Posted on 06/17/2006 5:15:15 AM PDT by wintertime
I don't think so. Watching a child with Learning Disabilites gain a sense of pride and belief in themselves is worth it. Not only that, I am still amazed at the whole process of teaching children to read, write, and perform math skills they were not able to do before I started working with them. Please don't think I'm giving myself all the credit, I spend a lot of time praying to God to help me help these children. As a result of those prayers, I have been able to help kids learn the basics they will need to suceed in all other academic fields.
I didn't say your thoughts were inaccurate.
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You bet! Not one thing is inaccurate.
However, I am the one, along with every other taxpayer in the US, that is paying the teachers salary and I am not satisfied with the results for the money paid out. Not only do I get pissed about their salary and the poor job performance that I am paying for in regards to teachers, I get extremely burned about the administrators in schools systems that rip the taxpayer even more than the teachers do. The whole public school system sucks, and I, and every other taxpayer, have a perfect right to complain and to do something about it.
I suggest you invest your money in a company that pays its CEO what it pays a worker. Put your money where your socialist heart is. That is if you really believe your premise.
As a lawyer turned teacher, I would like to address at least one point you make, in that everyone else puts in extra hours. That may be true, but perhaps not to the extent that teacher do.
As a former prosecutor I put in a good days work, and would generally take work home if I was preparing for an upcoming trial, but that was seldom.
This past year as a teacher, I often found myself in my classroom at 5:30 am getting ready for the school day. (School started at 8:20) and often times not leaving until 4:30 or 5:00 pm. Then, go home eat dinner, and grade papers the rest of the night. So on an average day, I might put in anywhere from 15-18 hours. It's worse for coaches.
It has often been said that teachers are nothing more than glorified babysitters. If that's the case, then I would love to have a babysitter's salary. Let's do the math. If a babysitter charges say $3.00 an hour per child, and the average class size is 25 students at 7 hours a day that comes to $535 per day. Teaching 185 days a year, that comes to an annual salary of $97,125, far more than the $32,500 I earned this past year, and that was a Doctorate level salary, not a Masters, or Bachelors. Please pay me like a babysitter.
Or lets look at a daycare. My local daycare charges me $20 a day. So, $20 times 25 students is $500 a day, at 185 days is $92,500. Please, pay me like a daycare.
Are there problems amongst the teaching profession? Sure, but so are there across all professions. Even in the legal professions there are attorneys that have no business practicing law. Bottom line, teachers have a far harder job then you would think. How do I know? I worked harder this past year as a teacher then I ever did as an attorney. I've seen both sides.
But, if a CEO of a poorly run, or even a well run company, makes millions, no one says a word.
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Again......Can you spell: red herring!
But, if a CEO of a poorly run, or even a well run company, makes millions, no one says a word.
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Again......Can you spell: red herring!
The taxpayers don't pay the CEO's salary. CEO compensation is a matter for the shareholders and is no one else's business. I pay teachers' salaries with my property taxes whether I want to or not, and yet have no say in how the money is spent. Nobody makes me invest in Exxon.
Wow, I kinda figured you to be an ass by your initial post.
You have confirmed it.
Or lets look at a daycare. My local daycare charges me $20 a day. So, $20 times 25 students is $500 a day, at 185 days is $92,500. Please, pay me like a daycare.
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Then why fight vouchers?
First, CEO pay is capped by legislation. Most of the notable compensation comes from performance pay....something teachers run away from.
Second, CEO's get fired when they do a bad job. Teachers can molest children and still remain on the payroll while an "investigation" takes place.
Third, CEO's exist at the whim of the stockholders and get thrown out even when times are good.
CEO's make millions of dollars because they are responsible for billions of dollars and the employment of thousands under them. Teachers have no responsibility to anything.
"Why does everyone begrudge teachers, dockworkers, mechanics, autoworkers...."
"Why is it okay for only a few in this country to make exorbitant salaries but the average joe is lambasted for the same ambitions"
Which of the named professions are paid out of taxpayer's coffers?
Personally, I begrudge EVERY dollar of my money taken out of my paycheck by government, and so should you.
If you make your living off of the taxpayer, do not be surprised when the taxpayer complains that you get too much, because it's the taxpayers money in your paycheck.
Nice point. Someone will invoke the "laws of the marketplace."
Still, teachers unions have been good at whining and not delivering results. They factor in salaries inthe lowest-paying states and then compare them to salaries of non-teachers in the highest paying (and cost of living) state.
The question is whether unions (or their CEO equivalent, cliques) help deliver superior performance.
But in other professions, there is accountability. In teaching there is very little accountability because performance is never measured and standards are always discounted.
You said, "Then why fight vouchers?"
Your assuming that I fight against vouchers. You are very WRONG! If anything I am in favor of vouchers. I am all for competition. I am a firm believer that competition breeds excellence.
Don't automatically assume that all public teachers are against vouchers and side with the NEA. To do so, you will only embarras yourself.
Unless the beeper is used by a 15 year old to tell the teacher that mom and dad are out of the house and it is time for a rendevouz!
"My sister in law teaches 10th grade English in southern California and makes $70,000 a year. Not bad."
especially since teachers only work about 8 months out of the year. My wife has been teaching fo 12 years now.
I hope you never need EMS, Fire, or Police services...
It would be a shame to have to be indebted to people whose wages you begrudge.
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