$81,000 average salary for Ridgewood teacher. Glen Rock, Fairlawn, Wyckoff are around $72,000 average. A $102,000,000 budget for around 5,500 students is approx $18,000 per student. Ridgewood also ranks high for greater number of teachers making over $100,000. Easy commute, easy district, unlimited fundraising from parents to fund better technology, environment and resources, not to mention intelligent students served by private tutoring, parent involvement and less negative secondary factors. I love and respect our teachers and feel fortunate to have such a wonderful school district for my kids. But, I need either more information or stronger argument from teachers to be convinced they are getting a bad deal in these negotiations. Anyone?
These teachers need to understand the private sector reality – taxpayers cannot be subsidizing better benefits for teachers than they have themselves, it doesn’t work.
Not bad money. You’d think that there would be a few people in Ridgewood who would gladly take a pay cut and give up the NYC rat race for a 10 minute walk to work and a couple months free every summer, especially if you are in a situation where the house is paid off and your primary living expense is property taxes that will pay your own salary! SIGN ME UP!!!
enough is enough, these teachers can’t continue having better benefits than the residents who pay for their salaries and benefits
Time for teachers to join the rest of us in the real world.
As long as the teachers continue to NOT write college references, go on class trips, stay after school to help students, or assist students (like any decent human being would do regardless of any contract), then I say sure, pay them what they want…
After all, they have dedicated their lives to and are only committed to your children.
so sure, do it fer da kids.
pay the self serving teachers.
In concert with the above – teachers you have a great gig – be thankful! Yes, you have a very difficult job but so do nurses, code monkeys, admin assistants, retail managers, et al and they do not get as much time off as you do in a given year and no snow days either. I think the teachers should start practicing a little gratitude for their good fortune and see what the deal is for other occupations before they keep on with their demands. Or, just leave the district so you can be replaced with someone who not only wants to teach but recognizes that in Ridgewood and surrounding towns it is a really plum job!
No one has dedicated their life to anything.
If you think these people are “in it” because they love junior your sorely mistaken….As evidenced by the recent greedy self serving demands as of late.