Substitute Teachers Cost Providence $13 Million
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The estimated savings— a maximum of $8.9 million to be exact—is nearly a fourth of the estimated $40 million deficit in the school budget and exceeds the amount of money the city hopes to save by terminating 40 to 70 teachers next year.
The report—compiled by Internal Auditor Matt Clarkin—found the following:
■ The average cost of substitute teachers in the state is $185 per student per year. In Providence, the cost is $545 per student per year.
■ The district spent a total of $13 million on substitute teachers in fiscal year 2010.
■ Substitute teachers receive health care benefits—unlike the vast majority of substitutes in other district. None of the other large cities—North Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, and East Providence—offer health benefits to substitute teachers.
“It is high when you compare it to other districts,” said Councilman Bryan Principe. “It just seems like it’s something that might be onerous.”
Some of the most expensive substitutes are regular teachers who lost their jobs and are put in a special pool of substitutes. Their average salary is $62,176 and the highest paid teachers in this group currently earn as much as $87,977 a year—including longevity, FICA, and retirement benefits.
‘The worst contract in the state’
The data was released as part of a comprehensive report on possible improvements to the teachers’ contract, which expires this August.
The study also found that teacher base pay—not counting longevity and other benefits—is among the lowest in the state.
Providence also has the lowest expectations in the state—it is one of two districts that does not require parent-teacher conferences and the teacher work days and school years are among the shortest in the state, according to Councilman Sam Zurier (pictured right). All those things, he said, “make our contract the worst contract in the state of Rhode Island.”
He said the purpose of the report was to find a way to increase pay and increase expectations of teachers—without increasing the budget.
The report pointed to the high compensation for substitute teachers as the biggest area where the district can save money. Clarkin said the district could save up to $8.9 million by making the following cuts to the pay and benefits for substitutes:
■ $3.4 million—by capping the pay of long-term substitutes to a per diem rate of $125.
■ $4.4 million—by limiting the pay of regular teachers who have become substitutes to $125.
■ $1.1 million—by eliminating health care benefits for long-term substitute teachers.
Ultimately, the teachers’ contract is hashed out between the school board and the union. But a special education committee made up of councilmen is hoping to weigh in with a series of suggested improvements to the contract. The final report of the committee, which is chaired by Zurier, is expected in April.
In the meantime, several councilmen are already endorsing some of the changes outlined in the auditor’s report—including a suggestion that teachers do their first 15 hours of professional development without compensation and six more hours of teacher meetings without additional pay. That would save the district a total of $2.2 million in the first year.
“If they’re savings to the Providence taxpayers—and it’s evident they are—then I do endorse them,” said Councilman David Salvatore.
Principe was especially interested in reforming the substitute teacher system. “I think it’s something that definitely needs to be looked at,” Principe said. “If this is one of the things that’s changed, I wouldn’t be complaining.”
Total of $18.3 million in savings identified
Clarkin identified a number of other areas where the district can save money in the teacher’s contract:
■ $5.6 million—by switching all teachers over to the same health plan.
■ $250,000—by eliminating health care benefits for retirees.
■ And $1.4 million in other miscellaneous changes.
Including the cuts in substitute pay and compensation for professional development and teacher meetings, that all adds up to as much as $18.3 million in annual savings. That would allow the district to increase its pay for teachers by $6.6 million and still save as much as $11.7 million next year, according to Clarkin.
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Comments:
Bob Council
8:01am on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Yet another reason to support what Mayor Tavares has done for the taxpayers of Providence. He has stood up to this excessive substitute cost brought on by the teacher union contracts agreed to by politicians with no concern for children.
It represents yet another example of the lack of union concern for the children and the taxpayer; stick it to them! This money could have been used for better purposes to educate the children, not fill the pockets of adults.
We need to have the right to air all aspects of union contracts in the light of public hearings. It would be more difficult to get away with this garbage.
ed curtis
8:03am on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
And to think - the welfare bunnies and union bosses sent the former mayor of this decimated city to Congress.
Poor Angel - good luck fixing lil Davey's mess.
*
stephanie zhou
10:03am on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
These painful cut backs are long over due, as a household we review our budget monthly. The city and the teachers have to start acting like adults.
Long gone are the 20 sick days, 5 personal days, fabulous health care and no performance reviews. I can not imagine what would happen to my career if I was absent 25 days per year. The school system needs a financial diet, no one is immune to our crumbling finances in Providence.
On the other hand I support higher wages that are tied into performance reviews. I only receive a raise if I can justify and present my accomplishments for the prior year.
Gary Arnold
4:29pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Stealing is the term that comes to my mind with the way the UNIONs and their political buddies have drummed up these contracts to bilk the tax payer. I can tell you first hand that substitute teachers are a waste of time, there is no continuity in the class, no subject matter experience, no support for the kids during the substitute time in class, which might be several days.
Not only are we paying too much, we are not getting any value from the expense. We would be much better off by getting quality teachers in the first place that take pride in their job and their students’ progress. These types of teachers would put the students as a priority because it reflects on them, the teacher. The complete system is broken for educating our kids.
Mike Cran
7:51pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I think this story is incomplete. You need to answer several questions. Why did the sub pool become so large? Is it because the city eliminated teaching positions or was it to hire more new teachers? How many teaching positions have been eliminated over the last five years and how many teachers have been hired off the street in the last five years? With normal attrition I don’t understand how there could be so many long term teachers in the sub pool.
Joyce Bryant
10:23pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
To my knowledge the most towns hire subsitute teachers when the regular teachers call in sick and the sub-teachers I know don't receive benefits. No wonder they love subbing in the Providence school system.
stephanie zhou
12:16pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Finally transparency, just like the old song'I can see clearly now',
thank you Sam for bringing all of these financial windfalls that benefit a few, on the backs of Providence residents to light.
The entire system needs a rewrite, give the teachers raises and annual reviews. We all have to be accountable for everything we do. When did the teachers union become exempt??