Guest Opinion | Dr. Denise Robb: Educators v. Children – False Dichotomy

I read with disappointment the opinion piece by Todd Maddison on 3/18 about funding for PUSD. Maddison says sarcastically, “Obviously the paychecks of adults are more important than the education of kids.”  Do you see the contradiction in that statement? The paychecks of adults (teachers, staff, social workers, therapists) are essential to the education of kids.  You simply cannot have one without the other.  The ongoing underfunding of Pasadena Unified teachers and staff has caused teachers to leave for nearby districts like LAUSD, San Marino and Arcadia where the salaries are measurably higher.  As of February 2024 the median listing home price in Los Angeles County was $985,000.  If we really care about children in PUSD, then by definition we must care about the adults who inspire them, challenge them and uplift them every day.  

And do you know why pension employees such as teachers, police officers and other city and state employees receive more for retirement than private employees?  Not only because it’s the right thing to do but it’s also a way to retain employees who aren’t making enough money to survive.  The 401K was a terrible replacement to the pension.  In 1970, 52% of workers had a pension.  Today, fewer than half rely on a defined benefit pension. The rest (who are lucky enough) have the roulette wheel of a 401K that goes up and down in worth, based on the vagaries of the market.

Those 10% “bonus raises” were meant to bring our teachers up to parity with other neighboring districts.  The future of kids and their teachers are linked, and we need to support them fully.  The fact that hedge fund managers take home an average of $13 million dollars and the average annual teacher salary is approximately $80,000 says it all.  Next time publish an article about what we value in society. 

Dr. Denise Robb is an active member of Blair’s PTA and a professor of Political Science.