Comments about ‘Jordan School Board waits on state numbers, mulls budget-cut options’

I would love to see where teachers feel cuts can be made or where additional income can be received without increasing taxes and I would really love to see some of the students in the district voice their opinions on what can be done--what can be cut, put the pop machines back in schools, etc.

Of course teachers think taxes should be raised. That is where they get their money. One hundred percent of every teachers paycheck comes from taxes.. They want it all, but they can't have it1 Welcome to the real world.

reduce the superintendent's salary to $150k.

reduce the salaries of other administrators making over $150k to $120k.

reduce the salaries of administrators making between $100k and $150k to $95k.

That would save 20-25 teachers jobs.

sounds really, really awful. I mean all these people say teachers need to get with the real world, the real world where private corporations are laying off workers, cutting salaries, slicing pensions and benefits etc. I'm glad teachers aren't facing these real world challenges. Then again if the real world of private enterprise and capitalism is so heartless and cruel etc. etc. etc. perhaps we should examine Socialism. If capitalism and the free market is the way to go perhaps others (that want to bash teachers and public education) should consider being more careful about teaching teachers how cruel the real world is because again if it so cruel and so ugly out there, maybe another economic system should come about. Think on it...

Saying that teachers are being greedy is not listening to the whole article. The details about losing 4% of their income already doesn't phase those that think that teachers should never seek to protect their wages, but it also seems selfish to those who don't realize how tenuous getting even basic "cost of living" increases that are small but essential in a continually changing world. Yes we have had a recession and there are many people hurting, but teachers in Jordan district already don't make as much money (as is true of most teachers) for equivalently educated and skilled professions that involve the amount of investment it takes to be a teacher (teachers are almost never paid enough and that is becoming increasingly true in Jordan's district). Yes, teachers want to keep their jobs, but that might mean that they will have to go somewhere else anyway and then the students will suffer that those who criticize teachers fail to consider. Teachers are practically married to their jobs which means that they need an equal relationship with the public, not one that ridicules them for the public servants they are.

I'm tired of hearing the same old song and dance every year from the teachers union. It's always "gimme, gimme, gimme". It's possible you may have legitimate concerns but your constant whining has become so routine and predictable it makes it hard to believe anything you say.

The school split was a huge injustice that when combined with a sour economy created a completely horrible situation...we all get that. The school board tried to put off the really tough choices for later in hopes the economy would recover and/or the state legislature would fix the mess they created but neither has occurred. It's time to face the music, we can't put off the inevitable any longer, as bad as it may hurt MORE tax increases are not an option so cuts must be made.

My hope is from adversity we grow stronger...and right now that's all we can do is hope

Same old story. How many employees are in the papers month after month complaining. Year after year complaining. Teachers have a BA with a teaching certificate. How many people do you know with a BA make as much money and benefits - for the same amount of work? Teachers do not even work 8 hours per day. Most are out of the building as fast as they can. Aides do a major portion of the work for teachers. These aides are unpaid volunteers who really care for the students. And - the threat of going somewhere else - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! There are plenty of people who will take your highly qualified jobs. By the way - quit using the students as barter.

Large tax increases are not an option.

Getting the money from Canyons is not an option (they spent it on salary increases for administrators and expanding the upper level of management).

Getting it from the legislature is not an option. After all they are mostly education hating Republicans.

So we have to see jobs cut, even more than last years layoffs. Once laid off they are eligible for unemplyoment. They should collect it while looking for work. There is some work to be found.

They only are laying off young new teachers like the one in the picture. If these were men, then it would hurt more. They are going to be mostly women. Aren't women supposed to be in the home providing daycare anyway?

I'm tired of hearing people complain about paying $10 extra a month to educate the leaders of the future. Teachers are so underpaid it is pathetic. Utah needs to at least catch up with the rest of the country and put kids education first. I am so glad my kids don't go to school there.

"I'm tired of hearing the same old song and dance every year from the teachers union. It's always "gimme, gimme, gimme". " This article isn't about that at all. It is about not losing jobs or wages. Did you bother to read before commenting? The only mention of teachers is in regards of not cutting wages, please find another way. That is not give them more, it is trying to preserve what they have while increasing their workload. I'm tired of the ingratitude.

What part of "cut your costs" do you not understand. There is way to much fat in the budget. If the state bails them out this year we will hear the same thing next year. It takes a real manager to face the music and not beg for more money. There isn't any more money!

The problem with the comparisons to the corporate world is this:

Corporations are downsizing because people are buying less of what they are selling. Their business model is based on selling for money an end product. If people don't buy the end product, they need fewer employees because they're making less stuff. They also buy fewer inputs - materials, supplies, etc.

It is crazy to look at the public education model in the same way. If their revenues are down 20% for example, do we expect them to turn out 20% fewer high school seniors as a final product? No. But some teachers will have to be fired, and other "inputs" reduced, like programs, preparation periods, materials, etc. It's not like the private sector model at all except that eeryone wants them to operate on a budget.

It would only be like the private sector if they could say, "OK, we have cut 250 teachers and thus we have accordingly told 7,500 students that we will no longer be providing them with educational services.". It doesn't work that way, so we need to approach the problem a different way.

It's about time the east side doesn't have to foot the bill for the west side. They were on the dole for far too long.

Cut spending and start with the under-performing teachers and administrators; there's no shortage of them!!!.

I wish I could have told my boss not to cut my salary. Our entire company had to take a 5% pay cut last year and will not get a pay raise this year. This is a common occurrence in the business world right now and I don't see why teachers should be any different.

I demand responsibility from our school district. No tax increase!

Peter C.

When the Jordan School District was started, Kennecott on the west side was the major force building the schools on the east side. Now, the west side is growing. The east side has decided that they don't need to help out anymore.

I think that the JSD is missing a prime opportunity here and should start thinking about restructuring how they do things. First of all they need a business model to operate from instead of a government model. Get rid of Tenure, just because 1 "teacher" has more years doesn't make them a better "teacher" than one with less. There is some real "dead wood" in the teachers and administration. It is a great opportunity to put the children's education first. I believe that all can remember a "coach" teaching math or some other class - but really shouldn't have been cause they are not "teachers". Next, cut funding for all sports and auxilliary functions that are not "core curriculum". This will not account for $30 million, but it is a start.

The Point of the matter is Utah is # 51 on spending per pupil when our we going to get it together and think about our kids?

Since their carefully orchestrated effort to have the legislature "make things right" failed, now maybe they will look at reality. If people don't want a tax increase, then increasing class size is the only real option.

This in not a east side west side story - these are all Utah citizens. Make one school district for all of Utah. Make those in Davis pay their part too.