She is a founder of Long Islanders for Educational Reform, a regional advocacy group. Memorandum of Agreement for Commack Schools Office Professionals - Contract Extension 2023 - 2025. Such was the case in May with Wantagh, a school system serving a middle-class community on Nassau County's southern shore. "To attract the best and the brightest from the candidate pool, your compensation package has to be competitive.". Some of the salaries, obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request, included retirees who accrued unused sick and vacation days that were paid out in 2020-21. And data recently released by the state's Department of Education shows that it continues to be true. All but Wool worked at Central Islip Union Free School District in Suffolk County, Long Island a school with six of the ten highest-paid NYSTRS members on its payroll. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington, D.C., think tank, reported in August that teachers in this state faceda 13.2% gap in weekly wages,compared with earnings for professionals in other fields. We maintain a rich and robust academic program for all K-12 students in a vibrant teaching and learning community. Wood, B&B Foreman - $282,516 Cna Per Diem Jobs. Close. "But I don't think they tie that exclusively to teachers' salaries," Dawidziak added. The area's three top-paid educators from 2019-20 worked in Central Islip, explained partly by hefty severance packages that go to retiring workers for unused vacation time a common feature of contracts on the Island. Help. He noted that state testing last spring of students in grades 3-8showed"mediocre" results for example, with just over 40% of Island students scoring proficient or better in math. A. For the state's top wage earner, O'Malley, of Sayville, her settlement stipulated she retire in August. The information on this website comes from official government sources, but the Empire Center cannot guarantee data accuracy or completeness. Long Island school superintendents have an average salary of more than $251,ooo, according to state data. Kishore Kuncham, Freeport Public Schools, $393,374, 8. "Demands put on educators are increasing every year. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Of the statewide data, 59 educators earned more than $300,000, with 38 being from Long Island. "Those are skill sets that demand talented people, and they deserve to get paid well for their work," she said. Kevin Donovan made $509,313 in 2020, which is significantly less than the top-paid educator in 2019, James Feltman who made $657,970 as an educator in the Commack School District. Professional payrolls, totaling more than $5 billion annually, represent the biggest single expense in Long Island's 124 districts. "There's a major question as to whether school performance reflects expenditures. Supporters say pay levels are justified by the Islands high living costs, and to help local districts recruit good candidates. The highest paid superintendent is Henry L. Grishman of the Jericho School District who (including salary, benefits and other wages) will make $438,349 this upcoming school year. Marianne Cartisano,former superintendent in the Miller Place district, ranked at the topof the state's compensation list for public school employees. Fuchs said raises in Wantagh were comparable to those in other systems. Unless you think we should just chop cop and teacher salary down to nothing? To my NY(Long Island) teachers. The district's superintendent, Sharon Dungee, statedthat all six professionals had retired, and that figures included payouts for unused sick and vacation days, as well as salaries. "I wish that weren't the case, that you wouldn't be driven out of the place where your home is and where your friends live and where you hoped you could grow old. That amounts to an average of $64,512.95 per member of the retirement system, an increase of 3.7 percent from the year before. Cartisano retired in July with a final annual package of $483,323, after working nearly 20 years in the district. Of the 100 top earners in the state last year, nine hailed from that district. An arbitrator ruled in her favor from the date her pay was terminated to June 2020, which totaled more than $392,000, according to documents. John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years. The DOE recently released salary information for superintendents across the state for the 2021-22 school year. "So how would you expect teachers to live here, if they're not paid?". School Psychologist. Teacher representatives and some education analysts make the case that the attractive pay scales are necessary because of the Island's cost of living. Statewide, 59 educators earned more than $300,000, with 38 being from Long Island. The list of top earners also featured three Long Island superintendents who each brought home at least $360,000 last year. The teachers association filed a grievance, alleging the district violated the collective bargaining agreement. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. Among those public school employees, 663 reported compensationpackages totaling $200,000 or more for the 2021-22 school yearand 36 of them had packages worthat least $300,000, Newsday learned. In my experience, Long Islanders do value education, and I do believe in some areas we have some of the best schools in the country.. "If you have a system where merit doesn't count, it brings down an entire level of performance," said Pandelakis, a former teacher and school administrator. Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. "Costs have also gone up in other areas, such as administration, artificial turf on ballfields, and so forth. "The state is constantly adding to requirements to be a teacher master's degrees, certification, renewal of licenses," he said. Matthew M. Cleary, Chief Train Dispatcher - $285,386 Robert A. Schnier, Assistant Foreman T&T - $284,784 Stephen M. Otto - B&B Foreman - $284,474 Carl F. Schmitt, Signal Inspector - $283,405 Anthony Brescia, Foreman-Track - $283,072 Ronald Bestafka, Foreman-Track - $282,633 Gregory A. This year's gross salary is $44,289. Copyright 2023 Newsday. Nearly two-thirds of educators statewide who earned more than $300,000 during the 2020-21 school year were public school employees from Long Island, a Newsday analysis of payroll records from the New York State Teachers Retirement System shows. The records cover both teachers, the largest group, and school administrators and other professionals, such as guidance counselors, librarians and social workers. All those top earners draw at least $200,000 a year, and some figures go far higher. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. The Nassau County Council of School Superintendents declined to comment. Summer Intern jobs in Long Island, NY Sort by: relevance - date 114 jobs Wealth Management Summer Intern Morgan Stanley 3.8 Jericho, NY +1 location Estimated $72.6K - $91.9K a year Internship Donovan made the same pay in 2019 as 2020 and was ranked as the ninth-most paid educator at the time. Enrollment down, staff not as much. He did not respond to requests for comment. Teachers in public colleges and some charter schools in the state also may be members. Use the form below to search operational and staff expenditures by the New York State Legislature. commission. Trimming the budget meant the loss of 28.5 jobs, including administrators and teachers, along with larger elementary class sizes and fewer middle school sports teams, district officials said. The highest-paid superintendent on Long Island is Cheryl Pedisich of the Three Village Central School District, who has an annual salary of $334,750. The highest median salaries were paid to teachers on Long Island, $101,692. Sitemap | The public educator pay data are based on Fiscal Year 2020-21 salary information reported to the New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS), which covers public school teachers and administrators employed outside New York City. P.O. Join us and Long Live Long Island where we care for Every Patient, Every Time. For its salary review, Newsday obtained records from the New York State Teachers' Retirement System,using the state's Freedom of Information Law. However, Dr. Kishore Kuncham of the Freeport School District is the highest-compensated superintendent. Reprints & permissions | Ada I. Nieves-Brull, Central Islip Union Free Schools, $420,209, 6. "Our educators should be paid like the highly trained and skilled professionals they are," stated the union, which represents more than 600,000 teachers and other professionals statewide. "Teachers have worked incredibly hardunder incredible circumstances for the last several years," said Tony Felicio Jr., president of a640-member teachersunion in the Connetquot district. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Those are skill sets that demand talented people, and they deserve to get paid well for their work, she said. Teacher Salaries in New York State On average, New York State teachers make more than teachers in any other state in the nation: $79,588. An agreement was reached in April after the Lawrence Teachers Association challenged the district in Nassau County Supreme Court, according to court documents. I really, truly believe that a good teacher transforms a students life for the better forever.. Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls Union Free Schools, Longwood at Middle Island Central Schools. Powered by WordPress using DisruptPress Theme. 24 salaries reported, updated at February 20, 2023 Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. The Payrolls section provides a database of names, positions, salaries and/or total earnings for individuals who have been employed by New York State, New York City, state and regional public authorities, public school districts, and New York's county, city, town and village governments. Statewide, the percentage of educators pulling in six-figure pay has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, Empire reported. With benefits, her total compensation is $421,499.