You've read about the catastrophic decisions that school districts are having to make. In my city (San Jose, CA) more than 1,000 teachers were given pink slips today.
I teach at San Jose State University, part of the California State University system, the largest higher-ed system in the US. Our university president is saying we'll have "no layoffs," which is technically true. People like me will NOT have our "temporary contracts" renewed. We won't be "laid off;" we just won't have jobs in the fall.
The problem I'm seeing is one small example of how "Greed is Good". How much do you think our tax-payer funded university administrators make? $80,000? $100,000? More? How about university presidents? $100,000? You might be shocked. More on the flip.
The head of the CSU system, Chancellor Charles Reed, is given (note I do not say "earns") over $400,000 a year. He also has a travel allowance, a housing allowance, a car allowance, and all sorts of perks that a lowly worker-bee like me can only dream of.
The university presidents at the 23 campuses make between $223,000 and $328,000.
If you're interested, you can view the salaries of administrators (PDF).
Remember: THESE ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PAID WITH TAX DOLLARS.
Of course, none of them will be laid off during this crisis of a lifetime.
Instead, people like me are on the chopping block. Last year I earned $36,000 to teach a 3/2 load (three classes one semester, two another) and direct an arts program.
- People like me are worker bees.
- We're union employees.
- We're at the low end of the pay scale.
- We're chattel.
- Expendable.
But we are the front lines of higher ed.
Lecturers, instructors, adjuncts, temporary faculty. Whatever you want to call us, we're the ones that teach you, your kids, your fellow citizens. And now we're seeing education ripped to shreds.
I understand that the government entities have no money. I get it. My union is screaming: NO MORE CUTS. I get that this is unrealistic given the current Republican Depression we're in. Cuts in budgets will happen.
The question here is this: WHAT do we cut?
My opinion is that cuts that directly affect the classroom should be done last. First cuts should be to non-instructional areas. Cut spending on programs outside the classroom. Cut advising. Cut counseling. Cut extra-curricular activities. Cut sports. But do not, under any means, cut classes. Isn't the entire point of an education AN EDUCATION? And isn't that experienced in the classroom? With real people for teachers and students? Isn't that our mission?
So when I see our university president (I refuse to capitalize his title) talking about the lack of layoffs, I can only roll my eyes and wonder what will it take for our nation to revolt against the idiocy of our systems? What does it take to convince the "rulers" that they are the ones who should lose their jobs? What does it take to get a fair and equitable system that makes sense?
I'm writing letters, telling my political leaders that when they make cuts to budgets in systems like the CSU, please also advise these systems about what to cut and what to keep because the leaders in these broken systems can't see beyond their own paychecks. They have lost all perspective.
Let's not let greed win.