One sore point with teachers is the cast forward method that many school districts use to calculate the lowest QEO figure possible. The school board takes a snapshot of all the teachers and public school employees in a district on April 1, and assumes that all employees will remain in the district throughout the year. Cast forwarding doesn t take into account money saved when a veteran teacher retires and is replaced by a new teacher earning half as much. Calouette calls it a calculated error. It s also a benefits issue, he said.
Most outgoing teachers are married and have families on a family health plan.
Most incoming new teachers are single so the cost of their benefits is significantly less. It s a huge number that doesn t get costed. Moore said the QEO isn t going to drive him from a school and a profession that he loves, but now he ll ask to be paid for activities he would have otherwise done for free. I didn t get into teaching for money in the first place, he said. That s the toughest thing.