CCSD teacher complaining about her salary made over $82K in 2011
In Sunday's Las Vegas Review-Journal, a CCSD teacher named Cynthia McCoy wrote a letter to the editor complaining about her salary as a teacher and her lack of recent salary increases.
I am afraid it is not enough to pat us on our backs and tell us we are doing great work while expecting us to accept falling farther behind financially. ...One interesting thing that's missing from McCoy's letter is ... her salary. Given the tone of her letter you'd probably expect her to be making $30,000 or $35,000 a year, right? Nope.
In fact, I believe that in the 14 years I have been teaching in this district, I have more than met my responsibilities. Yet I have lost ground to inflation and budget cuts, having received only two real raises in that period. And this was during the so-called "good times."
How long can young families and those who are on the verge of retirement put up with a continual loss of income? ...
Since we receive very few raises from the state, step increases are the only way we have of getting ahead. It is not that we are unwilling to do our part. We feel we are doing our part. When will the rest of our community do theirs?
Cynthia McCoy
Las Vegas
In 2011, Cynthia McCoy's total compensation was... drum roll please ... $82,811.48. Doesn't knowing that one fact change your perspective on everything she said in her letter?
Now, I'm not opposed to paying terrific teachers more - indeed, along with paying poor teachers less, I think it's a great idea - but this letter is ridiculous.
How can anyone "put up with" only earning $82,811.48 a year? And having to work 184 days a year? And having summers off? And having two weeks off for Christmas? And a week off for Spring Break? And having to work 7 hours and 11 minutes a day, including a 30 minute lunch? And earn over $65 an hour in total compensation?
Indeed, how can anyone "put up with" this?
I certain many, many Nevadans would like to try and fall as far "behind financially" as McCoy has(n't).
If McCoy is truly upset about her compensation she should focus her attacks on NRS 288, Nevada's collective bargaining law, and the teachers' union, which works to insure that teachers get paid based on their seniority and education, not on how well they educate our children.
That's where real reform needs to happen.
