We recommend a very revealing article in today's Post-Dispatch that explains the extremely generous teacher's pension system in Missouri. Below is a couple of quotes:
• Teachers and administrators in the state contribute 14 percent of their salaries to retirement, and school districts match that.
• Those in the system do not pay Social Security taxes while working or draw Social Security benefits once retired.
• Retired educators receive benefits that include cost-of-living increases, set by a formula based in part by the three highest consecutive years of salary.
• A retiree with 30 years would take in 75 percent of his or her highest average salary. Those who worked 40 years could have a pension equal to 100 percent of their former pay.
"That's where Mehlville Superintendent Terry Noble found himself. Like Senti, Noble felt he was at the prime of his career, yet financially it made sense to retire.
"It's at this point when superintendents have the most to offer," said Noble, 59. "But when you reach this stage, you either have to move up (in salary) or move out." ...In Noble's case, the Mehlville School Board offered him a 24 percent pay increase, plus a $25,000 bonus for staying another three years — though he later accepted a smaller raise when the controversy began to cloud the district's proposed tax increase.
Both offers led to a public outcry at a time when many districts are raising tax rates and slowing or even freezing teacher pay.
But the extra perks worked. Noble delayed his retirement and continues as superintendent this school year. Spiegel did the same and remains at the helm of Ferguson-Florissant schools, although he plans to retire in June.
But retaining superintendents long term through salary increases is difficult. Each time salaries go up, so do the retirement benefits and the temptation to call it quits.
Noble's contract now runs through June. He said he hadn't yet decided if he'd stay after that."
Read the full article at: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/article_49471506-324d-519a-865b-fc3ed008600c.html
Great article! I loved the quote "In Noble's case, the Mehlville School Board offered him a 24 percent pay increase, plus a $25,000 bonus for staying another three years — though he later accepted a smaller raise when the controversy began to cloud the district's proposed tax increase." Does anyone out there honestly believe that ANY of Prop C will REALLY be spent on the kids? I don't. All the bucks are going to school district employees!
ReplyDeleteBlah! You've got to be kidding GO Alabama. The article should explain, to anyone with half a brain, the reasons that the board offered Noble the contract that they did this past spring. Should you really choose to educate yourself about the REAL issues facing the district, you could. Almost all of the "objections" that those on here are throwing out can be explained on the state's educ website- DESE.
ReplyDeleteTerry Noble was going to work for free. The district needs a good leader. The board offered him a raise commensurate w/ his experience.
MAP scores of proficient are ABOVE grade level. NCLB expects every child- regardless of their IQ, ability (or disability), socio-economic level. The very nature of standardized tests will yield a bell curve. You can NOT have 100% of students above average in a bell curve. It's a statistical impossibility.
Others on here were complaining about the vast number of administrators we have in our district. Hello.... Mehlville has the WORST ratio in the entire county. 285 kids per administrator. Clayton has 191:1. Webster has 177:1. Folks...highest in the county is BAD in this case.
Still others were complaining that their property values went down 20% in recent years. Guess what? School districts where the residents value public education didn't see 20% dips in prop values. Look at Webster Groves. They held their value. Duh- they value public education and people want to buy there b/c the schools are great. Vote for prop C- watch the district spend money appropriately on desperately needed improvements- watch the district replace outdated technology- watch the district retain quality educators and watch the property values in our area RISE accordingly.
Outraged in Oakville, Everything that you are saying is from the viewpoint of an education bureaucrat. The people of Mehlville are sick of the caterwauling and carping of unionized technocrats. Here in south county, we are hurting and cannot afford the folly of the Mehlville Board of Education's 88 cent tax increase.
ReplyDeleteEspecially in light of Chairman Diehl's distain for the feelings of the taxpayers. We are not Clayton or Webster Groves, nor a bunch of rich liberals. Get it through your collective progressive heads - we can't afford it!
:) No, from the viewpoint of an educated taxpayer.... Here in SoCo, we can't afford to vote no...unless you are willing and able to walk away from your home because you can't sell it to anyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe elderly and disabled qualify for up to a $750 property tax credit IF they are really as poor as apparently every senior citizen in the Mehlville School District claims to be.
Did Tom Diehl misspeak? You bet. I also bet he was taken out of context- makes for better footage for Elliot Davis.
So Webster and Clayton have better schools because they are progressive? Liberal? Oh and rich? Hmmm. Which came first, the chicken or the egg here?
Outraged: My home has already decreased in value and the flatlined academics and bloated bureaucracy of the Mehlville School District had no effect my loss. Get a grip, we say NO and we mean it.
ReplyDeleteOutraged; First of all Hancock Place has the lowest Admin/student ratio at 566. Let's get the facts straight.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Mr Noble should work for free either. I do not know how long you have been at your job but I have been at mine for 30 years and no company gave me a 26% salary increase and a $25,000 savings account to stay. I do not think the taxpayers of the school district are tight with there hard earned dollars. If they were there would have been no new Bearnard middle school or an addition to Washington middle school. It is just right now, the majority of people in the district do not have the extra money. What part of that do you not understand.
The Mehlville school board is not the lone ranger in caving into the this sham about keeping good superintendents/administrators/teachers. It is all the districts.
But if you are so eager to point out the great things about Webster or Clayton maybe you should find residence in those districts.