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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 2018)
2B ܂ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 ܂ APPEAL TRIBUNE Report: Ore. teachers not paid enough Natalie Pate Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Oregon Teacher Pay Oregon teachers earn less than pri- vate sector workers with similar levels of education and experience, even when accounting for public employee benefits and summer vacation, accord- ing to a report released Sept. 18. The Oregon Center for Public Policy found public school teachers earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by a com- parable private sector worker. When state benefits — such as health insurance and retirement — are factored in, educators still earn 9 per- cent less in weekly compensation, or 91 cents for every dollar a private sector worker earns. These numbers are based on aver- age weekly wages instead of annual wages to account for "so-called 'sum- mers off,' " though the report acknowl- edges many teachers work when school is out. The center is a nonpartisan, non- profit institute that researches budget, tax and economic issues. It analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statis- tics, Oregon Department of Education and the American Community Survey between 2012 and 2016. "Oregon teachers deserve a raise," Daniel Hauser, a policy analyst for the center, said in a statement. "Few pro- fessions are more vital to the well-be- ing of children and communities than teachers, and yet Oregon is not com- pensating them adequately." One reason for the disparity could be the gender demographics of the profes- sion, according to the report. In Oregon, seven out of 10 public school teachers are women compared to the four out of 10 private sector work- ers. Officials from the center said the pay gap between professions may be a re- sult of female-dominated careers being devalued and inherently paid less. A national comparison The gap between public school teachers and private sector workers is 78 cents for every $1 Oregon teachers make 78 cents for every $1 earned by a comparable private sector worker in Oregon. 91 cents for every $1 When PERS, bene ts are factored in, teachers make 91 cents for every $1. 71 percent 71 percent of Oregon's public school teachers are women. In Oregon's private sector, 40 percent are women. Source: Oregon Center for Public Policy mirrored on the national level and has grown more severe in recent decades. In 1996, the average weekly wages of teachers at the national level were 4 percent less than private sector work- ers, according to the Oregon report. By 2015, the national gap grew to 19 per- cent. And while Oregon's starting salary for teachers isn't far from the national average, it does come up short. According to the National Education Association, the national average for a starting teaching salary in 2016-17 was $38,617. In the same year, Oregon's starting teachers averaged $35,534. New Jersey and the District of Co- lumbia have the highest starting sala- ries at more than $51,000. Montana and Oklahoma have the lowest, start- ing at $30,036 and $31,919, respective- ly. The Oregon report concluded teach- er compensation is directly related to schools being able to hire "high-quali- ty" educators and retain them. Not only does the impact the lives of Oregon's educators, but according to the report, retaining high quality teach- ers helps students reach higher levels of academic achievement and, in turn, leads to higher earnings over their life- times — "a benefit for them and the overall economy." It's not just pay Educators nationwide have been go- ing on strike over the last year to de- mand adequate pay. Most recently, teachers from 14 school districts across the state of Washington went on strike this fall over contract disputes stemming from an influx of cash districts had received from the state. After three weeks of teacher strikes, educators received higher pay raises and students were all back in school as of Sept. 17. In Oregon, the most recent report by the state's Quality Education Model es- timated Oregon is short about $2 bil- lion per biennium of what it needs to maintain and improve schools. But Mindy Merritt, president of the Salem-Keizer Education Association, told the Statesman Journal she didn't think local members were close to striking over pay. What Merritt sees most is teachers leaving the district or profession when they don't feel heard or valued and they feel burned out. "They feel like they're drowning, fighting on their own," she said. "They know we can do better as a district ... as a community." In Salem-Keizer Public Schools, the starting teaching salary for someone with a Bachelor's degree is $40,297. That number increases to $46,748 if they have a Master's degree. Salem-Keizer Public School Super- intendent Christy Perry was not avail- able for comment Monday afternoon. Pay is also affected by hours of pro- fessional development and experience to, ideally, help the individual earn more money the more experience they have. But Merritt said teachers are fre- quently faced with difficult decisions — are they paid enough to sustain a 30- year career and do they feel valued and heard? They have to decide if earning a master's to be a more viable candidate will outweigh the cost of increased stu- dent loans. She also said teachers are, in some ways, locked into one district once they start since they may take a pay cut moving to another district later in their careers. Merritt said Salem-Keizer is making improvements in filling positions to eliminate a teacher shortage that has continued since the Great Recession. "Are teachers paid enough? Abso- lutely not. Are support staff paid enough? Absolutely not," she said. "Im- proving salaries and benefits will help, but that's not everything." To read the full report, or for more in- formation, go to https://www.ocpp.org/ or call 971-279- 4732. Contact reporter Natalie Pate at npate@StatesmanJournal.com, 503- 399-6745 or follow her on Twitter @Nataliempate or Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ nataliepatejournalist. Helping students with cyberbullying Susanne Eide Guest Columnist Oregon Connections Academy Remember that saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me”? In today’s digital world, words can be very painful. October is National Bullying Preven- tion Awareness Month, a good time to talk to children about cyberbullying. As a virtual school, we promote good digi- tal citizenship to our students, but we all share responsibility for a safe respectful online environment. The National Crime Prevention Council says cyberbullying is what hap- pens “when people use the Internet, cellphones, or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.” Cyberbullying happens in many places including websites, emails, chat rooms, instant messaging, and social media platforms such as Snapchat, In- stagram, Twitter and Facebook. Cyber threats can involve serious, re- peated forms of aggression and some- times illegal behavior. They are often conducted anonymously, follow the vic- tim home from school, and invade their life around the clock. The impact of online bullying ex- tends into the real world. Researchers found a majority of cyberbullied stu- dents said the experience affected their ability to learn and feel safe at school. Twenty-six percent of middle and high schools have reported weekly inci- dents of cyberbullying, at school and away from school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Oregon’s Healthy Teens Survey also shows 11 per- cent of juniors and 15 percent of eighth- graders were cyberbullied in the last month. Parents can do several things to de- tect cyberbullying, act if their child is a victim and prevent it from happening. What are the warning signs of cyberbullying? If you suspect your child is experi- encing cyberbullying, watch for signs around the use of their electronic de- vices. For example, they might seem ner- vous after a text or instant message ap- pears, and secretive about sharing their online activity. Your child may unex- pectedly stop using their device(s), or start spending more time online. It’s important for parents to be tech- nologically savvy in order to figure out what’s going on, but also allow kids to share their point of view. As an ice- breaker, bring up the topic of cyberbul- lying and ask if it’s an issue at your child’s school. What should you do if cyberbullying is occurring? Tweens and teens facing online bul- lying are often reluctant to come for- ward, so encourage them to talk to a parent, teacher or other trusted adult at the first sign of trouble. It’s natural for a child to want to re- spond to a cyberbully, but urge them not to retaliate. Striking back might turn your child into a bully or give the offender the vir- tual power they’re seeking. Defuse the conflict and take rational steps to re- solve the situation. Parents want to protect kids by fixing a problem like digital bullying, but in- stead slow down and talk to children about what they’re going through. Don’t take away devices if something hap- pens. Demonstrate trust and involve them in the process. Being heard helps victims heal and gain resilience. Evidence of electronic bullying on computers and phones can usually be saved or captured. Keeping a record of dates, times, and other details is helpful if there’s an investigation. Most social media sites, tagged pho- tos, and other services allow users to block people or report cyberbullying. Ensure children have secure passwords and lock their device(s) when not in use. Oregon’s school system has strong BRIEFS cyberbullying laws, so if your child is be- ing harassed by a classmate, talk to school authorities. File a complaint with the online platform or if the offensive content involves a potential crime, con- tact local police. How can you help prevent cyberbullying? Cyber-safe techniques, such as acti- vating privacy settings on devices or apps, help reduce a child’s risk of being cyberbullied. Children shouldn’t give out personal information, email ad- dresses or phone numbers online with- out permission from parents. Talk openly with your student about online interactions. Parents can lead by example, showing children positive messages they send to others on their own social media. It’s also important to teach students good social media manners. This in- cludes promoting kindness and pausing before posting or sending something – reminding them the message might re- main online forever. Technology and social media can be helpful in your child’s everyday life – es- pecially staying connected with others. Parents should offer guidance and boundaries to help kids take a balanced approach. Susanne Eide is an eighth grade Lan- guage Arts and Social Studies teacher from Monmouth at Oregon Connections Academy. For more information on up- coming events or how to enroll, please visit: www.OregonConnectionsAcade- my.com/Events or call (800) 382–6010. Silver Crest School haunted for October Parking fines increase LOW COST CREMATION & BURIAL Simple Cremation $595 NO Hidden Costs TUALATIN SALEM 8970 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd 412 Lancaster Drive NE (503) 885-7800 (503) 581-6265 TIGARD PORTLAND 12995 SW Pacifi c Hwy 832 NE Broadway (503) 783-6869 (503) 783-3393 MILWAUKIE EASTSIDE 17064 SE McLoughlin Blvd 1433 SE 122nd Ave (503) 653-7076 (503) 783-6865 Privately owned cremation facility. A Family Owned Oregon Business. OR-SAL0008503-12 www.ANewTradition.com Fines for public parking violations on Silverton streets increased Monday, the result of council action last spring. A $10 fine can now be levied against drivers who allow time to run out on their parking meters, those who stay too long in a 2-hour-parking zone, those who don’t park within the lines or are more than 12 inches away from the curb, and those in no-parking areas. For a vehicle that remains even long- er in a 2-hour space, second and third time violations may now generate $25 and $50 fines, respectively. The council also increased fines for loading zone vi- olations, large vehicle violations and late fee charges. Silver Crest School is hosting a haunted house every weekend during the month of October. Haunt the Hills, advertised as a “frightful haunting ex- perience,” is open to the public from 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, start- ing Oct 5. Entrance is $5 per person; proceeds go to Silver Crest Booster Club. The school is located outside of town at 365 Loar Road SE. Silverton Shindig plays Oct. 6 The seventh annual Silverton Side- walk Shindig is Saturday, Oct. 6. Solo musicians and groups will present mu- sic of all flavors – Irish, classical, ma- rimba, rock, big band, punk, alternative, and more – outside and inside down- town businesses from 11 a.m. until mid- night. The festival is free and family friendly. — Christena Brooks