Posted on 07/22/2010 3:43:42 PM PDT by primeval patriot
More and more Texas teachers are struggling to pay their bills. Just ask the four in 10 teachers – a record number – who moonlighted this year.
~snip~
"It's a shame that so many of our dedicated educators have to struggle with extra jobs to support their families, but they have no choice," said Rita Haecker, president of the state teachers association.
~snip~
The average salary of teachers who were questioned in the study was $50,019 a year, a figure that was up nearly $2,500 from two years earlier. The average classroom experience of those surveyed was 17.7 years.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
I’m underwhelmed. How bout’ you?
March 10, 2010
By DIANE RADO / The Dallas Morning News
More than 100 Dallas teachers are expected to get long-awaited performance bonuses in the next few days, after an appeal by teachers who missed too many school days to qualify for the 2007-08 awards. Teachers argued that the attendance rules were unclear and unfair, persuading a three-member grievance panel – Dallas ISD trustees Lew Blackburn, Adam Medrano and Bruce Parrott – to allow partial or full bonuses for teachers who met all requirements except the 95 percent attendance rate. The Alliance AFT, which filed the grievances, is celebrating the victory, but not everyone is happy.
"The question is, where is the funding coming from?" asked trustee Edwin Flores.
District spokesman Jon Dahlander said bonuses range from $500 to $8,000 for 104 employees and will cost $222,875 if awards are limited to teachers involved in grievances. The money will come from the district's general operating dollars, which could affect already-meager fund balances.
The price tag also could shoot up to at least $2 million if bonuses are extended to teachers who did not file grievances but would be considered eligible for the awards based on the grievance panel's decision, according to all parties involved.
Under a compromise worked out by the panel, otherwise qualifying teachers absent up to 18 days of a school year of 187 working days (at least 90 percent attendance) will receive a full performance bonus. Teachers absent up to 28 days will get 75 percent of their bonus, and up to 37 days, 50 percent of their bonus, according to Alliance-AFT.
DISD is still recovering from a budget crisis that surfaced in 2008-09. Based on a January update for the 2009-10 budget year, the district continues to operate at a small deficit, with expenses exceeding revenues by $1.77 million in general operating accounts. The district ended the 2008-09 budget year with a $22 million deficit...
I’m sorry, I make just a little bit more than that and somehow I own a home, make a car payment and pay for all my bills without having a 2nd job.
People who can't figure out how to live on that need finance counseling stat.
Me? Just under $28,500, and that's the best I've done since 1999.
Considering they only work about 6 months out of the year, they have plenty of time to work multiple jobs.
My sympathy meter ain’t moving on this sob story
my wife who manages a private lodge with the collective net worth of 2 billion makes 36,000 a year. The job requirements are that she is able to cook & serve gourmet food. She does and loves it.
It’s what the job pays. Take it or leave it. you don’t want to teach for 50+? Then go do something else.
Baloney. The rest of us don’t get three months off to sit around all summer. If you have a job, quit griping.
Join the club
Plus a Cadillac health plan (paid 100% for individuals, if it's anything like here in Idaho), dental, vision, paid sick days, vacation days, and three months off every summer and a month at Christmas. Boo-friggin'-hoo!
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Many people will read that, “$50,019 a year” and say screw them.
LoL.
In the private sector, my bonuses often consisted of discount coupons for Six Flags Over Texas or Denny's.
hmmm....$50K/yr, plus mandatory unemployment for 3 summer months, plus all legal holidays off, plus teacher days off, plus sick leave, vacation time and bonuses, and I’m supposed to buy this sob-story?
After reading the article, you see that they include working during the summer as an “extra job” and also teachers who do “after-school tutoring”.
Growing up, I recall pretty much all my teachers discussing their “summer jobs”, when did the norm suddenly become a tragic burden? And the “after-school tutoring” was something they did for free for the kids in their classes who were struggling.
Or free Hindi lessons..
It just shows you know how to live on a budget and manage your own money. No biggie. Apparently these teachers didn;t get the memo...well, some of them do.
When I was in the guard, every teacher in the guard (and there were many in my outfight) volunteered for extra summer camps each summer. Good money for them since most were officers and it was much better than any other summer job they could get.
I wouldn’t characterize any of these guys needing the money to keep their family fed. Most were looking for the extra cash to take their families on vacation, buy a boat, etc.
Six out of ten don’t have to get a second job. What are they doing that the other 40% aren’t doing?
“More and more Texas teachers are struggling to pay their bills. Just ask the four in 10 teachers – a record number – who moonlighted this year.”
AWwww thats SOOOOO sad. For come reason working 9 months a year teaching 2+2 doesn’t make a person rich. Who the heck woulda thunk that.
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