GO STRIKE ............stay on strike ...................we support the school board and will along with the substitute teaching team continue to make sure our children are educated ................so stand outside and freeze

This is a golden opportunity to replace all the money grubbing, greedy, lazy, ineffective teachers in Strongsvilke. Take advantage of it John.

Attention School Board......let them go.....fire them all and start over. You have my support to do what is best for the children and the community. Stay the course and let them freeze.

Again, as I thought this was interesting -
I read the following comment on a new site that was started, strongsville.com

What will be interesting is that March 7th is conference day at the High School, it's also PSEOP's Mandatory meeting day for those students wanted to attend Post Secondary courses through colleges. It's also one week before 10th grade Ohio Graduation Tests are to be started; currently scheduled to start on March 11, 2013. I also heard that it's against the law to strike during state mandated required tests and that teacher's were already told they would be fired for doing so.

Anyone????

I hope the teachers have learned from the public's response to their poor behavior at the last 2 meetings.
If they want to keep angering people towards their demands, then keep up with the public demonstrations. That just makes you look like greedy, money grabbing lowlifes - especially when they carry signs that say "WE'RE WORTH IT" and talk or write disrespectfully towards the Board when at the same time demand respect for themselves.

My mom works within the schools in a non-certified position that is side-by side with the teachers. She assists them in EVERYTHING they do. Maybe the teachers should worry a little more about those that help them everyday and getting them what they deserve....

Too bad the aides and other "support staff" have to be included with the teacher negotiations. They, the little guy, are always the ones to suffer most while others get most of the pie.

Check out the salaries on www.buckeyeinstitute.org. Your striking, are you kidding me. For 8 months of work these teachers have it made. Go ahead and strike. Crooks.

I do not think the teachers have it in them to strike, most tenured teachers have become lazy and ineffective, walking a picket line might put them in the hospital

Let the Board stand firm on monetary issues.
If the teachers really don't like it - strike. And, they get no pay! I hope you stay out for a long time - long enough for permanent replacements to be found.
If the money ain't there - it ain't there. And we will not pass a levy to get it for you.

As a parent of a graduating senior, I certainly hope this doen't affect the 600+ seniors commencement and other graduation events. When I was in school, the city were I lived in Michigan went on strike two consecutive years. This caused school to start in October and end in early July. As I understand Strongville will not close schools, I'm guessing the students will not have an extended school year. As for the teachers electing to strike, it's their right as a union, I DO NOT SUPPORT IT! I really feel strongly that public employees should not be unionized, as they are paid by public tax dollars.

LOL! Hey Strongsville residents, we should pass an emergency school levy to help these poor teachers out. LOLOLOLOL. Unbelievable. I feel like I am going to puke.

Come to the board meeting tonight!
Tell the board you support them!

When will teachers wake up and realize that they are being used by the teaches union? There are so many good teachers that get sucked into this union mindset to do the bare minimum and to just "go with the herd" until you get tenure. To all good teachers out there...WAKE THE HELL UP and get out of that mindset. No company that believes in itself works harder to keep people from competing with them than they do growing and improving their own people. That's exactly what the teachers unions do. They spend more freaking time contributing to democratic party, making sure you can't fire a bad teacher and halting any charter school from opening than they do on YOU and YOUR STUDENTS. If you are good at what you do, you'll be compensated for it. If you know your not, then you probably belong in a union, because they'll gladly get rich off your monthly dues and help you get comfortable in your mediocrity. Unions don't care about kids or their performance...they care about dues. If you don't believe me, fine...make union membership VOLUNTARY. It will NEVER happen.

I hope they fire any teacher who choose to strike. In this economy it is insulting that they are not willing to help out those who are suffering, by taking care of their own benefits

Wow, lots of people commenting that have no idea how difficult a teaching job is, how much work it is OUTSIDE of the popular "school hours" let alone how unions operate and what they do for their members AND nonmembers.

Seems like a fair amount of jealousy by people unhappy with their work situations and cannot stand the fact that someone may have a better arrangement than they do. Maybe they ought to form a union where they work to help them fight for their rights.

Just more evidence why education should be handled at the state and local levels, as was the original intention of our US Constitution. I'm pretty sure we've given the fed govt enough opportunity to prove they pretty much suck at running everything they attempt to take over, especially things that they were never supposed to have their hands on to begin with...such as education.

Hey Not Crazy...if your union is so great and so many love it, please tell us...why is mandatory to join? And making non-union teachers pay a fee for not joining isn't gonna pass as giving them a "choice." No union member can answer that question. What if a teacher wants to individually work out their own deal w the board and accept their own terms of employment? Why the hell do they still have to pay a union boss monthly dues? unions are like incurable cancers...once they are in, good luck getting them out.

I am currently a SHS student and I completely disagree with the comments I am reading. The teachers at the school have a right to strike if they believe that they are being underpaid. They also risk the chance that the Board will not agree to their terms and will terminate them. However, saying that teachers are lazy and ineffective is completely wrong. Teachers generally do work about 8 or 9 months, sure, but, people seem to forget they also put in countless hours at home trying to finish hundreds of papers night after night. Teachers also selflessly spend their own time tutoring students and helping them with their personal or academic problems. Saying that it is easy being a teacher or that they are lazy is completely ignorant and false and, most of you commenting would fail at doing it. They work for their paycheck.

SHS student:
1) no one is accusing ALL teachers of being lazy. It's not the argument, nor is it true.
2) Have you ever seen an ineffective unionized teacher get fired? It's about as often as Haley's Comet. They are either reprimanded or transferred...over and over again.
3) Public schools are paid by OUR tax dollars...so if they are not doing the job, it's OUR RIGHT to stop putting money into a sinking ship and figure out what is wrong...then fix it. There should be no tenure. If you're good at your job, you are almost certain to keep it. If your not, better get your resume ready. Yes, that means you are not guaranteed employment for life after a certain time in...Welcome to the real world.

By the way...with an average of around 70K per year and great benefits for 9 months of employment, i'm not really sure you are going to get a lot of sympathy from people when you state they are underpaid.

I urge everyone to watch this video and then tell us why again it is we continue to let teachers unions keep school choice out the hands of ALL of our citizens, not just the wealthy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xr4KC251pU

Come on people these are are teacher's we should support them. Why should anyone accept a lifetime pay freeze. Find out the facts before you go on here and bash our highly educated professionals. I feel it is insulting to except a lifetime pay freeze, with the cost of living going up as I write. How would you feel if you went into a job knowing you would never ever get a raise? Im sure you would not take that job. They are not greedy or lazy they are not asking for more. How is it right that our district tells them that what they are making now is what they are gonna make for the rest of their career here. That simply is a slap in their highly educated faces, and just not right.

kwickki - another first time poster, teacher, spreading rumors. These teachers must be really desperate if they need to do this. And keep spreading the same rumor, hoping someone will buy it.
But not one who keeps repeating this has backed it up with any proof or explained how a 2-4 year contract can be enforceable for eternity.

A perfect opportunity to clean house and rid our schools of unmotivated teachers! Let them strike! I will not support any school levies of the BOE folds!

tom-
They vanished because its almost time for the press conference where only teachers and media are allowed. So, all those posters, who are not teachers, are gone.
I'm sure some will use their smart phones to post.
I don't know twitter or tweeting. Anyone know how to "monitor" their posts, posts that come from these teachers? During Brecksville's nasty talks the teachers apparently posted some juicy info - but was later deleted.

All the people saying "good let them go" are really not thinking of the community as a whole. A teacher strike hurts the children, hurts the districts reputation, hurts the entire community. It leaves a nasty legacy usually not undone for years. It does real damage. It is going to be a disaster for the people who matter most in this equation, kids. It would be better to leave nastiness aside, be realistic, and hope they come to their senses. concessions must be made when new money has not been passed for 6 years, it is not there and no strike is going to make it appear.

No I am a brand new user, didn't know there was another thread?

I HEARD the teachers want a 15,000.00 a year raise and a paid 3 month summer holiday

What should teachers make?

Alb, you are correct its the children who suffer through this and for that I blame the teachers who are only thinking of themselves right now. If they truly cared about the kids as they say, they wouldnt be acting as rude and putting on a public display for their students to see, they wouldnt be striking at a critical time in our school system...testing time when the kids need them the most. I have had children go through the school system and seen the scare tactics they use especially on the younger children (border line abuse) sending notes home, telling kids if their parents dont vote for the levy, I or your favorite teacher may lose their job, sending kids home in tears...THIS IS WRONG AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED!! There are city employees in unions who have taken pay cuts to avoid layoff, this is called working as a team because they understand the stress it will cause there fellow employee. No not the teachers, they dont care about anyone but themselves, they dont care that there are people out there struggling to survive, more than most people know about or that right now they are getting paid pretty well when I can attest to the fact that there are more bad, uncaring teachers out there who can care less which was proven to me when my children went through the school system, I was very disappointed!!!!

We just passed the levy for school building and improvement by only a few votes. Did these teachers get the clue that there is no support for more tax hikes. Do they realize the economic stress everyone in the real world is under. The citizens of Strongsville are experiencing job loss and lower income due to this depressed economy and don't have any more to give to teachers and administrators who already make more than the majority of us. Do they get it or do they think they have some kind of leverage in this economy. If they think that they can walk out on their classroom and demand more money under these conditions, I frankly don't want them teaching my kids. Good riddance and Good luck!

Everything you need to know on why throwing more money into a failing system is a bad idea. Notice Ohio in particular on pgs. 12-14. Second lowest increase (in country) in student attendance, but second highest number of new people brought on to teach/work at schools. That sounds smart, right? http://www.edchoice.org/CMSModules/EdChoice/FileLibrary/931/The-School-Staffing-Surge--Decades-of-Employment-Growth-in-Americas-Public-Schools.pdf

Kim L....look at the last contract. Teachers agreed to pay more and they WILL contribute more. When will the citizens hold the admin accountable for the waste? You are smart enough to know that any business, even non profit, majority of costs are due to labor. I say cut busing and anything else that is not directly associated to the classroom. I hate paying taxes as much as anyone. What price do people want to put on education?

You do know that they aren't striking for more money, right? Look at the SEA website and see how much the district paid their attorney who didn't even meet with the negotiating team 75% of the scheduled times! Why would the vote be unanimous? These teachers know that they will have to pay more health care and STRS but aren't even given a chance to negotiate!

Honestly, a good education is priceless. Where would you be without it? Why does our admin make so much money? Where is their payout? What is your number Tom?

I love hearing "but public employees agreed to pay a bit more now into their own pensions." Wow. That's so nice of them. Now let them join the rest of the real world and fund the whole thing on their own. I would love to see a public employee's reaction if he/she started seeing some money out of their check deposited into my retirement account, just an avg. private citizen. I'm sure they'd be cool with it. There should be ZERO mandatory contribution by any one citizen to any other citizen's pension, regardless if they work in public or private sector. That goes for board members, teachers, janitors, bus drivers, cops, fireman, etc. Why should one citizen have to pay a single penny into the retirement of another solely based on where they are employed? Take a look at this ...it's sickening how much unfunded liability strongsville city schools will have in the next few years. http://buckeyeinstitute.org/uploads/reports/ohio-school-districts-C.pdf

Ok. Give the teachers a raise and have them contribute more to benifits. If you look at the last contract, you must agree the teachers understand the state of the economy. Also if WE don't pay for educating our children, then who does? Again, cut busing, and all non-classroom activities/costs.

How many of these teachers shop at Walmart or drive a cheaper foreign car? Why do they do this??? To save their own money to the detriment of other Unions...where is the Union solidarity. Either you are a hypocrite, or you are not.

Well said Steve.

I drive American vehicles and buy American whenever possible and I am not in a union. Not sure what your point is. Since you are determined that our teachers are ripping us all off, why not stand outside your child's school and protest that your tax $ are being wasted? Or do just want to hide behind a post?

Ok, I have been reading all these comments and there are good and bad points for both sides. There is only one issue here and everything else needs to be thrown out. The issue is, "The availability of funds from Tax Payer's Monies". I know the teachers work hard, but you as a teacher chose this profession and in doing so choosed the path of how a teacher is paid and who is your representation. Nobody forced you!!! Thus, with the last two levys passing(I feel this bond issue that passed is still somewhat like a levy upon the taxpayers) Both of these levys raised the amount of monies taxpayers have to pay. So please don't going telling me the taxpayer's of Strongsville do not support the community. That is two levys that support the schools that passed in one year!!! There does reach a point when people can be taxed only so much and I feel that not only the people of Strongsville but around our country, that feel they are being taxed enough!!!! So at this point in time, if the money is not there teachers, the money is not there and your union needs to work within the contraints of what is available!!! That is what companies and communities are doing right now. I think at this point, "striking" will only paint an even more negative picture and the next time a levy comes up, all I can say is "Good Luck in Passing"!!!!!!

Why cut the most important factor with education...the teacher? Surely there are other things to cut. Again, eliminate busing for starters. Close down all schools for weekend activities. Do not offer lunches. Everyone is so well hearsed in the teachers contract they must know where other waste lies

If strongsville citizens ever pass another school levy without a complete audit of the schools, employees and their performance (which will never happen with unions in the picture), then we truly are the morons. Why don't you just go burn your money in the fireplace...and least you will get some heat from it. One of the board members knocked on my door during election season and he asked why i wasn't supporting school levy. I asked him if he knew I was bleeding funds from liabilities I couldn't cover and had zero plan of changing my current spending situation, would he loan me money? Golf is right...people are overtaxed and tired of the excuses. There's no freaking money to pay you. So go strike or quit or find a job elsewhere like most other people do when they feel undervalued. If your that good, it shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, suck it up like the rest of the country and come back to reality.

Sorry Concerned Parent...you summed up the entire problem with the education system in your first sentence. The MOST important factor with education is NOT, as you say, the teacher....it is the STUDENT. But look what you propose we cut...all STUDENT related benefits: lunches, buses, activities. How about pensions funded by private citizens? Or the insane amount of faculty/non-faculty that work in the school system vs. number of students. You literally are laying out a case in front of us all to cut benefits to students to help teachers. Students can't move to new schools if their family lives here. Teachers can go and apply anywhere they wish. There are TONS of good, young teachers w educations that I'm sure would be willing to step in and teach and are hungry for work. So if they feel undervalued...move on. Bye. The teachers first mindset has killed the education system.

Hiding behind a post? Aren't you posting under "concerned parent"..isn't that a general description meant to hide your identity?

You missed my point? Pedal faster "concerned parent", adults are talking here, so you're going to need to keep up. If I'm a member of union, and I espouse the virtues of unions as a way of supporting my positions, yet I fail to support other unions, that's hypocritical. Got it?

Steve and Myron
Don't like paying higher taxes? Move to a community where the taxes are lower, the districts aren't rated "excellent with distinction" and the community reflects that. Want your property values to fall even lower? Let the schools fail. I am tired of teachers being generalized as lazy bloodsuckers, as if they are welfare recipients.( I agree tenure needs to be eliminated, but that's another whole subject.) The fact is many teachers are very hard working and do care about the kids. John Q Public expects teachers to take a bullet for their kids if the situation arises but treat them utter derision. They are expected to give extra time to those who need it but their planning periods to give that time have been taken away. They are required to further their education but are not compensated for the cost, time and effort that education requires. In any other field, if you go out and earn a master's degree, you will make more money than you did with a bachelor's degree. Not in strongsville schools. Yes, teachers should pay more into STRS and for health benefits like everyone else. Yes, a pay freeze should be expected. Other districts have had to accept that and I am sure our teachers are aware of it too. The fact is the details of the contract cannot be shared publicly so many people up in arms don't even know what they are upset about, they only hear rumors and react.

I'll address the tax issue...my kids do/will attend private school, thus my taxes can be considered pure profit. So, in a way, I'm the ideal citizen...you get all my tax dollars, and I get little benefit of the schools, outside of the reputation of the district for home value. You can thank me now.

Seriously? Enough with the straw man arguments. "Teachers are lazy bloodsuckers,etc" yada yada yada. NO ONE IS SAYING THIS..it's such an emotional plea. I'm not sure on your entire comment. You basically agreed with everything we were saying with a lot of other sentences in between. Oh, and you said we should move. Please tell us why the schools will invariably fail if the teachers union does not get their demands met right now? If they don't get this certain bump in pay/benefits, whatever it is they are requesting...why is it NOW...the schools will fail? I think you should give that logic some thought. I'm pretty sure that if you are dead broke...and then you agree to pay someone even more with money you don't even have...that's probably going to be why you fail.

Hey, Not Crazy, the point I am making, outside of negotiation, as you say(and just from the comment you come across as someone on the inside and don't try to kid people) is that "We" and maybe you, if you live in Strongsville are the tax payer's paying the bills for public funding areas and that includes schools. As I was saying, there is only so much tax monies to go around and if it is not there at this point in time, it is not available and that "WE ALL" need to realize that PERIOD.!!!!!!!

Looking forward to 2 things now: 1) watching every single school levy fail 2) yelling at striking teachers as they hold up their union provided signs and do their mindless sheep chants

5 Years with no Pay Raise. Teachers agreed to an increase in retirement pay instead. District now wants that back...and a sixth pay freeze. Basically, they want a pay cut and refuse to negotiate. I guess Excellent with Distinction means nothing to some Strongsville Residents. If you don't want good schools, move to East Cleveland and your taxes will be lower. We have higher standards here in Strongsville. I support our Teachers. They have done wonderful things for my kids and work hard for what they earn. I DARE ANY of the naysayers to try to put on a presentation for 6 hours a day to 30 kids. It takes a lot of prep and energy. Business workers work for weeks on a 30 minute presentation. This is why 50% of teachers quit in the first 5 years. If the pay freezes continue, nobody will stay teaching in Strongsville and the kids will REALLY suffer. A week won't hurt any kids. I'm keeping mine home. I want EXPERIENCED teachers with my kids, not first year subs. EXPERIENCE makes a teacher great! Strongsville has a ton of great ones!

You want my "blank check" support for your system?
1.) Prove to me you are a lean organization, through real audits, that runs efficiently;
2.) Promote and reward teachers who excel, and allow the bad ones to be terminated. Demand accountability and evaluations of performance;
3.) Adjust health and retirement benefits to be on par with the private sector.

Then, we can talk.

Keep in mind...the people who are being blasted as "cruel / anti teachers", are the ones who pay for public employees (ie, private sector individuals). Look at the difference in expected retirement age (at equivalent living standards in retirement) between a standard white collar employee (earning 85,000 a year) and a public union teacher. There is a gap, and there is something wrong with that equation.

My sympathy is waring very thin. Your work is noble and important, but you don't work any harder than the rest of us, and we are paying for your services.

A strike, and childish antics at meetings, will not win you any middle ground support. That, I can assure you.

5 Years with no Pay Raise. Teachers agreed to an increase in retirement pay instead. District now wants that back...and a sixth pay freeze. Basically, they want a pay cut and refuse to negotiate. I guess Excellent with Distinction means nothing to some Strongsville Residents. If you don't want good schools, move to East Cleveland and your taxes will be lower. We have higher standards here in Strongsville. I support our Teachers. They have done wonderful things for my kids and work hard for what they earn. I DARE ANY of the naysayers to try to put on a presentation for 6 hours a day to 30 kids. It takes a lot of prep and energy. Business workers work for weeks on a 30 minute presentation. This is why 50% of teachers quit in the first 5 years. If the pay freezes continue, nobody will stay teaching in Strongsville and the kids will REALLY suffer. A week won't hurt any kids. I'm keeping mine home. I want EXPERIENCED teachers with my kids, not first year subs. EXPERIENCE makes a teacher great! Strongsville has a ton of great ones!

I'm thankfully so rich that none of this phases me. I literally could fund the entire school system w just the interest on my investments this month alone. I just hate unions and think teachers union bosses are the scum of the earth. I hope for sake of school system they can weed out the trash and keep the quality teachers in sville. Pay ur own damn pension (not half) and get rid of tenure. Reduce the ridiculously high amt of employees in comparison to # of students, Bam! theres a gigantic amount of money available. De-incentivizing ppl by guaranteeing pay, position with little to no relation to actual performance is not a recipe for success. Just bc my property taxes are probably more than most ppl's yearly salary doesn't mean I want to throw more money at a broken system. I'd rather wipe my @ss w it than watch it be floundered away by incompetent fools who continue to make promises they can't deliver.

You are really comparing a history lesson plan to a 30 minute work meeting? You realize 30 minute work meetings often involve clients, contracts worth millions, and countless jobs that depend on the outcome of the meeting. You want to talk pressure? You blow that meeting, you lose an account and your job and maybe the jobs of those who work for you. You give 75 percent on your 10th annual explanation on a civil war battle, and life goes on...because, hey, you can't get fired.

Wake up. You're the problem.

That was an education lesson, courtesy of Steve.

See...Tom brings up excellent point. School wants more of our $, but that's the garbage that's being fed to kids. I'm supposed to vote to give more of my $ to have ppl teach young Americans things such as: Americans are bad and illegally occupy Mexico, that capitalism is evil among other crap. No thanks. Maybe it's time to stop bragging about the excellence ratings and take a look at some of the BS that's being injected into the students on a daily basis.

Hey Ski Poppa lets be clear. If you're a quality teacher showing up to work every day and giving 100% effort to give the kids the best chance for future success then I appreciate you and everything you do. If you're a piece of crap showing up every day and hiding behind your tenure and leaning on the union to protect your job then I think you should be able to be fired and I don't think that can happen. Beyond all that I think unions are crap and worthless and should be outlawed immediately. Now as for managing 35 kids. Are you kidding me!!! Do you expect me or anyone else to believe for a minute that we can run million dollar businesses with 100'svof employees but we can't handle 35 high school kids!! Also please don't forget that we, as employees, get to work and stay every day until the job is done be it 8 hours or 14 and we do it for our salary and benefits and nothing more!!

"I HEARD the teachers want a 15,000.00 a year raise and a paid 3 month summer holiday"

I was laughing going thru these comments. Ski poppa is such an obvious teachers union hack, probably sent to do damage control, spouting off talking points and crying about masters degrees. News flash: nobody cares!

I am the parent of a graduating senior and share your concerns. I agree that public paid employees should not be unionized. This leave the citizens of Strongsville paying their salary with no say, no rights. We have been strong-armed for years to pass levies based on "for the kids" when in all actuality most of the $ does not go to the kids. We pay for EVERYTHING our children need, touch or utilize while in school. The average high school students parent pays upward of $250.00 in fees for supplemental needs. Our schools are lacking in technology, many/most books are in terrible condition or not even available...... We do have many excellent teachers there is no question about that, but we also have teachers that are not. Probably just like every other school district. The only difference in our teachers is their over-payed and they have outrageous benefits. Our teachers are NOT over worked this is an insult to people who work full time year round. An example of an overpaid teacher is this - there is an art teacher who made approx $72.500.00 who works a 7 1/2 hr day (this includes a paid 48 min lunch) for 184 days a year. They teach 5 are classes a pay, have a planning period and one "other duties" period. Again this is not over worked, this is overpaid. Most people who pay their salaries work 260 days a year, 8 hrs a day (without a paid lunch break) and are also required to put in many extra hours of work on their own time and they do not make $72K a year.

Ski -
And now, another one.
You teachers must be really afraid the public isn't with you.
Every day a new name on here spreading more nonsense, showing your true colors. Why bother, it only hurts your cause, but maybe you need another masters degree to figure that out. You know, another one so you can get that pay bump.

About your praising the teachers for the excellent school rating.
Try again.
It IS because of the student themselves and their parents. A teacher teaches what they need to. But if you think differently - think again. Take those same teachers and put them in another district like Cleveland or Lorain, and see if you get that same rating. You won't and you know it. There is not much difference in the teachers, except those in the other 2 cities have more problems to deal with and deserve an even higher pay for that.

Ski pop-
Can't get support unless you spread lies?

No raises in the last 5 years?

Anyone who looks at
http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/teacher-salary
can see that teachers salaries HAVE increased over the last 5 years.
Not everyone in the private sector can say that. Even some have needed to take cuts and extra days off without pay. And these are the very people you teachers expect to agree to pay you more, when they have less???
Keep spreading lies and maybe even you might start to believe them.

Ski guy-
Other people pay for their own advanced degrees and continuing education. Time to move on from that argument. No one cares about the teacher getting an additional degree so they can get a bump in pay. And that is one of the most ridiculous things teachers think they are entitled to. If you need it for your job, you pay for it and shouldn't be compensated for getting what you are required to have. If you want additional degrees beyond what is required - go for it, but don't expect that we should reward you for getting that too.

Time for teachers to quit whining about having to get continuing education to keep their license - LOTS of professions require that.
And time for them to quit expecting additional pay for maintaining their own license.

Be professionals and act like professionals instead of bullies and thugs, which they also looked like in their black tees.

Concerned parent -
You say
" eliminate busing for starters. Close down all schools for weekend activities. Do not offer lunches"

What kind of concerned parent says take from my kids and give to teachers?
What parent would do that? How many think they should "cut busing, and all non-classroom activities/costs".

No parent says that - only a greedy, selfish teacher would take from the kids - because for them, its not about the kids now, its about themselves.

Lyn I am not a teacher. Other communities have cut busing and are doing just fine. My point is we need to prioritize. The money saved on fuel and maintenance could be put into the classroom. What impact does busing have toward a child's education? Also. What does it cost to open schools on the weekend for a small percentage of kids to play sports?

Again, what kind of parent puts these teachers wallets before their own kids?

Lyn. I put a child's education first before all else. I understand that you would not want to eliminate busing. Now you would have to get out of the house very morning.

Dear Concerned Beotch( due to your nasty comment @ Lyn-you have no idea what others are going thru & that's been evident from your comments)- you truly are deluded if you think money saved on fuel,maintainence & whatever other cuts will go to helping STUDENTS/"the classroom". Any money saved is always given to keep up w/teacher related expenses-salaries,pensions,etc.All costs are passed on to the parents/taxpayers in the way of school fees& levies. Wake up Pollyana!

Nasty!? Scroll up and take a look at lyn's comments bev. You must not realize that majority of any business operating costs go to labor. Wake up and do some research on all the levies that you have passed. Would your money b better served fueling up a bus or paying a teacher?

Sosa, love the Billy Madison reference...still laughing!!! I just feel the need to comment now...I'm fairly certain that 90 percent of you decided to live in Strongsville because of the quality of the school system for your children. Clearly, it could not be for the amazing traffic flow and culture offerings this suburb has to offer or you would have possibly chosen to live in Tremont, Ohio City, or next to Wade Oval...most of you sound like you received a good education..except possibly for lyn and tom m! Not sure how lowering\freezing a teachers salary, not encouraging your teachers to continue their education by taking away the benefit to do so, or bringing in new teachers, that will not make enough money to even live in the city where they teach, will benefit anybody over the long run. Good luck selling your 400k+ house after this debacle!!
"You know, if your nine-year old version of you saw the way you are now, you'd get your butt kicked right now!"-Longfellow Deeds- that's for you Sosa

Good luck to you Strongsville...I'll be rooting for your school system as a whole so another great area of Cleveland does not become North Randall!

ATTENTION TAXPAYERS

this was posted earlier
A strongsville teacher who admitted being at school during their "sceduled planning time"
managed to find the time to post 14 different comments during the next 1 1/2 hours
when confronted about it this teacher replied
"the little extra time I find to do as I please is my right to do so"
so this teacher think 1 1/2 hours is just a little free time
which if I am not mistaken they are asking for "MORE PLANNING TIME DURING THE DAY"

this was the first and last post times with 12 post in between all being paid for by us

SVille Teacher
12:12 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Hi Jean:

SVille Teacher
1:27 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Hi Steve,

Brain-
So, we're throwing the baby out with the bath water because you know of a few errors? A site that everyone uses, including the media, is no good according to teachers. I wonder why - maybe because their salary is public info and we see how much they make? So, the standard line is that site is no good. No one believes that!

I am not going to give the name of either my neighbor who is a Parma teacher or another who works for the state. But if you insist on throwing out this site as being totally inaccurate, that is your choice. If you still can't concede that the figures are at least probably accurate for most, and if comparing to other districts who would also be considered to have these same alleged inaccuracies gives a fair comparison - then I guess you are not willing to consider the possibility that this is a good source for information. I guess this site is just full of bad information that they guessed at, right? Did they also make up names of teachers? No need to answer those rhetorical questions.

But, you can then answer me this - as I taxpayer, then where can I find out what a publicly paid employee earns, or are all sites inaccurate because that info wouldn't help your argument?

After much thought, I changed my mind. I was so stupid. We need to realize that we owe blind allegiance to the teachers and their union. We shouldn't dare ask them to show what their demands are...I mean, this is for the kids, right? These guys wouldn't lie to us. I mean, after all those hard hitting facts about what people should be paid if they have a masters degree and all...it's just too much rock solid proof to push back against. Uh-huh. It did make me think of when I was a bartender for a bit when younger. One of the bartenders that worked next door had a law degree and the other just finished med school. NEITHER of them ever complained about what they had to do to make a living because the just did it. Cost of living was expensive and there were not many jobs available to non-locals, so they tossed the egos aside and did what they had to do. YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO A PAY RAISE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CERTAIN DEGREE. Some of you need to get it tattooed on your foreheads apparently. No one is. You can have a masters degree and still be a complete moron. No one cares that you got your degree...they only care if you can do what you are being paid to do at a high level, consistently. Unfortunately, teachers unions don't make that an easy thing to figure out bc they eliminate nearly all performance based evaluation. In conclusion, Teachers unions = trash.

To Myron Shibley
I like the way you think, and more of your comments are welcomed. I think you “get-it”, that is, if you want to control the dog, you attack the head and not go after the tail.

Your comment – “They (the unions) spend more freaking time contributing to Democratic Party, making sure you can't fire a bad teacher and halting any charter school from opening than they do on YOU and YOUR STUDENTS.” - Unions (at the national, state, and local levels combined) collected an estimated $14 billion in dues alone every year, and more than half of the income comes from government workers. That’s more revenues than 65% of the Fortune 500 companies, giving unions huge money to spend on politics – almost all of which goes to the Democrats.

Your comment - “Unions don't care about kids or their performance...they care about dues.” There was a higher up official who served as the head of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974-97 who was credited with saying: “When schoolchildren start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of schoolchildren.”

The quote hammers home the union’s sole function is to represent the members, not to work toward goals that may be in our nation’s (or children’s) best interest. The mindless mantra of unionism from the teachers in our school systems – you would think that these people with bachelors and masters degrees would know better and be able to think for themselves.

Thank you Jefferson. At least they AFT leader that you quoted was honest. I'll give him that. At least he lets you know that unless he's being paid to care...he doesn't. I would at least respect the teachers union leaders for their honesty if they just said that up front instead of trying to parade a bunch of kids around and use them as props to get their demands met. This is ridiculous. How many times are we as a public going to fall for the same crap? How many hidden union leader videos where they are "caught on tape" admitting their greed do we need to see before we finally connect the dots and say, hey, maybe these guys aren't in it for the kids. Let them strike. Unless they are striking oil, there still won't be any money to pay their outrageous benefits. I don't think you will see a school levy pass in sville for a very long time....or until we eradicate the infestation of unions.

We pulled our kids out of the strongsville schools and we were not alone' 4 other families did the same thing just from my son's class! Now we are paying for private and it is worth every last dime! The majority of teachers that were at our strongsville school were just buying their time to retire, some getting their masters while missing class time to do it with a different sub every day of the week! Getting their knee replacement and other surgeries done the beginning of the school year for 4 years in a row, again different subs every day! Where is the caring for the kids! What about that summer break, especially when we are told this is a crucial year for learning math ! Maybe the teachers should talk to a private school teacher and see what a passion for teaching looks like and ask them how much they are getting paid!!

So, if I understand you correctly, you want your child to attend school in the summer for learning math?(I have no problem with year-round schooling) Also, I'm not sure where the Strongsville teachers get the Master's degrees, but when I got mine, I attended classes two nights/week for two years, plus 3 summers. In addition, I guess I am one of those "old" teachers. I scheduled my knee replacement during the last nine weeks of a school year so that I would be fully prepared for the rigors of the next school year. (I didn't miss a day of work the next year). However, I hand-picked my sub. She was also at my home every Thursday night to work on lesson plans together. When it was time for report card, she was at my home again and we worked on them together. I'm pretty sure that when I retire in a couple years, the private school teacher will be waiting in line for the public school job.

Teachers are the foundations of our futures and truly deserve best. I am 100% on their side as Strongsville City Schools teachers have taught me so well over the last 10 years (currently on my 11th). I have learned far more than just the subjects they teach. I have learned life lessons and wouldn't be near where I am today without my teachers, and I think that can be said for most of us. They go way above and beyond their requirements as they do what they do all for us. The teachers in our district have always been there no matter what, and they hold you up when you can't do it yourself. The teachers have a passion for what they are doing and deserve best.

" It takes a special person to light that fire, to raise our children's expectations for themselves and never give up on them, no matter how challenging they might be. All of us are here because, at some point, somebody did that for us."

are the teachers asking for a raise?

Mamma, the teachers at my children's school have been teaching there for years, in fact some of them have been there over 30 years! I don't understand your comment on math in the summer, but my point was the teacher didn't care about hand picking her sub like you would, it sad that there is no system in place to weed out the teachers that have lost their passion and don't care anymore and reward the teachers that deserve it!! Btw the teacher who had to finish her masters did it in Az. 2 of the teachers are on the front cover of the strongsville post looking miserable !!!

Will the teachers and their supporters pls stop acting like teachers are "soldiers." My God. We value your profession, but you guys are not putting your lives on the line. Stop your whining about "you try it for a day." Do you know how many people here probably run corporations, manage personalities, keep order, structure, plan meetings, events, etc. and have to do it every single day? Tons. I have so many friends who are private school teachers that LEFT the public schools because of the "woe is me" attitude and the sheep mentality of the teachers union members. You've got it pretty damn good if you would ever come back to reality and stop listening to your fat union boss. I'm glad this is happening...bc now people who had their heads up their @ss or buried in the sand can understand now how badly the public sector unions are ripping off the taxpayers with the funding of their pensions and healthcare costs. There isn't any more money to give you. So PLEASE...go strike. Talk about "oh just wait and see...these kids will tear up any sub that comes in." NOBODY CARES. YOU CAN AND WILL BE REPLACED. It may hurt to hear it, but you are not Nuclear Scientists...there's a whole train of educators behind you wanting jobs. YOU ARE REPLACEABLE. Get over yourselves...no one is at home saying "oh my God honey, if mr. x isn't there to teach bobby, he'll never learn again." Just do it already so we can get the new people in. I'll bring the cake for your goodbye party.

Wow Myron. Checkmate.

Hate to say it, but this may be an opportunity for the city to start again and bring in people who we can afford. This is just this round... think about the next and the next... and the next... In 15 years, our teachers will be making an average of 100K. That is unacceptable. Maybe we begin again...

The district has provided many answers to our questions online:

http://www.strongnet.org/cms/lib6/OH01000884/Centricity/Domain/1/Questions%20and%20Answers.pdf

a much better teachers salary website http://www.tos.ohio.gov/teacher_salary

Don't buy into the untruths & propaganda being disseminated to our children in the classrooms. The district has set up a webpage with lots of great information to answer most, if not all, of your questions.
http://www.strongnet.org/negotiationnews

If anyone wants to check out that webpage and info that Tracy and Tina provided in the future, you can find it easily by just going to the Strongsville schools home page and find "negotiation news" there - just click on it and there you are!