Thursday, March 29, 2007

Teaching Jobs 2nd Hardest to Fill

According to a survey by Manpower Inc. released Thursday:

Hardest jobs to fill

Following are the hardest jobs to fill, according to a survey of employers:

  • 1. Sales representative
  • 2. Teacher
  • 3. Mechanic
  • 4. Technician
  • 5. Management/executive
  • 6. Truck driver
  • 7. Driver/delivery
  • 8. Accountant
  • 9. Laborer
  • 10. Machine operator

595 Days Without A Settlement

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The article in today's News-Mirror references the YCJUSD's claim of many applicants available to fill the openings last year. What was not said was how many QUALIFIED applicants we had. Over the past few years, there is a trend in this district to hire more younger teachers with less classroom experience. This is a stark change from the hiring practices of ten years ago, when nearly all YCJUSD new hires had several years of successful teaching in other districts. Many of our new hires move on after a few years, so it seems that we are becoming a training ground, rather than a place to spend a career. Our board would also do well to consider what two years of hostilities will do to their ability to attract new hires for next year. With other local districts settling their contract disputes in ways that benefit both the teachers and the district, we look worse and worse by comparison. It will be interesting to see what the applicant pool looks like for next year, as we are heading into the interview season. As for me, as soon as I sign a contract with the district I've interviewed with, I'm taking my skill and experience to serve a district that treats its teachers as professionals, not as peons. Best of luck to those of who who choose to stay, you'll need it!

Anonymous said...

Where is YCEA in the News Mirror? We need to factually be presenting our point of view. Can we not purchase space in either the NM, the PE or the Sun? Obviously we can't depend on the NM to accurately report the news, not that that is a surprise.

As with the snot-grams sent home to parents by the district, it seems that we continue to lose the PR battles. We need to snap to it, or soon the battle for public opinion will be lost.

Why don't we push for a strike authorization vote before the fact-finding, rather than after? Isn't this what Colton did?

We can't afford to do anything half-a**ed at this point. If we are to be taken seriously, we need to behave seriously.

Just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

I just heard that Big Bear settled their contract. Though the terms aren't great, their district is dealing with severe declining enrollment and has some actual financial problems. I believe that Yucaipa is the ONLY district in the area which is still negotiating the 05-06 contract. This isn't going to make it easy for Yucaipa to fill its openings. Sherry Kendrick thinks the talk of many teachers leaving is a negotiations ploy, so it seems that once again the district's approach to a crisis is to deny that there is a problem at all!

Anonymous said...

I think the crisis team is handling things very well. Although I might have some opinions about exactly how things should be run, I'm not running them and I don't have the big picture here. I have to trust our negotiating team and our crisis team. They are working hard to get a settlement and I promise to be there when either team asks for my support.

Cyndi said...

Colton scheduled its strike authorization vote for AFTER fact-finding, as we have.

The crisis team has asked members and parents to write letters to the editor. The NM will print them. It WON"T print articles that might paint the District in any kind of negative light, no matter how hard our favorite reporter tries. The publisher refuses. If you want "equal time," get to writing letters! As for purchasing space, you should have already been asked the week before spring break (or will be asked next week) to initial your approval for your name to appear in an ad of support.

As for the District's "snot grams," we've done a great job of forcing them to respond to us. Getting into a "tit for tat" flyer war will not work to our advantage. We will continue to take the offensive, and keep them on the defensive.

YOU are YCEA. Not me. Not the executive board. Not the crisis team. We can't be YCEA without YOU. I agree totally with acting seriously - I would think that continuing to press for a fair settlement and calling for a strike authorization vote count as serious.

You want a list of what we have asked members to do? Just ask. But you should already know.

Cyndi said...

Here's the info on the Big Bear settlement:

(from the Big Bear Grizzly)

The tentative agreement came around 8 p.m. March 20. It was the end of months of negotiations that had led to impasse. In the end, BVEA had a settlement that covers three years with a 10.25 to 11 percent increase. The salary schedule will be compacted meaning it takes fewer years between anniversary increases and fewer years to reach maximum.

A 5 percent increase on all salary schedules is retroactive to Feb. 1 for the current 2006-07 school year. For 2007-08, another 5 percent increase becomes effective July 1. Included in the 2007-08 increase is a 10 percent increase for what’s known as Appendix C salaries. Those are the extra stipends for coaches, those directing plays and similar extra duties.

Additional agreements include the insurance opt out portion. Anyone who opts out of insurance coverage offered by the school district receives $1,500 and the balance between that and the health benefit cap amount is returned to the BVEA insurance pool. The employee must provide proof of health insurance offered by another entity. The pool fund helps offset the cost of premiums to those remaining with the district coverage, Caldwell explained to the employees.

When negotiations began, the ink on the 2005-06 school year wasn’t dry. BVEA’s original proposal and the original offer by the district included a retroactive amount for 2005-06. However, the farther away from 2005-06 negotiations got, there was less interest by the mediator and the district to provide any back increases.

Caldwell said it was difficult to let go of the 2005-06 funds, but the negotiating team realized if they hung on, it could be a breaking point. And it could mean less of an increase for the future.

But those retiring this year weren’t forgotten, Caldwell said. The retirees will share a one-time lump sum payment, each receiving about $6,250. The amount takes into consideration what they would have received through the district’s original offer for 2005-06 and takes retirement payments into consideration, Caldwell said.

The settlement agreement sets a precedent making personnel a priority, Scott Hird said. He is one of the negotiators and added that by adding the 2007-08 increases into the settlement, salaries and benefits are done in advance instead of negotiating for what’s left over. Caldwell said plans are to provide a proposal for 2008-09 in February 2008.

Anonymous said...

My letter to the NM is already written! I think that we all need to flood the NM with responses to that misguided opinion piece! Get out the pens/keyboards people!

Anonymous said...

It's too bad that the News Mirror only seems to publish opinion pieces that make us look bad. If the community truly feels about us the way that the author of the opinion piece in the 4/5/07 NM does, there is really no reason to stay in Yucaipa. I find the negative comments published about Yucaipa teachers and the District's latest letter to be a blatant attempt to sway opinion prior to the May 10 Fact Finding date. Surely the News-Mirror has received opinion pieces with a different point of view.

Anonymous said...

I agree. I am very disheartened by such an ignorant and hurtful piece as published in this week's paper.

Anonymous said...

I should be used to the News Mirror only printing letters to the editor slamming teachers but still find it incredulous that a source of media would only print one side. The writing quality of the letter speaks well of the person who wrote it. Perhaps one of us could offer this poor woman a little writing tutoring. If one of my sophomores were to write an essay reflecting the same writing problems, he/she would certainly fail the writing requirement for graduation from YCJUSD. As far as the recent letter from the school district goes, did anyone notice the absence of a signature at the bottom of the letter yet again? In an effort to help the district save money, I think we should collect these from colleagues and return them with a note attached: Different Day, Same Spin.

Happy first day back, everyone. Now let's get back to work and target those school board members!

Anonymous said...

Seems like every time I think the News-Mirror has hit rock bottom, they find a way to sink a little lower. I'm glad I can read their "news" online, and no longer have to spend a penny of my own money to buy their rag. As for the school board, I'm sure they can sink a little lower, considering their actions thus far.