Streetsmartt: I'm offended that you honestly believe that teachers are only interested in raises. Give me a break. I've taught only 6 years and have never had a raise. I have made my steps which provided a massive 1% increase to my $27,900.00 starting salary. Now that I have my master's degree, I'm making a huge $36,500 this year. Wow. I guess I should give back 10% to the taxpayers. I am definitely making too much to educate their kids. I think I will call up my superintendent and tell him to throw my salary back to $20,000 per year - what teachers made back in the 1980s. Hey....wait....no...I'll tell the BOE to get rid of all of the educated teachers and to hire kids right out of high school. They'll be closer in age to the students, they can party with them, they can facebook together, and gossip about the hideous outfit that the girl sitting across from the hottest boy in the school was wearing. Because we all KNOW that teachers don't really teach. Anyone can teach. That's why kids can't read fluently in elementary school when their parents didn't take the time to read to them as babies. Oh, wait. I guess I can't blame the parents. They are taxpayers. The taxpayer is always right. So fire all of the teachers. Screw it. Let's not have public schools at all. Let's make it pay to attend school just like private schools. If people don't want to pay for school, they shouldn't have to. Since anyone with a pulse can teach, let those people teach their own kids, pass the ACT, OGT, SAT etc. with high scores. Problem solved. No more burden on the hardworking taxpayers....because we all know that they will use their property taxes to pay for private schooling or home schooling....reading to their kids, teaching them math, science, history, and social skills. Streetsmartt - you are on to something. I will give you my entire salary since I am so unworthy of a respectable wage, my education and experience aren't worth anything, and I really don't contribute to anyone or anything in society. By the way: this isn't "whining" it's called IRONY and SARCASM. But you know all about that since your posts about teachers seethe with both.
After reading all of the comments, I feel compelled to respond once again. I used to be employed in the private sector. I am now a teacher. Both occupations have their pros and cons - as is true of all professions. Here is the major difference: public school teachers must teach all students who live in the district......the bright, the special needs, the poor, the rich. Teachers cannot refuse service to a student who doesn't come to school, doesn't do their work, disrupts class, or is disrespectful. In the private sector, one may choose to service a customer or not. If they are impossible to please - sometimes it (the trouble) isn't worth the money. This is not true of public schools. Teaching 150+ students per day who come from a plethora of home lives and learning levels is a challenge for any new or experienced teacher. Teachers teach first and foremost because they want to educate - not because they have summers off etc. Please know this: it is not a "cushy" job. Is it fun? Some days, yes; some days, no. Do teachers love their jobs? Most would say yes. Okay, so what don't they like? What are they complaining about? It comes down to this: for whatever their reasons, the public does not respect the teaching profession. Period. Many in the public think that it is an easy job with great benefits. They believe that the education of their children isn't worth the teacher salaries (low or high). Well, before I became a teacher, I valued education. I believe in education. I want my children to receive a great education. How do you put a dollar value on that? Class sizes continue to increase due to cuts in state and federal funding. Pretty soon, class sizes will be over 35 or 40 students per class period. When your child is in one of those classes, and he/she wants to learn, but there are 15-20 students who don't care about school and don't value their education, what then? The teacher must continually enforce classroom management instead of taking care of the business of education. So, what's the answer? I don't know. I understand the frustration of taxpayers - remember I'm one too. What I do know is that teachers deserve respect if not your tax dollars. Remember, you wouldn't be able to make these posts without a teacher teaching you how to read, write, type, or analyze. As for the comments that teachers are nothing but "whiners" - when you've been beat up on a daily basis, as teachers have been for the past several years, you'd be upset too if your integrity and character were questioned.
People need to remember that not all teachers work in affluent suburban schools. Teachers who work in low income rural or urban communities don't make the "big money" that some of the bloggers seem to believe they do. As a teacher with a master's degree, I barely make $38,000 per year. My health insurance? No dental. Just the basic 80/20. No major perks there. My pension? Where I am employed, the teacher maximum pay is $55K for 18+ years. Oh, and by the way, our school has an "Excellent" rating. So, for those of you who think teachers don't teach and that the parents do all of the work: come visit our school where it is a battle every day dealing with extreme poverty. We still do everything we can to ensure that our students succeed even when their homes don't support learning environments.
In defense of teachers
Streetsmartt:
I'm offended that you honestly believe that teachers are only interested in raises. Give me a break. I've taught only 6 years and have never had a raise. I have made my steps which provided a massive 1% increase to my $27,900.00 starting salary. Now that I have my master's degree, I'm making a huge $36,500 this year. Wow. I guess I should give back 10% to the taxpayers. I am definitely making too much to educate their kids. I think I will call up my superintendent and tell him to throw my salary back to $20,000 per year - what teachers made back in the 1980s. Hey....wait....no...I'll tell the BOE to get rid of all of the educated teachers and to hire kids right out of high school. They'll be closer in age to the students, they can party with them, they can facebook together, and gossip about the hideous outfit that the girl sitting across from the hottest boy in the school was wearing. Because we all KNOW that teachers don't really teach. Anyone can teach. That's why kids can't read fluently in elementary school when their parents didn't take the time to read to them as babies. Oh, wait. I guess I can't blame the parents. They are taxpayers. The taxpayer is always right. So fire all of the teachers. Screw it. Let's not have public schools at all. Let's make it pay to attend school just like private schools. If people don't want to pay for school, they shouldn't have to. Since anyone with a pulse can teach, let those people teach their own kids, pass the ACT, OGT, SAT etc. with high scores. Problem solved. No more burden on the hardworking taxpayers....because we all know that they will use their property taxes to pay for private schooling or home schooling....reading to their kids, teaching them math, science, history, and social skills. Streetsmartt - you are on to something. I will give you my entire salary since I am so unworthy of a respectable wage, my education and experience aren't worth anything, and I really don't contribute to anyone or anything in society.
By the way: this isn't "whining" it's called IRONY and SARCASM. But you know all about that since your posts about teachers seethe with both.
July 11, 2011 at 6:03 p.m. permalink suggest removal
In defense of teachers
After reading all of the comments, I feel compelled to respond once again. I used to be employed in the private sector. I am now a teacher. Both occupations have their pros and cons - as is true of all professions. Here is the major difference: public school teachers must teach all students who live in the district......the bright, the special needs, the poor, the rich. Teachers cannot refuse service to a student who doesn't come to school, doesn't do their work, disrupts class, or is disrespectful. In the private sector, one may choose to service a customer or not. If they are impossible to please - sometimes it (the trouble) isn't worth the money. This is not true of public schools. Teaching 150+ students per day who come from a plethora of home lives and learning levels is a challenge for any new or experienced teacher. Teachers teach first and foremost because they want to educate - not because they have summers off etc. Please know this: it is not a "cushy" job. Is it fun? Some days, yes; some days, no. Do teachers love their jobs? Most would say yes. Okay, so what don't they like? What are they complaining about? It comes down to this: for whatever their reasons, the public does not respect the teaching profession. Period. Many in the public think that it is an easy job with great benefits. They believe that the education of their children isn't worth the teacher salaries (low or high). Well, before I became a teacher, I valued education. I believe in education. I want my children to receive a great education. How do you put a dollar value on that? Class sizes continue to increase due to cuts in state and federal funding. Pretty soon, class sizes will be over 35 or 40 students per class period. When your child is in one of those classes, and he/she wants to learn, but there are 15-20 students who don't care about school and don't value their education, what then? The teacher must continually enforce classroom management instead of taking care of the business of education. So, what's the answer? I don't know. I understand the frustration of taxpayers - remember I'm one too. What I do know is that teachers deserve respect if not your tax dollars. Remember, you wouldn't be able to make these posts without a teacher teaching you how to read, write, type, or analyze. As for the comments that teachers are nothing but "whiners" - when you've been beat up on a daily basis, as teachers have been for the past several years, you'd be upset too if your integrity and character were questioned.
May 25, 2011 at 8:48 p.m. permalink suggest removal
In defense of teachers
People need to remember that not all teachers work in affluent suburban schools. Teachers who work in low income rural or urban communities don't make the "big money" that some of the bloggers seem to believe they do. As a teacher with a master's degree, I barely make $38,000 per year. My health insurance? No dental. Just the basic 80/20. No major perks there. My pension? Where I am employed, the teacher maximum pay is $55K for 18+ years. Oh, and by the way, our school has an "Excellent" rating. So, for those of you who think teachers don't teach and that the parents do all of the work: come visit our school where it is a battle every day dealing with extreme poverty. We still do everything we can to ensure that our students succeed even when their homes don't support learning environments.
May 23, 2011 at 8:27 p.m. permalink suggest removal