Ann Arbor Administrators Association: Principals received pay reductions as other administrators got raises
Ann Arbor Public Schools is faced with a massive financial reduction of $17- to $20 million for the 2013-2014 academic school year. This reduction will result in programming cuts that will certainly change the “look and feel” of the district and impact the students and families that we serve every day.
Today, Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA) issues a public statement, a rarity in the past decade, to inform the general public whom we serve and for those who rely on AnnArbor.com for information.
Mike Madison
There are two distinct administrative groups in the school district experiencing two different salary histories during the past decade. The first group, central administrators, consisting of the superintendent, and her immediate cabinet have received pay raises in spite of the economic downturn throughout the past two years.
The second group includes building principals and assistant program directors represented by AAAA. We wish to make it known to the families we serve that 100 percent of our members have not received increases to the contractual base salary schedule for the past five years. We have experienced reductions in pay through local, state, and federal mandates.
Beyond the additional health contributions that all people across the country have endured, the Board of Education decreased its contribution to our health care costs causing many building principals and assistant program directors to either seek inferior health care options or pay out-of-pocket expenses to receive the same level of care. We are met with increased workload demands resulting from annual programmatic cuts, and now we have an out of pocket bi-weekly pension tax.
It is critical that information disseminated to the public pertaining to salaries and benefits be factual and accurate. A recent AnnArbor.com article shed light on the salaries of Ann Arbor Public Schools employees, specifically its administrators, but left out some critical information.
We the Ann Arbor Administrators Association will continue to faithfully serve your children regardless of the economic crisis. We as a community must look for more sustainable measures for cuts. AAAA is ready to be a part of the budgeting process and the sharing of solutions and suggestions.
Mike Madison is the co-president of the Ann Arbor Administrators Association and is speaking as a representative for the association.
Comments
EcoRonE
Thu, Mar 14, 2013 : 12:09 a.m.
A good principal who can assemble teachers that are aligned with their goals and philosophy and who supports those teachers in their curriculum and discipline, that school will be excellent. Pitting teachers against their school administration or vice versa is destructive for all concerned. When the central administration disrupts a working partnership, that disrupts the children's education.
Basic Bob
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 3:53 p.m.
"Our members have not received increases to the contractual base salary schedule" Translation - we still get raises every year as spelled out in the contract we signed. "We are met with increased workload demands" Translation - it would be nice if we could just do the same thing year after year. "Now we have an out of pocket bi-weekly pension tax" Translation - we would rather see the state go broke funding our retirement.
jazzybluegirl
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 2:40 p.m.
I think i speak for most parents when i say how much we appreciate the effort at transparency within the ann arbor school district these days. Unfortunately, when we have articles like the above, written by a principal who drives a car that cost almost as much as our house , it is hard to feel much concern about what pay increases they have had over the last couple of years.
samshoe
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 2:33 p.m.
This editorial is from a principal that notes on his principal page: http://dicken.a2schools.org/dicken.home/principal Accomplishment most proud of: survived 31 years in AAPS! :) Survived? Really? I am not sure I would want my children at a school where the principal feels that he has "survived" his job. There is something so off-putting about the way this is phrased. I hope he really doesn't feel he has survived it. SURVIVED: past participle, past tense of sur·vive (Verb) Verb 1. Continue to live or exist, esp. in spite of danger or hardship. 2. Continue to live or exist in spite of (an accident or ordeal).
EcoRonE
Thu, Mar 14, 2013 : 12:01 a.m.
IF you're a principal, you work at the whim of the central administration which changes and answers to no one in that school's immediate community. If you're dedicated and able to survive all the political and philosophical changes in the central administration and lead your school for 31 years is a tremendous accomplishment. Whether it was beneficial to the students at Dicken, only they can say but there is no denying the accomplishment.
DJBudSonic
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.
Ms. Gardner, could you provide some additional information about this AAAA and Mr. Madison's role? Are they essentially a union for school administrators, a principals union? To have a 'rare' public statement issued about pay inequality makes me think something is up with the budget process that they don't like. It seems there is more to this story. Thank you.
DJBudSonic
Thu, Mar 14, 2013 : 2:24 a.m.
Thanks for the summary I had no idea.
local
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 6:34 p.m.
Principals have their own union and Mr. Madison is the head of that group. The secretarial staff has their own union as well. Teachers have their own union and is led by Mrs. Carter. Custodial has their own union as well. I am sure I will be corrected if this information is incorrect.
An Arborigine
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.
Pay out-of-pocket expenses? Goodness, what a travesty, welcome to our world!
UncleMao
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 2:21 p.m.
It is a travesty -- for teachers, principals, and everyone of us (you and me included, Arborigine) faced with growing out of pocket costs next to flat or dwindling base pay. What's up with the "good! -- suffer like the rest of us" mentality? Not that that's how Arborigine feels, but look, let's not celebrate the addition of others to our miserable ranks. It's not good or funny or overdue that principals are paying more for benefits. Instead, it's sad and infuriating and ridiculous that everyone isn't paying less.
A Voice of Reason
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 1:13 p.m.
Hey, where is this association going to get rid off and stop protecting ineffective principals?
Billy
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 12:19 p.m.
Bourgeois get raises....whilst the proletariat get paycuts..... SOUNDS LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL...
mady
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 2:27 p.m.
Yeah Billy, NOT THE LEAST BIT SURPRISING........
DonBee
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 11:06 a.m.
"We have experienced reductions in pay through local, state, and federal mandates. " Translation: We saw our deductions for taxes, health care and other benefits increase like every other worker in the state of Michigan, while not getting an actual pay raise, so our take home pay check decreased. This is so common for people who work for a living it is not funny. I don't know anyone who has not seen this happen. In addition the average worker in Michigan saw a $4,000 in gross salary over that same time period according to the US Census data. I am not arguing that the members of the AAAA need to take actual cuts, only that the community they serve has. As to the Balas crowd, it would be nice to see some significant trimming of that overhead. The administration has been very good about hiding the actual costs in a number of locations in the budget. Overall honesty and transparency will serve the district best in the upcoming budget discussions, something that AAPS has not done in the at least 20 years.
grye
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 3:55 p.m.
"This is so common for people who work for a living it is not funny." Your belief is that teachers don't work for a living?
DonBee
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 1:21 p.m.
drewk - Since when are the AAAA members part of the teachers union? The comment above is about the administrators. As to the teachers, show me the location in the contract where there was a reduction in gross pay. I don't see a new contract posted on the AAPS website. As to the $4K - it was a cut in gross pay on average - the typo is my fault.
drewk
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
Sorry Don, you're wrong. Teachers have had raises taken away and had actual paycuts to their base salary. I didn't see a 4k increase in my salary either.
Paula Gardner
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 : 10:59 a.m.
I just changed this headline from its original version to better reflect that this group is trying to raise awareness of administrator pay disparity. I'm also working on correcting some garble in one paragraph. It's something that doesn't show up in our system, for some reason. Apologies that it's there at all.