022, 6:50 pm

lasagna wrote:

Huh? I don't have a 401k. Neither does dh. I have not been able to deposit in savings in over a year. I never get raises in my job.

Why do you assume that every job besides teaching offers 401k, consistent raises, and ample opportunity for saving?

I pinch pennies just like the teacher does (probably even more-the morahs in my neighborhood dress themselves and their kids very well...)