[ale] Palladium/MS: ideas for retaliation - WAY OT now!!!

[Greg]

I have known 2 teachers extremely well. One was up until 1-2 am grading
papers on a nightly basis and one figured out that if you don't give a lot
of homework, then the teacher doesn't have a lot of homework, and what she
does she can do in her "free period" at work.  One spent her summer getting
certified & taking courses the other spent her summer beside the pool and
doing private tutoring (for good $$) for 2 summer months, spent the 1 week
of spring break in France and the 2 week Xmas vacation chillin' - for a
total of 12 weeks ~ 3 months.  I have never seen a company give anyone off
for 3 months.  The other spent her 12 weeks and her $$$ on courses.  What a
difference.

In many systems the teachers cannot be removed until they commit a felony
and go to prison, in others a newbie teacher who did not give up $$ for the
NEA union got bad reviews and no contract.  What a difference.

The screech you hear is me steering this to a fact of life - in education
just as in the private and public sector there is a wide difference between
those that work like the devil and get little and those that skate and make
it easy.  What a difference.

As it would not change anything I refrain from any other comments, though I
would like it if, considering I have no kids, not to be taxed mightily on my
property for money to be spent on those who do have kids, though I suppose
if I had a large family (family > 12)  it would be a bargain ... again,
What a difference.

Greg Canter

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Geoffrey [mailto:esoteric at 3times25.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 11:47 PM
> To: Jonathan Rickman
> Cc: ale at ale.org
> Subject: Re: [ale] Palladium/MS: ideas for retaliation - WAY OT now!!!
>
>
> Jonathan Rickman wrote:
> > I'll risk the flames and state my opinion on teacher salaries.
>
> Bring it on.
>
> > In Stephens County, the average teacher salary is in the 40s.
>
> Show me the evidence.  Cobb County, where my wife teaches, is one of the
> better paid counties for teachers in Georgia.  Pay is based on education
> and time, my wife has over 15 years teaching experience, does not
> make 40k.
>
> Secondly, ever wonder where all those nice things teachers put on the
> walls come from?  Not from the county or school.  Anything the teacher
> adorns there classroom with comes out of their pocket.  I quit keeping
> track of it. Bulletin board sets cost anywhere from $10-20. You'll find
> anywhere from 15-30 in a single classroom at one time. Oh yeah, they
> don't stay up all year, most teachers cycle them monthly.  I've
> purchased over 30 reems of paper for my wife to use in the classroom.
> Why, because when it's gone it's gone.  You make do.  Well you're still
> expected to do the job, so you buy it yourself.  Ask me how many times
> I've been to School Box to laminate posters and such.  Why, cause you'd
> like to use the stuff more then one time. And they don't do that for free.
>
> > The average income countywide is only in the high 20s.
>
> Yeah, and how many of those folks have a 4 year degree?  And how many
> have to put up with students who spit on them, or swear at them, or
> parents that do the same?  I challenge you, anyone, spend the day with
> 25 children.  Choose the age, I don't care.  Yeah, it's a walk in
> the park.
>
> > The teachers work 9 months in a year.
>
> This is the biggest misconception out there. My wife's last day of
> required attendance at school this year was May 29th.  She start's back
> August 5th.  You do the Math.  How many days do they get off during the
> school year?  If you take into account my paid time off with my company,
> I get maybe two weeks less then she does for the summer.  Like to go
> skiing in January?  Forget it, a teacher can't take a week off then.
> They get very few actual personal days to take during the school year.
> I don't recall the exact number, but it's not a week I assure you.
>
> My wife must be in the classroom by 7:00.  She must stay until 3:30.
> She NEVER leaves before 5:00.  She comes home and will spend anywhere
> from 2-4 hours EVERY night grading papers, creating handouts, creating
> tests, researching for such items.  Again, you do the Math.
>
> My wife changed grades, hence classrooms this year.  So guess who moves
> her stuff?  Fortunately, three other teachers offered to assist.  I've
> spent three days of my time helping her pack/unpack boxes, hang things
> in her room, re-arrange furniture in her room.  She changed Cobb County
> Schools about 5 years ago.  Another teacher changed with her.  Her
> husband and I rented a U-haul, loaded all there stuff at one school and
> moved it to the new school.  I've been moved by my company twice, I had
> to box my stuff up, but when I got to my new location, there were all my
> boxes.
>
> So, what does she do in her leisure time all summer?  Sits at the pool
> right?  Wrong, she's busy making posters and researching for next year.
>
> > Everyone else works 12. As you can imagine, the local citizens aren't
> > playing any violins or shedding tears over teacher salary woes. They're
> > too busy struggling to pay their inflated property taxes so the teachers
> > can make twice as much as they do. I'm not in this position, as I have
> > been blessed and do fairly well, but I have friends who struggle to make
> > ends meet every day. That being said, teachers do not
> automatically garner
> > sympathy from me just because they are teachers.
>
> Again, I'd challenge you to verify your numbers.  Where'd you get your
> teacher salary info?  You need to spend 9 months in a teachers shoes, or
> just marry one.  Hell, spend one bloody day with one.  24 hours, see how
> much time they REALLY put in.
>
> Grant it, not all teachers give it what my wife does.  She's got a web
> site that's updated weekly.  Yeah, she has help.  She goes above and
> beyond, doing things like the MayaQuest Internet program. She's done it
> for the past 5 years, writes a grant request every year.  You think she
> get's paid for the time she spends doing that?
>
> I've got news for you, teachers work harder then you or I ever thought
> about.  They get less thanks and plenty of bitching.  Every parent acts
> like it's a one-on-one thing rather then 25-1.
>
> You've heard the saying, don't talk bad about a farmer with your mouth
> full?  How'd you get where you are today?
>
> I've got to tell you, I respect you a lot for your knowledge and
> postings to the list, but this kind of attitude makes me want to puke.
> You have no idea what a teacher goes through, and it's only gotten
> worse.  Parents no longer raise children.  They expect the schools and
> summer camps to do that.  Yeah, we're all putting in long hours, but
> don't bad mouth teachers until you know the whole story.
>
> --
> Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net
>
> I didn't have to buy my radio from a specific company to listen
> to FM, why doesn't that apply to the Internet (anymore...)?
>
>
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>
>


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