Provide Orem Teachers with the Best Opportunities, Pay & Educational Environments
Our teachers deserve the best and we want to provide them with the best! “Teachers in small schools tend to be more satisfied with their positions, have less absenteeism, collaborate more with colleagues, and take greater responsibility for student learning.” ~ Holden Rural Academy
By law teachers will continue to be compensated for salary, benefits, and retention bonuses at ASD levels in the Orem District. Utah state law requires that all compensation packages remain at current levels for one year during a school district split. After that, compensation packages and contracts are signed annually between teachers and the district, the same as is the current practice in Alpine School District.
The past Feasibility Studies have all factored in the cost of keeping every single class, teaching position, specialty and CTE and school to remain open that was existing at the time of each study. In addition the most recent study also factored in 10 year teacher increases, including the 401K retention bonus program that will be funded in the Orem District, based off of Alpine School Districts current payout model. This 10 year plan is something that Alpine School District will NOT guarantee for their teachers.
In DEC’s forecast (hour mark 2:59:00) they share that they have built a model that take Alpine School Districts 2021 year increased payrate for teachers and administrators and have grown teachers salaries and benefits by the following rates:
Orem’s Forecasted Action Plan For Teachers:
Increase teacher’s salaries
Year 2022-2023 - 8% increase
Year 2023-2024 - 5% increase
Year 2024-2032 - 3.2% increase (historical average)
Retain high-quality teacher
More autonomy for teacher
Smaller class sizes
While these rates have been built into Orem School Districts expenses, it will still be up to Orem District’s Board of Education to ensure teacher salary and benefit increases take place. Orem residents and city council members have stated their overwhelming support and intention to KEEP EVERY SINGLE OREM SCHOOL OPEN AND FOR BELOVED SPECIALTY PROGRAMS TO BE REINSTATED. Orem students and parents want happy teachers. Teachers deserve optimal working conditions and compensation!
In an Orem District teachers can teach the subjects they are so qualified and terrific at, with class sizes that are reasonable - instead of what Alpine School District dictates they teach in unrealistic conditions. Teachers, administrators, office staff, and all other employees at each school remain employed, working and happy doing what they love. Studies show “both students and teachers thrive in smaller class sizes - evidence that students in smaller classes perform better on state examinations!” ~ Brookings
Since Alpine School District provided its own study in 2017, they have chosen to eliminate three Orem schools and all of the employment opportunities at each of the three schools. They have also cut a multitude of specialties at many Orem schools. In the past five years, Alpine School District has chosen to eliminate schools, specialty programs and jobs.
They chose to close Hillcrest.
They chose to close Polaris.
They chose to close Geneva.
They chose to eliminate all of the jobs at these schools.
They have chosen to eliminate most of the specialty programs/teachers at many Orem elementary schools, and are currently discussing more cuts for 2023.
Will they choose to eliminate the CTE programs at our secondary schools next?
When Alpine School District chooses to close those schools they eliminated the following jobs at these locations: administrators, teachers, office staff, janitors, lunchroom personnel, school aides, welfare workers (nurse, psychologist, social workers, counselors, etc.). The new 2022 bond graphic states that schools will “merge.” If we stay with ASD, it is certain that ASD will continue to close Orem schools – ASD state this in their own graphic and have announced it as well, which means more job loss, more property values decreasing as neighborhood schools disappear, and more perpetual cost to bus children to schools further from where they live. *Important to note here that ASD has then profited from the sale of these properties: Hillcrest ($5.6 million), Polaris ($8.2 million). We must fight to keep the demolished Geneva land for the rebuild of the school.
Orem can afford all of the programs, teachers, and staff, but Alpine School District is taking Orem’s money to offer brand new schools with full specialty programs for children outside of Orem. In the mean time, Orem students are loosing their teachers and specialty programs. Now is the time to help our teachers. Vote Yes and give Orem Students what they need - our teachers!!