Tantasqua Teachers receive wage increase

During yesterday’s Tantasqua School committee meeting, a majority of the committee voted in favor of raising teacher’s salaries four percent over the next three years. In favor of the raise despite the uncertain economic future was Tantasqua representative for the town of Holland Howard Fife. The other of the two Holland representatives, Michael Kennedy, opposed the salary increase.
The 10-5 vote accepted the proposed union contract for the years 2010-2012. Other roll call votes in favor were cast by Tantasqua School committee chairwoman Kathleen Neal, Sheila Noyes-Miller, William Haggerty, Steven Andstrom, Patricia Barnicle, Michelle Fitzgerald, Susan Hilker, Mary McGlynn and Elizabeth Tichy.
Other opposed voters were James Ehrhard, James Cooke, Brenda Tooley, and selectman representative Michael Valanzola of Wales who served on the contract negotiating subcommittee that voted 4-1 to present the contract to the School Committee. The following individuals abstained from the vote to prevent any conceivable conflict due to direct relations to people affected by the contract: Geoffrey Earls, Francis Simanski and Donald Faugno. Peter O’Connell was absent. The raise is designed to increase 1 percent the first year and 1 1/2 percent for the next two years, for a total raise of 4 percent. According to Boyd, Tantasqua may face a $250,000 shortfall in state reimbursement for their regional transportation.
Peter Frei

Posted on 20 May 2009, 15:48 - Category: Town Politics
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Comments:

Posted on 22 May 2009, 8:21 by First ammendment
Newspapers are sellouts..
Newspapers... You got to be kidding me. They are nothing more than rags used to lull the dronedome into accepting this social engineering program that was launched in the early 20th century by the Bank/Insurance cartel.

The allowance by our congress of the Federal reserve (which is a private corporation) to coin our money turned all Americans into unwitting slaves destined to pay the interest on those federal reserve notes we know as cash.

Thats right folks that cash in your pocket is not printed or issued by the govt. It is a private company kinda like Staples..only bigger.

And guess who controls the media???? Only a select few willing to participate in the farce that we all call 21st century america. The media we all get from CNN , Newspapers, Magazines... Is only allowed into mainstream america if it turns it's back on the fact that the US Constitution was suspended the day they took the power to coin money away from the people and gave it to the bank cartel. Our principals of Liberty and the articles of the US Constition have been slowly eroded away by those who coin our money.
And we allow it by not participating in the manner our forefathers intended. VOTE!!!
Again it is hard for a Constitutional Candidate because the mainstreem press does not allow such constitutional purity to be put in print or it could stirr up the automotron society lulled to sleep this past century by the lullabyes sang by the media.

I say wake up america.. Welcome to the internet a place for free Ideas or any point of view for that matter. Content limited only by the writers ability to think for himself.
Interactive news for those that seek truth. Uncensored and real.

Show up at the town meeting tuesday night.
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Posted on 23 May 2009, 22:11 by Fed Up
Tantasqua Salaries
Thank God for this blog! It's an opportunity to let the truth be known for everyone left in the dark.. It behooves me why Tantasqua REFUSES to include the administation support salaries in the TRS Annual Report. Ms. Boyd says Tantasqua may face a $250,000 shortfall for...... well cut the #$@%* support salaries that no one is even aware of. Voters might be interested to learn that Tantasqua has 7 - YES SEVEN "Bookkkeepers" in the TRHS office earning nearly $40,000+ annually. What the #$%^ do they need 7 bookkeepers for? In addition there are ALSO 7 - YES AGAIN "SEVEN" Secretaries also earning that same amount. Jodi-Ann Brecht of Human Resource and Supt. Secy. Debra Grimaldi's salaries on 7/08 were over $52,000. Not bad for scretaries, huh!! There's a lot of graft that can be cut right at the top. For YEARS BOS in the Union 61 School District have asked for this info to be published in the TRHS Annual Report and it has NOT! It's public information and the taxpayer has a right to know what he's paying for. Michael Valanzola is running for Tantasqua School Rep. and promises to make this info public if elected. Wales votrers need to elect him Tuesday!!!! And the same goes for Michael Kennedy in Holland. Taxpayers need these guys on the school committee to protect us......
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Posted on 25 May 2009, 6:39 by mr. clean
Maintainence supervisors
It is not only clerical, but also the custodial supervisors at the regional level. Most haven't worked a 40 hour week in years. Seems odd to find them absent most hours of the day from the job with salaries equivalent to teachers.
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Posted on 29 May 2009, 16:28 by Journalist
Hmmm
So, just because the economy is bad, no one who does their job deserves a raise any more? Cost of living is going up so they shouldn't get a cost of living raise? Granted 4% over three years is trivial but it does help with rising health insurance costs that occur every year. OK, let's punish everyone who gets a little bit ahead in their paycheck so that they lose their motivation to do a good job.

It is fairly obvious that most people do not know what occurs in classrooms any more. Terribly behaved students are not disciplined because they have "issues" and are part of Special Ed. They cannot (by law) be punished like the rest of the student body. Behavioral issues are tolerated and good students suffer because of something called "inclusion" - put problem kids in with good kids so they don't "feel bad" about themselves.

Teachers have a handful just trying to teach the basics when the problem students are climbing the walls disturbing the class day in and day out. Yes, there are lousy teachers, adequate teachers, and great teachers just like in other areas of life. Teachers unions see that no one gets a merit raise, just an across the board raise irregardless of a teacher's performance.

It seems that just because someone has a decent job with decent hours and decent pay they should be punished. (Heaven forbid you enjoy your job, can afford to feed yourself, and have time at home with your kids!) Now... if you are not performing well in this decent job with decent hour and decent pay they start throwing stones.


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Posted on 29 May 2009, 18:19 by Simo
How true!
That is the problem with society nowadays. They see someone prospering a bit more than they are and get jealous. Mostly this comes from people who can\'t or won\'t succeed on their own due to a number of reasons usually of their own fault.

Teaching is a tough job if you look past the hours worked in the classroom. Forget that they have to grade homework, tests, term papers, etc. after classes, they also have to create lesson plans, course work for the next day, etc. all outside of the classroom. Numerous mandates from the state and federal govt. puts roadblocks in front of them daily. Never mind the issues the the \"special\" students Journalist talks of.

Success should be an internal measurement. If you aren\'t happy with your level of success, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Don\'t like your current job, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! The one thing I\'ve noticed about successful people is that they don\'t place blame on others for their failure. Things happen in life that aren\'t fair every day. Stop expecting life to be fair and work hard to overcome every obstacle. The end result is so wonderful that you\'ll wonder why you didn\'t do this sooner.

Also, teachers teach our kids, the most precious possession we have. The last thing I want is an unmotivated instructor teaching my children. What they learn in school sticks with them for a very long time. Skimping a few dollars on salary is not a beneficial or productive way to education our children. Educated children are less likely to be a burden on society, one of the many causes of our bad economy: WELFARE.

We have an opportunity to provide for our children now and in the future by giving them the best education we can. Taking away all incentives from the people working 6+ hours a day with our children is not very smart. (In fact, in many families teachers spend more time with your kids than you do!)
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Posted on 29 May 2009, 18:37 by Admiral Checkov
To Herr General Frei
Peter, I have your appeals Court Brief here for the removal of the Johnsongate Houses. Your quoting of the Constitution on page 19 is poetic and perfect. And Hamilton on 20 is 24k.

It is probably too technical for the layman but I think you should post it here just so people can see the list of Public officials involved in the Johnsonville scam and understand the depths Holland needs to obtain to fix itself.
I salute you sir.

To How True!! I am sure you or a relative of yours derive your living in our outdated education system. I say that you are involved with the unions and bargaining too based on the talking points in your blog post above. Some of your phrases come directly from the union newsletters to rank and file. Again you guys deserve every dime we pay you. But there is so much skim, graff, and waste. The bus has 3 flats. CyberTeach.com. Domain name 2400.00

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Posted on 29 May 2009, 19:10 by Peter Frei
Please stay on topic!
"First ammendment" and "Admiral Checkov," I don't like to impose to many rules here. However, please stay on topic with your comments. If you like to comment on the Johnson-Landgate case, do it there not here under the post Tantasqua Teachers receive wage increase," OK?
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