Comments on: School board votes send a message, but are folks listening? (Derrell Bradford) http://www.edreform.com/edspresso-shots/school-board-votes-send-a-message-but-are-folks-listening-derrell-bradford/ Since 1993, the leading voice and advocate for lasting, substantive and structural education reform in the U.S. Fri, 31 May 2013 12:52:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: BC http://www.edreform.com/edspresso-shots/school-board-votes-send-a-message-but-are-folks-listening-derrell-bradford/#comment-1436 BC Sun, 21 May 2006 19:47:40 +0000 http://209.183.221.124/index.php/2006/05/school-board-votes-send-a-message-but-are-folks-listening-derrell-bradford/#comment-1436 I think there are two separate issues here. First, it is hard to understand why spending in the Abbott districts is not pegged to the level of the average (middle class) district instead of the wealthy district. Furthermore, I think we could improve education outcomes in the Abbott districts and perhaps save money as well by allowing education vouchers (in those 31 districts only) thereby injecting some competition into the system. Second, with regard to the salaries and benefits in the other districts, it is the gold plated medical benefits and, to a lesser extent, very generous pension benefits that are killing us. However, no one district can really do anything about this by itself. I think pension and health benefits need to be taken out of the scope of collective bargaining. Health and pension benefits should be set by the state legislature and paid for with a combination of state taxes (not property taxes) and meaningful employee and retiree contributions. Defined benefit pensions should be eliminated for new employees and replaced with a defined contribution plan (like 401-K's) which are both less costly and more predictable and, thus, easier to budget for. I think there are two separate issues here. First, it is hard to understand why spending in the Abbott districts is not pegged to the level of the average (middle class) district instead of the wealthy district. Furthermore, I think we could improve education outcomes in the Abbott districts and perhaps save money as well by allowing education vouchers (in those 31 districts only) thereby injecting some competition into the system.

Second, with regard to the salaries and benefits in the other districts, it is the gold plated medical benefits and, to a lesser extent, very generous pension benefits that are killing us. However, no one district can really do anything about this by itself. I think pension and health benefits need to be taken out of the scope of collective bargaining. Health and pension benefits should be set by the state legislature and paid for with a combination of state taxes (not property taxes) and meaningful employee and retiree contributions. Defined benefit pensions should be eliminated for new employees and replaced with a defined contribution plan (like 401-K’s) which are both less costly and more predictable and, thus, easier to budget for.

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