The teacher's unions really don't come out of this looking very good, do they?

Hang tight. You are going to see a lot of pay voluntary negotiated pay freezes by fall. Also, while the administrators may have a pay freeze, some of their benefits will not freeze. Many have automatic increases built in to their contracts. This is done by 100% insurance coverage, etc. Wait a bit, dig a little deeper.

It's hardly good news or admirable that Rochester school administers have accepted a pay freeze - considering that in mid-2008, Dallemand gave five of his Cabinet raises totalling $150,000. They were making around $90,000 and now they make ~$120,000.

How many other Minnesotans got a 30% raise in 2008??

I, for one, will not be crying the blues for school administers in Rochester.

Fair enough, Brad.

Given the circumstances, one would hope that the teachers union would realize that accepting pay increases while many district families are dealing with pay *cuts* and layoffs is not in their best interests.

Those are good points, Diana. 30% increases in pay are indefensible, and I do agree that it takes a bit of the luster off the altruistic appearance of the pay freezes.

I wish that more administrators would come forward to support an overhaul of teacher compensation. The blue collar trade labor model that EdMN administers may work for unskilled workers, but it is not only unsuited to a supposedly professional vocation, it is patently detrimental to the best interests of students and other district stakeholders.

When it comes to public schools, I am on board with the idea of *Change*, and *Hope*.