Comments on: Long Island School Budgets: Tax Dollars Go to Work

By: Info and Links on School Budget Votes on Long Island for Tues. May 18, 2010 « OntheWilderSide

Wed, 19 May 2010 01:51:35 +0000

[...] reviewing the situation of school budgets on Long Island in general, see the Long Island Press: here. Or, Newsday: here. A list of more detailed stories in local papers at the bottom. But, first, my [...]

By: Reality check

Reality check — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:50:24 +0000

Not every teacher makes over $100,000. Contrary to what Gorman stated, not many teachers live in the “lap of luxury”. If they do, it is because their spouse has a job in the private sector making a lot of money. Do you want to save money? Cut the bureaucratic fat of superintendants, assistant superintendants for everything, directors, assistants directors, etc. who do make well over $100,000 dollars a year. And for what? Mismanaging our taxpayer dollars, keeping millions of our taxdollars in reserves yielding interest which sits in the reserves. If you want to blame people, blame those in charge of our schools and our state government. Please, leave the teachers alone

By: Patty O'furnatcha

Patty O'furnatcha — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:41:51 +0000

I have to say we left 3 years ago moved to NC and just cant believe how lucky I was .My Kids are 15 13 10. Are the schools better there,mabey but not by much. Taxes here on a 3800 sq ft house ,5100.a year all incl. In Massapequa we where paying 14200.Oh and that was a 1958 Split level that needed everything.
This is a big country the best in the world get off that stupid island and go see it ,Its not too late

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:27:06 +0000

Just stop giving free education to non citezens and see how much money frees up for the school system to use. U.S. tax dollars should benefit U.S. citizens. If every state would calculate how much money would be saved by not giving free k-12 education to illegals they would be amazed at the relief this would give the education system. Illegals dont pay school tax but are a huge drain in money and other resources for the schools.

By: Ex New Yorker

Ex New Yorker — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:03:28 +0000

I went to college…. who said I make “crap wages”? I make a generous 6 figure salary, have a pension AND a 401K, benefits that I contribute to, a post graduate degree and numerous advanced certifications (most of which I paid for). I have spent the last 25 years of my life volunteering for numerous community organizations and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. It is typical of you and your ilk to make assumptions without even a single fact to support them. As for what I deserve, that’s up to my employer and my management… NOT YOU! And no, I “don’t want what they get”, because I make MORE than they make. I’m so SORRY I’m not the loser you hoped I’d turn out to be. But then again, from someone like you, I don’t expect any less.

By: Ex New Yorker

Ex New Yorker — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:54:57 +0000

$10.5 Billion for 476,000 students is over $22,000 per student. Something is fundamentally wrong here.

By: Nikola

Nikola — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:41:40 +0000

I want to see school district consolidation. There is no reason why there should be more tail than dog. People whine about the teacher’s unions, but nobody on the board will explain to me why my district is actually ADDING administrative positions.

By: Taxpayer

Taxpayer — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:37:23 +0000

It would be nice if the teachers enjoyed the same review process that employees at corporate firms enjoy. Instead of the youngest and brightest, the worst teachers would get laid off. It’s called cleaning house and it is necessary! While the rest of us non-teachers take our hits in our pocketbooks by decreased salaries and layoffs, the teacher’s unions that reject a pay freeze send a message that they don’t want to feel the same pain. And then they wonder why the taxpayers are angry?

By: Stoop

Stoop — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:32:22 +0000

So basically we should continue to let the teachers union destroy the Island as we know it. Not. Everyone agrees that tha school taxes are an enormous drain on everyone. We need sacrifice from everyone. I don’t disagree that the teachers need to be compensated for the work they do, but let me ask you this. If they are doing such a fantastic job, with the salaries they make, ALL of our High Schools should be the top twenty of the nationwide High School ratings. You know the answer, they aren’t even close.

By: I went to college too

I went to college too — Fri, 14 May 2010 10:29:40 +0000

Ex New Yorker, you are right!!

@ I went to college: I think you wrote your letter to generate replies and here’s mine: Talk about hate? Chill out! There are many selfless people who sacrifice and work hard to make this world and their community a better place without expecting financial renumeration. Many teachers think that the world owes them a living and every year they campaign for more in the school budget and as a result, taxes get higher and higher. People are suffering financially and leaving in droves.This can’t go on forever, especially in these tough economic times. In a perfect world, those who are employed in the “caring professions” deserve more than what they are paid, but we don’t live in a perfect world – and they struggle – just like the rest of us. I have no doubt that one day, sooner or later this whole rotten house of cards will collapse. And one day it will.

There’s no such thing as the ‘right’ way to manage your career. Many people can find themselves jobless through no fault of their own. People who work at Wal-Mart may or may not have had the breaks that you had in life and are trying to get by as best they can. And I am a union supporter.

By: I went to college

I went to college — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:45:36 +0000

Dear Ex NewYorker: Don’t be a hater. I am not a teacher, and I think they deserve high salaries. You are in the private sector and you make crap wages and benefits – that’s your fault. Have you ever asked your boss for a real pension and not a crummy 401(k)? Have you ever walked a picket line, participated in collective bargaining, or volunteered to make your community a better place when you weren’t getting paid for it or your private sector boss didn’t make you? I think not. The teachers unions do all that, and so do all the other unions who earn wages they can may a mortgage with. I would be stunned if you ever did anything to help your fellow co workers or neighbors. So instead of saying “I want what they get and how do I get that”, you say, If I can’t have it, neither can they! That is why you stack shelves at Wal-Mart and no one cares what you complain about except this blog no one reads. Teachers on average go to school for 7 years and earn a living wage – this is because they earned it. You don’t deserve a pension or annual raises so don’t hate on those who managed their careers the right way. Thank God you don’t teach my kid, stay at Wal-Mart and try not to get trampled on Black Friday over an i-pod.

By: CI UFSD

CI UFSD — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:28:23 +0000

FROM http://seethroughny.net/StatePayroll/tabid/69/Default.aspx?BRANCHID=6

Name Compensation$
Pakett, Roy A 206099.57
Governale, Joseph R 197398
Nagy, Lawrence 185053.95
Croce, Janet W 184487.75
Ulrich, Richard L 184286.13
Mitchell, Robert L 182149.82
Baglio, Victoria A 180679.2
Banaszak Jr, Walter F 179449.35
Carr, Craig G 175000
Wolpert, Michael A 172320
King, Daphne M 167552
Romano, Michael A 164917.5
Cusack, Kevin J 163802.53
Baltic, Barri L 163362.64
Cronin, George T 163064.71
Sanvitale, Daniel R 158894.5
Caesar, Franklin N 158638.5
Lowe, Denise M 158510
Mc Caslin, Andrew J 154909.21
Spies-Firkser, Charlotte H 154638.1
Kahn, Patricia M 154235.42
Reeth, Dennis J 152402.95
Taylor, Patricia D 149474
Philips, Lawrence S 143999.49
Palmer, Thomas G 143774.84

By: right to arm bears

right to arm bears — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:15:59 +0000

See actual 2009 teacher salaries as of 2009 at

http://seethroughny.net/StatePayroll/tabid/69/Default.aspx?BRANCHID=6

My school district will be spending more than $27000 per student in the coming budget. The unions are all taking 5% raises and have full bene’s despite the staudent are mostly failing.

$190,000 for a teacher who only does detention is a crime.
$200,000 for a guidance couselor. Are we kidding?

By: steve

steve — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:29:55 +0000

Why are there 124 districts in the first place? If this was cut down we could save money just by eliminating duplication of services.

By: Ex New Yorker

Ex New Yorker — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:20:14 +0000

I hope the Long Island Press will do a follow up story later this year to see what the laid off teachers are doing. It would be an interesting read to see how they perceive the private sector, assuming that’s where most of them will wind up. Imagine when they find out that you only get 2 weeks vacation to begin with, no pension but rather a 401K program, limited sick days with no “study” periods. If they ever go back to teaching at some time subsequent to that, maybe they’ll have a better perspective and won’t feel like the world owes them just because they teach children. Last I heard, everyone has a tough job. But teachers seem to whine the loudest.