spanky wrote:
*Some here know my real name. Look up my salary - it's public record. This is my 15th year and I've got an MA. Take out taxes, take out over $270 per check that goes to my pension whether I want it to or not. Oh yeah, the pension I will never ever see thanks to the state not doing their part. I'm nowhere near the figures that are being thrown out here. And take out my union dues which I'm required to pay (we don't get a choice on that either).
*When people talk about "average salaries", those numbers are skewed to the high end because every $ a teacher makes is included. Therefore, a veteran teacher with a masters, who coaches a couple sports (gonna guess the public league hoops coaches make a good amount?) and then agree to cover the lunchroom in exchange for more $$$, etc. It adds up fast. They skew the numbers.
*Hatchetman clearly had a bad experience himself in school. Most likely in HS. Sorry about that. It's unfortunate, but it does happen. 312player is simply an ignorant attention whore, and I congratulate everyone on doing an admirable job ignoring him so far.
*When I graduated from NIU, every person I knew in other fields made more than I did. More than any other teacher I knew that was starting with me - with the exception of 1 person who was a graphic design major. That's it. Teachers go into teaching because that's what they have a passion for, one way or another. Anyone who says different is ignorant of the realities. Over time, many become bitter and jaded and the passion leaves. But it's there at some point, or they wouldn't do it in the first place.
*RPB has blurred the lines between daily schedules and "having summers off". Yes, keep repeating the summers off thing - you're really breaking ground. "Summers off" are two months for almost all teachers: mid-June to mid August, give or take. Again, teachers make less than most other degreed professions, especially in the first 15-20 years - therefore the "9 month schedule". Most teachers take 2nd jobs, sometimes via coaching/tutoring/etc, or just in other areas. I understand that they have the time to do that, but just realize that teachers get paid 75% of what a lot of other professions make. However, in this specific case, if the agreement has always been "teachers will get paid X-amount of $$$ for a certain work week" then I don't see how it's unreasonable that the teachers want a significant raise to work......25% more? Along those lines, has anyone actually seen how this supposed 16% raise comes about? I've seen 4 year breakdowns that usually look some like 2%, 2%, 3%, 3%. Or something similar. That's......not 16%?
*I may have misread this, but RPB are you saying you work 80-hr weeks in your single job, therefore no teacher works that long? (or something like that) I'm gonna throw the flag on that. I don't know the exact details of your main job, but this simply cannot be true. 80 hours a week?
*Not to start a "class-war", but there is also a HUGE difference between a typical day for a K-5 teacher and a HS teacher. HS teachers should not be paid a higher amount of $$ than a K-5 teacher, but usually they are. A lot of a typical HS teachers "work day" includes multiple prep periods or possibly mandatory "coverage" of something like a study hall, cafeteria, etc. Not saying that's easy but it's not the same as what a primary-grade teacher is dealing with on a daily basis. I'l piggy back on something that was said before: I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us would not survive a week at being a quality 1st grade teacher. I would struggle mightily.
*I'm not a gym teacher. Nothing against PE teachers, but that's not me.
*Go Bears.
edit:
*The mayor throwing himself in the middle of this is causing way, way more problems for both sides. There is no good reason for the teachers, the schools, or the board that he did that.
Ive pretty much stayed out of this thread primarily because its a no win situation. There are always going to be those who think profession X makes too much money, has too much time off , isnt worth what theyre being paid ( full disclosure, that is pretty much my stance on professional athletes) and any argument I can make isnt going to sway anyone's opinion to my point of view anyway, nor would the reverse be true. Spanky, Nas, dolphin have pretty much encapsulated the way I feel about this issue to a large degree. All I can say is having seen up close and personal every day for the last 7 years what a teacher has to do to be ready to go into a classroom everyday ( at least the ones that give a shit about doing a good job do) I wouldn't nor could I do that job for any amount of time, summers off, tenure , good pension be damned. My 2 pennies.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
