DAY CARE COUNCIL OF NEW YORK INC’s Post

Workers who help #WashingtonState classrooms run are calling for higher wages. Known as classified staff, their jobs include administrative work, transportation and custodial services. #Unions representing workers, including the American Federation of Teachers of Washington and Washington Education Association, have launched a wage campaign to increase pay for these workers. Anitra Wise, a para-educator with the Tacoma School District, helps teachers in the classroom and said her wages simply aren't enough. "We have to work two and three different jobs just to catch up with the cost of living, including housing, groceries and things that we need to survive," she said. With Washington state school districts out for summer, classified staff members face another challenge: the suspension of their low wages. Wise said she's working at summer school this year. "We have to supplement that income somehow, and I really don't get a summer, because I have to work just to supplement my income," she continued. Wise added classified staff have many important jobs, including the work she does as a para-educator in the classroom. "We're the glue that keep it together, do all the small jobs and the big jobs, too. Because without the team of para-educators, the teachers would not be able to teach, and para-educators are teachers also," she said. Disclosure: American Federation of Teachers of Washington contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Early Childhood Education, Education, Livable Wages/Working Families. https://lnkd.in/enmzDgEQ

It's no secret college is expensive. Many families are worried how they will pay for their children's higher education. Help your employees by adding Oklahoma 529 At Work to your benefits package. This program can help your employees save for their family's future education expenses. Best of all, it's at no cost to you and employers can qualify for a tax credit. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gjnnmDEg #employeebenefits #HR #employeewellness #smallbusiness

We need pay parity for teachers a top priority- As a teacher, students are looking to you for answers, guidance and support. How can you be at the top of your game if you aren’t meeting your own needs first? Fair pay and a review of workload. Let’s transform our system together.

I enjoyed serving as a source for this article. It is important to get pay equity right and a few analyses can go a long way for both internal and external public relations. Remember not to be afraid of being more transparent about what you are aiming to achieve. Thanks to Higher Ed Dive’s Danielle McLean for the story about this important topic. #GenderPayGap #Compensation #EmployeeBenefits https://lnkd.in/g8M2MnuM

We are very pleased to see the Government's 5.5% pay award for school teachers. Fair pay for the education workforce is a clear signal that we value our educators, and our children and young people - who are the future of our nation. Creating a strong and supported workforce is one of our main priorities for the new Government, and we are delighted to see this step towards a long-term plan for the education system. However, we want to emphasise the importance of support staff and ensure they too receive fair pay and college staff, who play a pivotal role in educating our young people, who have missed out on this pay award. Looking at next steps, we'd like to see more options for flexible working for the schools and college workforce to improve retention and keep these professions competitive in a changing labour market. Read Fair Education in 2024: Priorities for a New Government: https://lnkd.in/esD3EeHG

𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛: 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙙, 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙨… Certainly the unsung heroes of education, it seems support staff have been thrown under the bus with the expectation to take on more and more responsibilities with this effort not reflected in a pay rise of any kind. TAs we've worked with at EdEx - Education Recruitment have stepped up to cover PPA hours, deliver specialist support to SEN students, and take on a far larger role than the 'General' TA role of yesteryear. Frustrations are certainly on the rise, as schools struggle to recruit quality support staff - put off by the low pay. This week saw support staff in Greenwich walk out in response to additional responsibilities with no extra pay. Representatives of the school described these TAs as 'The backbone of [the] school, without whom it simply cannot function'. It's high time support staff saw more stability in their contracts, more money in their payslips, and more respect from the DfE and wider Government. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞: 🔹 What is your recruitment strategy when it comes to support staff? 🔹 How are you tackling this issue as well as a recruitment crisis for teachers?

This post from Evan Erdberg speaks volumes.

Fitch Ratings' recent #highereducation report identified some key regulatory issues that are negatively impacting financially stressed and distressed colleges, including new overtime pay proposals, the FAFSA form revision, the DOE's new M&A regulations, and state support for lower tuition for their public institutions. It's not getting easier for #collegesanduniversities! #distressedassets #distresseddebt #enrollment https://lnkd.in/erhxC-NW

This isn't shocking to me but it's shocking that we are still allowing this to happen as a society...teachers deserve a livable wage no matter where they're located. We also need to think about sustainable cost effective models for schools that allow teachers to work from anywhere -- especially if they cannot afford to live in districts where the cost of housing is astronomically high. From the article: "Detroit stands out as the only major U.S. city where teachers can afford to live comfortably on their salaries. This is a stark contrast to places like San Francisco, where a teacher's salary hardly covers shared housing." In Detroit, with a starting salary of $38,500 😱 teachers can afford homes priced well above the median, highlighting a sustainable balance between earnings and living costs. This affordability is critical, not just for housing but for a teacher's overall quality of life, enabling them to enjoy simple pleasures and partake in meaningful life events without financial strain. As we push for educational excellence, let's also champion for the welfare of our teachers, who are foundational to our children's future. #EducationReform #TeacherSupport #AffordableLiving https://lnkd.in/eMVAy7GN

In addition to salary and benefits, the 2024-2025 operating budget includes additional staffing and resources to support student success and behavior. Some budget highlights include: 🔵 Funding for 18 new positions, including intensive support teachers and paraprofessionals who will help meet the needs of special education students. 🔵 Funding for 62 positions plus resources to support work related to student behavior management and consistent discipline districtwide. 🔵 Retention of 60 positions, most of which directly support the classroom, that were previously funded by ESSER money, which expires this year. Plus, SPS has allocated $12.2 million to increase employee compensation. Employees not represented by a collective bargaining unit will receive a step plus a 3.5 percent cost of living increase. Specific details about compensation for other employee groups will be outlined in collective bargaining agreements and the 2024-2025 salary schedule. MORE: https://ow.ly/saXI50Sq1zj #SPSLearning