|
1) EIA Exclusive: Indiana
State Teachers Association Expects to Be Solvent... in 2027.
The Indiana State Teachers Association is understandably
worried that reductions in state aid will lead to teacher layoffs -
up to 8 percent of the workforce, according to ISTA estimates. But the
union's concerns go beyond the potential loss of members that many NEA
affiliates face. Any significant reduction in ISTA's membership might derail
the union's own budget plan which already ties up a significant amount of
resources in an attempt to zero out ISTA's debt in 17 years.
The
union has its own financial troubles, but is also on the hook for the
catastrophic failure of its insurance trust. ISTA is currently under NEA
administratorship, and is reliant on the national union for loans and the
real estate of its own headquarters building. The union cut staff and
increased annual dues by $40.
The NEA administrator and ISTA officers
developed a long-term budget that will require the state organization to
generate $4.7 million annually for the next 17 years exclusively dedicated
to funding the obligations of the failed insurance trust. ISTA takes in less
than $25 million annually in dues. Officers and staff were informed that the
union "will be reporting a substantial negative net worth for the next 17
years."
The long-term plan is based on a number
of assumptions, the shakiest of which is that school districts will fail to
win their legal claims against the trust, which could add almost $1 million
annually to the price tag.
Unknown at this point is the extent of
NEA's financial commitment. Certainly the national union's loans and
guarantees will be large, but in the wake of layoffs, cash grants may also
be necessary. ISTA has already instituted additional staff cuts and
reorganization in preparation for a budget vote by the union's
representative assembly, scheduled for April 24 in Indianapolis.
2) More Students, More Teachers;
Fewer Students, More Teachers. The Empire Center
for New York State Policy
drew some badly needed attention to the disconnect between education
employee hiring and student enrollment levels.
Over the past 10 years, New York State
public schools lost 121,000 students, but added 24,000 employees. The
report's
line and bar graph displays the problem clearly.
New York is hardly the only state with
this phenomenon. In fact, it's
one of 12 states that have responded to losses in students with gains in
teachers. Our
neighbors to the north are experiencing the same situation.
Even less examined than teacher hiring
levels is their effect on teacher quality. If the goal is to retain everyone
and recruit even more, isn't it inevitable that quality will suffer?
3) Last Week's Intercepts.
EIA's blog,
Intercepts, covered these topics from April 1-5:
* I
Have Returned. And just in time to see NEA New Hampshire's staff picket
union headquarters.
*
NEA's Easter Basket. Why not one teacher for every kid in America?
*
Ed Sector's "Interactive Explainer" Omits Important Variable. The march
of time.
4)
Quote of the Week.
"In fact, collective bargaining is too important and sensitive to discuss in
private. It's an absolute outrage that one group of public employees
(administrators) gets to meet in secret with another group of public
employees (rank and file) to decide how to spend your money. Citizens should
be able to witness the collective bargaining process in person and thereby
hold elected officials directly accountable for the outcomes.." - the Las
Vegas Review-Journal editorial board. (April 2
Las Vegas Review-Journal) |
