Too, the funding gap widens until the state funds increases to I-728, LAP, Special Education, ELL/TBIP, and other entitlement programs. Each teacher paid out of these funds gets the bargained raises but there is no comparable increase in funding from the state. The District spends local funds just to provide the COLA to those teachers. There is a lid on how much local levy money can go into the district budget, so the long-term result of bargaining raises that exceed state allocations is district bankruptcy. This is simple math:
Money out in teachers and expenses = state allocation + levy dollars.

Assuming that the district abandons the web program at 2 mil, that still leaves a significant gap between the district and the union on pay, and that gap only widens in the future.

This is a legislative and state budget issue, not a local issue.

OK... maybe I missed something along the way over the past few years. Perhaps Tonysbone is correct and the Bellevue school district has horded the COLA that other districts in the region have gotten. It seems unlikely, given the present salary scale, but I suppose it's possible...
Anyone who has paid attention to the state of school funding in our state can see that this year's round of budget cuts is due for a sequel this coming Spring. BSD can't commit to funding raises in excess of state allocations on the expectation that they will have to make up an even wider funding gap this coming year. It would be fiscally irresponsible to do so, and anyone who asks it is simply ignoring the mid- and long-term financial realities of running schools.

Stick to the curriculum issue and let the raise go. Unless you're going to print money in the work room, it's just not do-able.

Birdie,

It's possible to have the same knowledge but disagree. I work in schools, my wife is a teacher, my parents are both educators, and the overwhelming majority of my friends are teachers and school admin. I simply don't see the pay argument working out for you all. Stick to your guns on the curriculum issue, but in the end the district is really doing the best it can with its limited fiscal resources to do what's best for kids. It's intellectually dishonest, and far too easy to accuse administration of not wanting what's best for kids. Truth is, we're the only ones who can be fired due to poor student performance. Can teachers say the same?

Birdie-
It might be worth your while to examine what gets bang-for-buck when it comes to investing in educators. Recent research shows that having teacher coaches who can help develop good instructional practices in reading, math, writing, and other subjects is a very good way to improve student learning. Since most elementary and middle school teachers are K-8 generalists, and few specialize in a single content area, having good instructional resources is key to improving education. A typical elementary could hire 3 content specialists (literacy, math, and you pick- science? social studies?) and do much greater good than reducing class sizes by 3 or so students with the same addition of classroom teachers.

Stick to your guns on the curriculum issue, but you really need to get over the us-them attitude with regard to administrators. We all were certs once, and we all still want the best education we can buy with public money.

A comment and a question to the Bellevue teachers and community:__First, kudos for taking a stand on the autonomy of your classrooms. A canned curriculum almost never serves the long-term interests of teachers or students. __With regard to the pay issue: From where do you expect the money to materialize? The COLA does not apply to special programs funding, so teachers who receive pay from those do not get additional state/federal dollars to fund their collectively-bargained raises. The district makes up the difference. With transportation costs skyrocketing due to fuel prices, and the cost of everything else a school buys going up along with that, where do you see the funding for ADDITIONAL, unfunded raises? __Please concede on the issue of pay. Bellevue teachers are compensated better than most around. While it may not be enough (and it will never be enough), it's the best that the district can do with the funds they recieve. Deal with the district on the issues that they can control, and work with them around the things that they can't.__And, yes, I'm in education. A former certificated employee, now a school administrator, I've been involved in bargaining on both sides of the table.