Sorry, as a teacher I disagree. The calender year may show only 190 days...but most private-sector people only work 240 days a year.
The days may work out to be less, but the hours certainly do not, I (and most other teacher’s I know) spend about 12 hours a day between work, planning, and grading.
Trust me we (at least the ones who care) work the same hours every year just in fewer days. The whole time we have to deal with dead-beat parents and incompetent administrators.
I don’t disagree that some teachers are overpaid or a waste of space. However, there are many more who do a lot of work and really are not well compensated compared to the private sector.
Hey Babe! I got news for you. Most of us work 24/7 x 365 paying the morons produced by the public school system and being forced to give them benefits and worker’s comp.
We pay our taxes quarterly and our own benefits. Gov’t jobs are cush compared, try running your own. Everybody deals with a** holes no matter where you go. The populace is getting dumber and dumber as years go by but our property taxes are going through the roof, all to pay for “the education of the Children”. Somebody hand me a barf bag!
We work our asses off so that our kids never have to darken the door of a public Government school.
There are eight public school teachers in my life. Every single one of them sends their children to private or paroichial school.
What does that say?
It’s just the facts.
Then the solution is:
Less bureacracy so that less paperwork is needed
Books that don’t change nearly as often, so less cirriculum planning is needed
More scantron tests
You’ve never held a job that required you to wear a beeper, have you?
Try being beeped 24/7 x 365 days a year. Yes, that’s right, even on vacation. Because when the multimillion dollar computers go down and none of the idiot middle managers back at the office know what to do and heaven forbid some teacher might miss their flight for their latest junket and complain to their congressman, someone has to be there to unscrew things. And guess what? That someone is definitely not making six digits, nor do they have premium health care, or a golden retirement package.
Thank you! So true...and since I spend much of my time undoing all the garbage that liberals have been feeding them about US Gov’t and US History, I am truly earning my keep...and putting in many hours on nights and weekends grading, tutoring, and planning my class sessions.
BTW, I get paid less than a third of what this guy is offering...I’m in my 50s...
Let’s look at this way...who brings more value to our world...a good teacher or a bad lawyer? Now which one gets paid more.
The defense rests.
But they ARE being paid what they are worth.
If they want more money, go to the private sector and earn your worth there.
Sorry, but there are lots of people in the private sector that work 12 hours a day, too, all year long.
Schools have prep periods for teachers to use and I know for a fact that usually the teachers disappear during those periods. One is hard pressed to actually find a teacher in their room using it to plan, grade papers, etc.
Yes, I have to agree with TJ.
Many teachers work 10 hour+ days. And they work through the summer (unpaid) updating websites, preparing lessons, attending conferences, working on curriculum development.
For example, I’m on my way to a help session this afternoon, for my students - on a Sunday. I am not getting paid for this time.
I work 10 to 12 hour days as a teacher - and 1 and a half days on the weekend. I have half a day to do the laundry, bills, and get groceries. That’s it. I never go to a movie on the weekend, during the fall or spring semesters — there is just no time for that “luxury.”
I spend much time (& my own money) outside of the classroom, making up & grading assignments, preparing handouts, copying at Kinko’s (at least $100 a week), updating class websites, emailing students, researching Web sites for future assignments, reading new text drafts for possible adoption, - etc, etc, etc.
I support Merit Pay, not “collective” bargaining and a “blanket increase” in pay, for all teachers. That is absurd.
Some teachers are just awful, they go to class, show a video - have class discussion, and go home. They should NOT be given a “raise” or even a C.O.L.A. (Cost of Living Adjustment, for inflation).
Why teacher unions suggest that “everyone” deserves a pay raise, or even a COLA, is beyond me. It depends on PRODUCTIVITY, which varies greatly from one teacher to another. Again, it’s called... “M E R I T P A Y”!!!
Actually, I know why they want everyone to get a raise — union dues are a percentage of one’s pay. So, the “higher” everyone’s pay is, the bigger the cut for Unions (and the Democrat Party, which basically decides the political causes that teachers’ unions eventually support with the dues).