april47
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Post by april47 on Jun 17, 2011 6:34:45 GMT -5
It seems that Texas is about to approve a law to decrease the pay of teachers and impose up to 6 days unpaid furlough. A lot of caring intelligent people can't afford to be teachers now so we are trying to chase away some of them who are already teachers??? America's priorities are skewed to favor sports stars and celebrities while we teachers down the toilet again!
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Jun 17, 2011 6:51:32 GMT -5
It seems that Texas is about to approve a law to decrease the pay of teachers and impose up to 6 days unpaid furlough. A lot of caring intelligent people can't afford to be teachers now so we are trying to chase away some of them who are already teachers??? America's priorities are skewed to favor sports stars and celebrities while we teachers down the toilet again! It's unfortunate that the school districts have chosen to do this but I suspect it's based on the reduction in Federal and state aid to schools. That being said, sports stars and celebrities are paid by the profits made by the corporations that they work for, not the tax payer. Unfortunately, most of the teachers that I know(5 in my own family) would greatly benefit from a basic course in Economics. The most elementary of these concepts seems to elude them. Such as the relationship of their pay to the tax payers and local, state and federal government.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 7:00:11 GMT -5
You know what other economic concept applies? The fact that those who are intelligent and competent enough to get better paying jobs, particularly in math and science, and generally with less stress and hassle... will do so... and what will be left, will be worth the decrease in pay and status. Such is the relationship between what you pay for, and what you get....
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Colleenz
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Post by Colleenz on Jun 17, 2011 7:28:07 GMT -5
I would LOVE to teach high school math and science. I am just not interested in the pay.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Jun 17, 2011 7:36:20 GMT -5
When you can get better pay, better benifits (at least ones that don't change with the legislature's whims), better working hours, less stress, and quite possibly a more secure job elsewhere, why would you go into teaching?
Until that sentance is no longer true, the ones who would make the best teachers will go elsewhere.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 17, 2011 7:59:02 GMT -5
A friend of mine WAS a HS science teacher.....under the best of conditions. She did not need the job for either money or benefits, she did it for her love of science and kids. After about 15 years, she finally hung up her chalk - she could not handle it any more.
It wasn't the working conditions but the kids and the parents that drove her away. There's no doubt in my mind that she'd still be teaching this year if the kids and parents hadn't gotten so obnoxious over the last several years. Finally she realized that she did not need to be abused/disrespected like she was. It's really too bad, her students had one of the highest pass rates of the NYS Regents science exams in the state.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 8:07:42 GMT -5
Welcome to our new economic reality. Revenues into state and local accounts fell off a cliff. Since everyone is hurting, raising taxes to fill the entire gap is not viable. Spending has to be reduced and lowering pay for all seems like a better idea than laying off x%. I'd rather take a 10% pay cut over unemployment benefits and job hunting in an overcrowded field
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 9:34:07 GMT -5
I read this quite frequently, but I'm not sure how true it is. Teaching isn't a high paying field to start off with. Raises aren't automatic but require an act of the legislature. They aren't very frequent even in good times. It would take a decade for me to get that 10% back and perhaps longer.
Meanwhile, you are expected to do more, not less, for that 10% pay cut. You may lose six instructional days, but it cannot be allowed to impact student achievement.
Perhaps at my age, I'd take the pay cut and try to hang in there. But that's because I am less than 10 years from retirement. If I was a young teacher, I think I might prefer taking my chances. If I become unemployed, I have three months to find a new career. That doesn't even involve filing for unemployment.
The problem is that society would lose its young teachers as they found more lucrative careers.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2011 9:52:33 GMT -5
When the good teachers retire and only the dregs are willing to go into teaching, then you will get what you pay for.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jun 17, 2011 10:47:44 GMT -5
Another economic principle that applies is supply and demand. There is no shortage of "qualified" candidates (based on the job requisition qualifications) applying for teaching positions at the current salary level. Until there is a shortgage of supply, there is no need to increase the compensation package.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 11:17:08 GMT -5
50% of all teachers already leave the field within the first 5 years... retention will not improve with worse pay and conditions...
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Small Biz Owner
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Post by Small Biz Owner on Jun 17, 2011 11:55:45 GMT -5
Which explains the growth in the private and charter schools. People are willing to pay more for quality education if they can afford to.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 17, 2011 12:15:57 GMT -5
When you can get better pay, better benifits (at least ones that don't change with the legislature's whims), better working hours, less stress, and quite possibly a more secure job elsewhere, why would you go into teaching? Until that sentance is no longer true, the ones who would make the best teachers will go elsewhere. Better working hours? Are you serious?? The teachers get the summer off...I don't think it gets much better than that.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 17, 2011 12:16:36 GMT -5
50% of all teachers already leave the field within the first 5 years... retention will not improve with worse pay and conditions... Not in my area...it is extremely hard to get a teaching position.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Jun 17, 2011 12:18:13 GMT -5
Which explains the growth in the private and charter schools. People are willing to pay more for quality education if they can afford to. Charter schools are free in my area, I thought that was how they all worked.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Jun 17, 2011 12:22:19 GMT -5
When you can get better pay, better benifits (at least ones that don't change with the legislature's whims), better working hours, less stress, and quite possibly a more secure job elsewhere, why would you go into teaching? Until that sentance is no longer true, the ones who would make the best teachers will go elsewhere. Better working hours? Are you serious?? The teachers get the summer off...I don't think it gets much better than that. Yes I was. Summers are filled with pre-registration, registration, required touchy-feely dealing with emotions training, sensitivity training to deal with people who arne't your ethnicity/religion/gender/height/whatever, 'recommended' classwork to keep your cert current, etc. Or you teach summer classes to balance the budget.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 17, 2011 12:24:32 GMT -5
Better working hours? Are you serious?? The teachers get the summer off...I don't think it gets much better than that. Yes I was. Summers are filled with pre-registration, registration, required touchy-feely dealing with emotions training, sensitivity training to deal with people who arne't your ethnicity/religion/gender/height/whatever, 'recommended' classwork to keep your cert current, etc. Or you teach summer classes to balance the budget. Not around here...I have several friends that are teachers and they quite enjoy their summers. They can take classes if they want (which are paid for by the school and then increase their pay) but they don't have to. And I still don't think all of those things that you mentioned come out to 40 hours a week during the summer...you know, what the rest of us work
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Jun 17, 2011 12:28:16 GMT -5
Charter schools are staffed by public school teachers and are free in my school district, too.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Jun 17, 2011 12:28:49 GMT -5
Yes I was. Summers are filled with pre-registration, registration, required touchy-feely dealing with emotions training, sensitivity training to deal with people who arne't your ethnicity/religion/gender/height/whatever, 'recommended' classwork to keep your cert current, etc. Or you teach summer classes to balance the budget. Not around here...I have several friends that are teachers and they quite enjoy their summers. They can take classes if they want (which are paid for by the school and then increase their pay) but they don't have to. And I still don't think all of those things that you mentioned come out to 40 hours a week during the summer...you know, what the rest of us work This is based on my personal experiences. I think I saw my dad TWO weeks every summer, when I got older he was probably only around one. He taught the teachers 'keep your certs' types of seminars, or was at some conference presenting. There were less requirements for my aunt who taught HS engish, so I'll go ahead and guess that she maybe had 4-5 weeks when she was home all week, which isn't much different than what I get at work, but it's paid .
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Jun 17, 2011 12:30:33 GMT -5
Charter schools are staffed by public school teachers and are free in my school district, too. Sometimes there's a hefty "application fee"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 12:38:07 GMT -5
Charter schools ARE public schools.
Most states have continuing ed requirements... so you do have to take some kind of continuing education. My district did reimburse for those... not all do.
I say tequ... if the hours and perks are that great... go thee out and teach....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 12:48:58 GMT -5
Teaching pays $x. It has paid $x for decades. Knowing that, people still choose to do so. I don't see how teachers can complain about pay unless they went into the profession with blinders on.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2011 12:49:13 GMT -5
I don't know anyone who has left the classroom that actually misses it.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2011 12:51:13 GMT -5
I think the issue about the pay has started with the lack of respect that teachers get from students, parents, and admins. Now add to that mix the horrendous other burdens that were once NOT part of a teachers job and you have cranky teachers who feel if they are going to get shit on from all sides, they should make a decent salary. I knew no one who could afford to take the summer off btw. I always worked a summer job.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 12:58:24 GMT -5
I knew no one who could afford to take the summer off btw. I always worked a summer job. I had 2 family members that were teachers - now both retired. They always took summers off. They did both have working spouses though.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2011 13:03:23 GMT -5
That makes a huge difference. I am sure there were married teachers for whom their salaries were "supplemental" income not putting food on the table.
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Mad Dawg Wiccan
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Post by Mad Dawg Wiccan on Jun 17, 2011 13:22:06 GMT -5
Not entirely. Here in Sacramento, they are getting ready to drop millions of taxpayer dollars on a new sports arena while laying off over 100 police officers and firemen. They sure have their priorities straight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2011 13:37:24 GMT -5
I don't miss it.
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rileyoday
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Post by rileyoday on Jun 17, 2011 13:37:38 GMT -5
Here in WV it seems the teachers union spends all their time asking for pay raises and better insurance.
I often said over the years if they put that intensity into demanding the school control and disipline students better thier job would be easier.
They lost control of the classes 20-30 years ago. Bad students and parents run the place.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2011 14:21:14 GMT -5
BINGO!!!!!
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