Public Education rant

[EweSheep]

I agree teachers ARE underpaid. Do they ever collect unemployment? Probably not.

 

[Avalon1984]

Am I the only one here that has a deep desire to create a private school if I ever become rich? Something that offers great educational opportunities at a decent price for the parents and without burning out teachers. That would be nice.

 

[CluckyJay]

Quote:
It would crash and burn as soon as you started hiring people. LOL

No one can love your kids like you. That is why we homeschool.

We did look into some of the private Christian schools here. If we ever quit homeschooling when Boo is older, we might put him in one. It is just so much fun to homeschool though!

I would love to make that much money for that little amount of work time.

AND have a teacher's helper, too!

 

[Chinchilla2]

Ummm, anyone out there that has to purchase textbooks, try Chegg.com .... they carry an extremely large and diverse assortment of textbooks and, instead of buying, you rent them for a time period and ship them back. Generally they are 1/3 to 1/4 of the purchase price, shipping back to them is included in the rental, and you're not stuck with a book that you only used for a short period of time and have to keep your fingers crossed the bookstore will buy back.

 

[cupman]

Quote:
I went "knee-jerk crazy" 22 years ago and home schooled mine. The peace was amazing! They are now between 20 and 36 and better educated than most of their peers. They also have a firm grasp of their place in God's universe and their rights and responsibilities as Americans. Just sayin'.

Yeah, I bet the peace was amazing. Sheltered kids bring less racket.

 

[WriterofWords]

Those are pretty low salaries for the degrees listed. The total compensation at the right is not what those teachers are paid, it includes the districts part of the insurance, retirements, etc. Now look at the actual salaries and take out of those the retirements, the insurance, etc. and they don't get paid squat. As for only working 180 days a year,, let me tell you about a teacher's year:

1. We go to work at 7am. our day officially ends at 3:30 but then we are in our classroom for a few hours after that planning and grading, and sponsoring after-school activities, meeting with parents who can't be bothered to come to parent teacher meetings during the day, or those who can't come because of work, so we make the time to see them.

2. We are responsible for educating your child, and on the average 25 - 30 others every day for a self-contained class that teaches Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. For the teachers who are in the upper grades? Try an average of 200 to 250 students every day. Do you have any idea how long it takes to grade all those papers? Yeah and I guarantee it's not done during those class hours, it's done on our own time and takes time away from our own families.

3. We are responsible for attending constant trainings and inservice days to keep up on the latest educational trends and tests, we have to constantly update our own education, usually at our own cost too, to make sure your child gets the best education possible.

4. I have to sit and smile pleasantly while you ream me out because your child is failing due to your own laziness and lack of attentiveness in assuring they do their work and behave. I can teach them, I can give them all the notes in the world, but I can't force them to learn, I can't force them to work, and I can't force you to take responsibility; and unfortunately I can't grab you by the neck, drag you over my desk, and forcibly show you how you are damaging your child by not making them take responsibility!

5. I get called on the carpet because 10% of my class did not perform at Proficient or above on the State Board of Assessments, but of course that student not being able to speak English, not having been in class for long, or is a transient student, well that doesn't matter, it's MY fault they didn't pass it. That kid that sits there and stares at me, and plays with their pencil, because they know my hands are tied and no matter what happens it will be my fault? Yeah, it's my fault he failed.

6. My usual summer: Get out June 2 or somewhere near that. I have the first week off, then I have a week of SC2 (Science) training, then a week of MC2 (Math) training, then I have a week of Balanced Literacy (Language Arts) training, by the way? Those are not counted in the 180 days, those are during the summer, but since we are salary, we have to go.

7. We have to watch out for every cut, scrape, or bruise, on a child and then report to CPS what we think might be abuse, and of course when they show up at your house to do a welfare check on your child and make sure they are safe, well I over-stepped my bounds and you will SEE THAT I PAY for it. I'd rather risk it for the safety of your child. When family members die and you are too busy to see to the needs of your grieving child guess who does it during the day, me. When you send your child to school sick because you don't want them at home getting the baby sick guess who has to wipe their nose, send them to nurse and force you to come get them, me. When I hand out letters explaining something is happening in class, field trip, celebrations, days off, etc. and you don't get it until the day before? Maybe you should ask your child why they didn't give it to you the day I handed it out!

8. Who has to take the blame for government entities who take the money away from schools? The teachers. No matter what happens the first solution everyone has is punish the teachers, that will fix it! I am sick and tired of being the whipping boy for everyone who knows nothing about the educational system in the US.

Teachers do not have 180 day years my friend, those are classroom days only, those do not count the inservice, the trainings, the schooling, the after-hours grading and planning, the hours and days and weeks lost with our own families. Teacher's families are special, they know we have more than an 8 hour day invested in our jobs, our jobs never stop. We don't do it for the pay, we do it because we love it, we love your children, we love to see them grown and blossom, we love knowing we are affecting the future of someone and possibly our own country some day.

Are there those who just sit and get a check and don't care? Sure. Just like some of you who go in every day, do your job to the minimum requirements and go home, sure there are teachers just like that. They are few and far between, but I guarantee they get a lot more notice than the rest of us who devote our lives to what we do. Like a told a school board member at a community meeting last week: Happy people don't show up, they don't come and say "Great Job!!", they stay home and stay quiet. The ones who have a problem or an issue? They are the ones who show up and make the noise, they are the ones who demand satisfaction. So when you have a district with 14,500 students, and only 51 parents show up for a meeting, it's a a good sign, it means the rest are happy with the district and the teachers.

I sure wish they would raise their voices too.

180 day year? Sure.

pips&peeps :

This is the salaries of the teachers in my school district. A couple years ago the District was complaining that the teachers were underpaid. Well, I see some part time people with lowere salaries and some teachers aides, but for the most part I see people who work only 180 days a year that are way overpaid.

My daughters special needs teacher's salary is about right on for how many years she has been there and what she has to do compared to regular curriculum based teachers.

http://www.myfreedomfoundation.com/files/pdf/2011teachersalaries-districtse-j.pdf​

 

[Mattemma]

We already pay 5k a year per kid for school tuition,so paying isn't that annoying for us.Though I do say,"Oh for goodness sakes what do they want now." when the kids hand me papers.

I think I MIGHT be ok with it too when it came to public school if they stopped the mentality that public schools are free.They are not..

We used them for a year or 2.We pay through taxes.We pay supply fees.We pay book fees.We pay for band or sports.We pay for trips and parties.We pay and pay. I think paying is OK, they just need to stop claiming public education in America is free because it really isn't.

Adminstration is WAY over paid.Pay the teachers more.Plus we have those retired-rehired who get a pension AND a salary.I say let the young teachers in and stop hiring people who are collecting a pension.And sorry but imo a principal does not need to make 150k a year.That is such a scam on tax payers.

 

[pips&peeps]

Your school may be different, but let me tell you what I know of my school.

I have three kids in the same elem. My oldest and my youngest have had most of the same teachers. The curriculum in a couple classes did not change one bit, and they are four years apart.

Our teachers are not in their classrooms at 7 am. They arrive around 8:00-8:15 and the school is completely dark by 3:30.

Kids grade each others work, in school, during class time. Older kids even grade younger students work. I know this because my children have brought work home that was graded incorrectly because a student marked something wrong that wasn't.

Our teachers get two hours every Monday for continuing education, plus a couple Fridays off during the year. I know this is an absurd plan, but it is what the District decided without imput from the community; because "All the other districts are doing it." I believe the continuing education should be included as a perk for all teachers and time off should be given appropriately for it.

I don't yell at my teachers because my children are learning, they are pretty bright and do all right. I do have a problem with one of the highest paid teachers who has a long (7-8 years) history of being antagonistic and demeaning towards a couple kids in her class each year. Said kids are removed from her class and located to another teacher or schooled online at home for that subject. Yet this woman continues to have a job within the District...

I don't like the fact that my kids have to be taught how to pass a State Assessment test. Not that they know the material, but how to pass it for several weeks every year.

We have no summer programs here.

I feel for teachers, there are alot of rotten parents out there and rotten kids and there are some bad teachers. But the system here needs a bit of an overhaul.

 

[mom'sfolly]

The principal at my school supervises 80 people, she manages the school budget, is responsible for training those people, is there at least 2 evenings every week, is answerable to 650 sets of parents, the district, the school board and the NCLB folks. She manages a 90,000 square foot facility, with 850 students.

You show me a job where someones has those kinds of responsibilities in the private sector, and I'll show you someone who is making $250,000/year.

For those of you who say teachers only work 180 days a year, and can't figure out some simple numbers, let me put it out there.... there are 261 weekdays/year. Most people get at least two weeks vacation, so that is 241 days per year, subtract an average of 10 holidays/year and you get 231. Now for teachers, start with 180 days, add in the 7 or so in service days during the school year, that teachers work, but kids don't, you get 187 days per year, then add in the two weeks before school they work, 197 days/ year. Add in the week after school gets out, and you get 204 days/year. Then add in two weeks of summer work, or ongoing coursework and you get 214 days/year. So what you end up with is an employee, who may work about 3-4 weeks less per year than the average worker (231-214 = 16 = 3 + work weeks). But they also get paid less than the average private sector worker with the same experience and education.

 

[cameron]

pips&peeps :

Your school may be different, but let me tell you what I know of my school.

I have three kids in the same elem. My oldest and my youngest have had most of the same teachers. The curriculum in a couple classes did not change one bit, and they are four years apart.

Our teachers are not in their classrooms at 7 am. They arrive around 8:00-8:15 and the school is completely dark by 3:30.

Kids grade each others work, in school, during class time. Older kids even grade younger students work. I know this because my children have brought work home that was graded incorrectly because a student marked something wrong that wasn't.

Ditto all that.

My biggest complaint about teachers wages is that the highest paid "teacher" is paid what he is based on how well the schools football or basketball team is doing. Most the coaches I ever met are history teachers, but make 3x the amount of another instructor who may teach English or something.​