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Moonlighting may be on rise among cash-strapped teachers

Associated Press
March 21, 2010
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The state teachers union says Indiana teachers are moonlighting as tennis coaches, tutors and camp counselors at an increasing rate as districts freeze salaries and take other steps to cut costs.

Nate Schnellenberger, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, said the group has seen a jump in the number of teachers taking second jobs in the past three years and says budget cuts and the recession may be driving the increase.

Indiana teachers earned an average of $49,569 last year, but those just starting out can make $30,000 or less. That can make raising a family or paying a mortgage difficult, education officials said.

Many teachers have traditionally gotten summer jobs, but other employment during the school year is becoming more common.

Katie Hoffmann, a sixth-grade language arts teacher, spends part of her weekend waiting tables.

She said the waitressing job helps her financially and that she doesn't mind doing double duty. The single homeowner said she knew going into teaching that she'd need another way to supplement her income.

"I work a second job so that I can have a life," she said.

Sonny Moore, a fourth-grade extended learning teacher at Center Grove Elementary School, moonlights for a company that trains schools in staff development and tutors occasionally.

He said people don't go into teaching to get rich.

"I absolutely love my job," he said.

Teacher Beth Heavin earns extra money supervising after-school detentions and evening schools. She also is an assistant tennis coach and works as a private tutor.

She routinely puts in 12-hour days but says it's an economic necessity.

"We're all looking for the pennies that will get us to a better time," Heavin said.
 

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  1. First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.

  2. I recall that MSA's pilings are still in the ground and hard to remove. It’s not likely any proposal will include significant underground construction/parking because of this. Start adding 2 floors of retail, 8 floors of parking and 5-10 floors of possible hotel, and/or 10-20 floors of residential, and you are at 30 floors already with possible expansion of all the uses. But then again I could be wrong.

  3. Accoriding to their website there is no deadline to the Do Not Call list. What is this article referring to??

  4. On what planet are they entitled to this largesse from the stockholders? These people make multi-million dollar salaries: Pay for your own personal travel.

  5. It matters because they're already paid enormously fat salaries: Pay for your own personal travel. Being "taxed on it" isn't a valid excuse--so what? They're still being gifted a raft of luxury perks from somebody else's money on top of an enormous, lavish salary.

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