[colleeng47]

I have heard/read some disparaging remarks about the educational system in OK. This week, I spent four days in a seminar entitled "Teaching with Primary Sources" conducted by the Library of Congress. This was a seminar for teachers of History, Social Studies and Media. There were 28 teachers at this seminar.

I managed to meet, talk, and listen, to 28 phenomenal Oklahoma teachers. Some were from Tulsa, some from OKC, Edmond, Moore, and other outlying areas. These men and women were dedicated, enthusiastic and generally awesome. The lesson plans they came up with at the end of the seminar were no less than spectacular. If this is a sample of educators in Oklahoma, we are doing fine by our students.

Also, as an aside, this was funded by the Library of Congress, and included lunch, but EVERYTHING else was paid for by the individual teachers, travel, hotel, meals, etc. And since it's summer time, they were not paid for their time.

We need to be very proud of our OK teachers!!!

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

I have heard/read some disparaging remarks about the educational system in OK. This week, I spent four days in a seminar entitled "Teaching with Primary Sources" conducted by the Library of Congress. This was a seminar for teachers of History, Social Studies and Media. There were 28 teachers at this seminar.

I managed to meet, talk, and listen, to 28 phenomenal Oklahoma teachers. Some were from Tulsa, some from OKC, Edmond, Moore, and other outlying areas. These men and women were dedicated, enthusiastic and generally awesome. The lesson plans they came up with at the end of the seminar were no less than spectacular. If this is a sample of educators in Oklahoma, we are doing fine by our students.

Also, as an aside, this was funded by the Library of Congress, and included lunch, but EVERYTHING else was paid for by the individual teachers, travel, hotel, meals, etc. And since it's summer time, they were not paid for their time.

We need to be very proud of our OK teachers!!!

Excellent post, Colleen.

You confirm what us Okies have known all along: that our state is filled with dedicated teachers that seek to provide the highest educational services to our students.

Oklahoma teachers are dispelling the myth that we're all toothless hicks around here....well, in my case I might be "slightly" toothless, but I'm educated nonetheless.

[StillwaterTownie]

Then why is the state so reluctant to pay teachers more? Because they don't work during the summer?

[Jammie]

U guys got skools down their? now i no y i like yore state

Stillwater, it's kind of the same situation all over. I just don't think there's enough money to pay them what they're worth. At least they do get good benies and really do get a good amount of time off compared to many professions. There's just not a good answer to your question except lack of funds, I guess.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Then why is the state so reluctant to pay teachers more?

Because to pay teachers more they will have to raise ad valorum taxes, and Oklahoma, like a lot of red states refuse to pay people what they are worth and thus shortchange society at large.

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Because they don't work during the summer?

Who says they don't work? Just because they aren't in a class room doesn't mean they aren't attending conferences where they can improve their skills, or taking classes so they can be better educated themselves, or they don't go in to the classroom and "fix things up" so the kids have a pleasant environment when school starts. And don't forget all the unpaid time they put in. When an English teacher or history assigns an essay, they have to read and grade 150 of them within a few days. You think they get that done during their planning period or during their evenings and weekends? How about the math teachers or science teachers grading papers, tests, individualizing (complete with an instruction matrix) lessons so it can be related to by the various types of learning. Never mind the teacher who buys paper for the copy machine out of their own pocket, or has spare pencils and pens (at their own expense) for those students that don't have one or can't afford one.

But god forbid we raise the mill rate a fraction of a cent so they can pay a decent wage to the people we entrust our kids and our societies future to........

[Boxcar Overkill]

Although a lot of people don't like it, we are a capitalist country. That means wages are set by labor supply and demand. Accordingly, the fact that Oklahoma has an over-supply of great teachers is the exact reason they don't get paid more.

And really, the teachers unions is why they get so much time off in the summer... and to save money on electricity. But its not in the best interest of the students.

[StillwaterTownie]

Then why do teachers stay in Okahoma if they can be paid higher elsewhere? Do they simply figure the higher pay would only get canceled out by the higher cost of living most any where else they look?

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Then why do teachers stay in Okahoma if they can be paid higher elsewhere? Do they simply figure the higher pay would only get canceled out by the higher cost of living most any where else they look?

Better pay does not necessitate a better way of life.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Then why do teachers stay in Okahoma if they can be paid higher elsewhere? Do they simply figure the higher pay would only get canceled out by the higher cost of living most any where else they look?

It's relative. They may be paid more elsewhere, but the cost of living will be higher, too. No teachers anywhere are paid what they are really worth. Of most of the teachers I'ive known, they mostly don't get a really decent wage until they are ready to retire.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Better pay does not necessitate a better way of life.

OMG Bass, we've found something that we agree on!

OK doesn't come in last place for teacher's pay. Some states~like my own, for intance~just aren't high wage states and very few people are paid what they are actually worth. But who's to say what amount would actually be a fair wage anyway?

Granite is right. Many educators do spend SOME of their summers in class and others continually take classes in hopes of getting their master's which will give them a higher wage. But others do very little in the summertime. I know one gal who made the comment, "We're not going to the school board meeting. We'll be gone. Summer is for graduations and weddings and vacations." Well, it doesn't work that way for everyone.

It's just such a delicate subject and quite a problem. They do deserve more, but how can you raise taxes on someone who is making 7.25 per hour in order to pay educators a higher wage? Back to their benies~there are many people who could only dream of getting many of the benefits that teachers receive. That means a lot, too. I've known teachers who have left their profession and aren't too happy about having to work fulltime for 50 weeks per year. Most of the ones that I have known are actually quite happy with their chosen profession. Administration and their practices frustrate them more then the wages or anything else about their jobs.

My guess is that the teachers who are living in the high-wage states don't come out any further ahead then the ones in OK or SD. Their high cost of living eats up the difference.