<p>My daughter has spent this year teaching at a school that opened this year under the state’s voucher system. She and the other teachers were not paid between Nov. and March, then got a lump payment on March 31 when voucher money came in. Since the voucher money went to salary already due them, now they have not been paid since March 31. </p>
<p>Each pay day, the administrator just ignores the fact that it’s payday - no explanation, no thanks for being understanding. A couple of times he’s told them that checks would be available the next day - including one time when he told them to come to the school at 3 p.m. on a Saturday to pick them up. He didn’t show up, and has also scheduled then skipped other meetings.</p>
<p>They recently filed a complaint with the state labor board and contacted their state senator and the department of education. The press is chomping at the story.</p>
<p>Should they go public? She loves her kids. She also feels guilty every time the administrator brings a prospective teacher for next year on a tour of the school. Her thinking is that if this goes public she can safe other teachers from this mess, and if the school is closed now, rather than in the middle of a school year, it will allow the kids to avoid changing schools midyear.</p>
<p>If I don’t get paid to work, I don’t go to work.</p>
<p>But, people tell me I’m a little weird, so maybe that’s just me.</p>
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<p>I notice in this writing that your D is very focused on how this influences everyone around her, but is not concerned about her own welfare. </p>
<p>Unless she is independently wealthy, she needs a paycheck to survive. She has bills to pay and she has financial obligations in life. I think this an instance she should think about herself first, and not about those around her.</p>
<p>I sure would blab. What they’re doing is patently illegal. </p>
<p>If she is asked why she’s looking for another job after only one year, she should tell the truth: Because where I work has had difficulty meeting its payroll, and I don’t expect to get paid for the remainder of the year.</p>
<p>How the heck did the state let a school open and give it access to the voucher system if it didn’t have enough working capital to pay its teachers anything until seven months into the school year?</p>
<p>Charter schools are usually run by private “not-for-profit” entities. They do not have to follow education code. Apparently, they don’t follow employment codes either. Now you are starting to see why a teacher’s union might be valuable. You see how easy it is to take advantage of teachers like OP’s D who love the kids and love to teach. Yeah, we love it so much we do it for fun, “psychic pay” as a politician long ago used to call it. </p>
<p>I guess this is just perfect for that segment of society that is trying to destroy our public schools by not funding them and breaking the unions. A perfect example of the rampant disrespect for teachers. We make too much money. Why pay us at all?</p>
<p>The folks running this school are obviously mis-managing the funds, and are probably criminal. No doubt they are paying themselves just fine. Seriously. I would run to the press with this. Preferably the national press. </p>
<p>I have no further polite words to say on this one. #@%X!!</p>
<p>I would say to definitely let the word get out. It is only a matter of time before the school will close probably. If they are not paying teachers then they are likely not paying for other things either. it will all catch up to them eventually.</p>
<p>Now is the time for your daughter to start looking for another job. Tell her to look now before she is out of a job. It is always harder to find a job when you don’t have one.</p>
<p>It sounds to me like the administration is jerking the teachers around in a big way. There is simply no excuse for that. If the teachers put up with it then it will continue. They have to put their foots(feet?) down and make some demands of their own.</p>
<p>Not only is it not doing the students any good to let things continue, it is not doing any of the prospective teachers any good either. The students, parents, and all the staff are going to most likely get a big surprise one day when they find the school closed. She should leave now before it all falls apart.</p>
<p>The state must have fiscal requirements of charter schools. Mine certainly does! I suspect that this school is breaking regulations right & left. The FOR PROFIT outfit running the school must be held accountable. This really needs to be reported.</p>
<p>Press was chomping at the bit because the teachers had been using a reporter to do some investigating for them - such as number of vouchers claimed, money received, etc. The reporter could get information that they couldn’t get on their own.</p>
<p>The state senator is the one who wanted to do a press conference. He’s long been on the bandstand against vouchers.</p>
<p>And she has a job lined up - in a public school district - for next year.</p>
<p>The administrator is a jerk and was trying to convince the teachers that they are destroying the school by demanding payment and exposing dirty laundry. She will probably get some money, but not all that is due her. But she will be fine, eventually.</p>
<p>It’s a school. I don’t think that an employee that hasn’t been paid in seven months needs to feel any guilt about “destroying” it – IMO it’s destroying itself with mismanagement. How are these teachers expected to live?</p>
<p>I would sincerely doubt the reporter can get information they can’t. The reporter just knows how to get it. The teachers can and should file what is known as “state open records” requests and / or “freedom of information” requests. Usually the SOR is for state and the FOI for federal info. These forms can be found on line - use those terms and your state’s name. Fill them in and submit them to the appropriate governing body. All of that information would be available from the state and open to the public. </p>
<p>I would certainly talk to the press - but I would do it as a group. Invite the reporter to a meeting with all of the teachers. There is no reason to hide this - they have done nothing wrong.</p>
<p>I;d get a lawyer. Now. Sue them for withheld wages and interest. And go VERY public - do you really want this excuse of a school to open its doors next year? Once the term is over, I expect she won’t collect a penny.</p>
<p>How do all these teachers survive without pay? I could see 1 or 2 that have savings or other resources to tap (parents?) but an entire school of teachers? Wouldn’t many be leaving or starving to death? Are all the teachers being stiffed or only a select few?</p>
<p>And yes, I think you would be doing the students a big favor by getting this all out in the open over the summer rather than having it explode in the middle of a semester.</p>