East Providence budget, going bankrupt. Teachers up in arms. (loan, how much)

[1979]

Did anyone catch the new coverage of the meeting regarding the East Providence teachers taking a slight pay cut, and being asked to pay a portion of their health benefits? Apparently, they had teachers and union officials stacked in that audience from all over the state, there was so much mehem they had to adjurn the meeting. Amazing! This is trully, the difference represented between being a "state worker" and working in the private sector. State workers can't be satisfied just being able to "go to work" in this current economy. The state has something like a 450M defecit and the state workers can't understand it?? Let them get the money from somewhere else? Such as, raise the property taxes 300%, afterall, they don't care, when many of them retire in their forties or fifties most move out of state anyways...afterall, RI is too expensive. Pensions and big pay are what's killing this state.

[Signora]

This has been an issue for a while. Is there anyone besides teachers who doesn't have to participate in their health care? We have been co-paying up the wazoo....I have friends who are teachers in RI and this is just something we do not see eye to eye on. Hard times call for sacrifice from everyone involved. Most of my friends who live and work in RI DO NOT get the kind of vacation perks that teachers do AND participate in their health care. Of course education is important... but so is being able to afford a place to live and to eat....

[wxjay]

I saw the snippets of the videos from the meeting. As a former East Providence resident and a graduate of the East Providence school system (Class of 1998), I was disgusted.

[Hollytree]

Part of the problem is the teachers unwilling to make concessions even they they could well be considered overpaid for the results they get in terms of the students.

The other part of the problem is the Americans with Disabilities Act and all the parents who had their kid declared "special needs" whether they were or not- anyone who works in education knows how abused this has been!

Read this link if you're interested:
School Superintendent Suggests Ideas for Relief on Special- Education Costs - Education - redOrbit

[christen31]

R U Kidding me?? You think teachers have an easy job because they get summers off? They don't get summers off! They get the same amount of vacation that anyone else does with vacation benefits. Just because the kids aren't there doesn't mean they aren't working! They are planning for the next group of kids with the next group of learning challenges. They are planning their curriculum, cleaning and organizing their classroom materials, reviewing data, and attending mandatory professional development in order to keep their licenses! They work for a salary that is contingent upon the degree they hold. And then they have to pay thousands of dollars to advance their degree only to have to use the slight pay raise to pay off the college loan debt. They work day and night...they are on call like doctors. And they deserve their benefits. I thought people in the South were ignorant...know what your talking about before you speak.....

[lrfox]

^Where did anyone say teachers have an easy job? Given the number of hours they work, yeah, some teachers COULD be considered overpayed.

Almost anyone with a college degree spends time "planning" and doing work outside of their office, I don't know why teachers feel that they are the exception when it comes to that. Most places also require "professional training and development" seminars, etc in order to keep employees up to date so teachers aren't alone there either.

I'm not trying to downplay what teachers do and how hard they work. They have a tough job, and it takes dedication to be a teacher, but could one argue that teachers are overpayed? Sure.

[ThosewhoKnow]

From what I have seen over the many years my kids have gone to school, teachers are way over paid. With the short days and numorous vacation days, summers off, snow days, etc. their salaries should be reduced significantly, let alone lucrative pensions and healthcare. Do not listen to their bullcrap, they are crying the blues and praising themselves, anyone who is halfway intelligent can step right in and do their job with a little education, yes thats right, you do not need more degrees than a thermometer, most likely subsidized by the municipalities. Its about time they get off of their high horse and get paid/benefits according to their cushy jobs. I think they actually beleive that are more intelligent than non-teachers, what a joke.

[ThosewhoKnow]

Originally Posted by lrfox

^Where did anyone say teachers have an easy job? Given the number of hours they work, yeah, some teachers COULD be considered overpayed.

Almost anyone with a college degree spends time "planning" and doing work outside of their office, I don't know why teachers feel that they are the exception when it comes to that. Most places also require "professional training and development" seminars, etc in order to keep employees up to date so teachers aren't alone there either.

I'm not trying to downplay what teachers do and how hard they work. They have a tough job, and it takes dedication to be a teacher, but could one argue that teachers are overpayed? Sure.

I agree with your post for the most part, but regarding the "dedication", thats where it becomes clouded. Most open the text book, throw some scratch on the board and call this teaching. I couldnt begin to tell you how much time I have spent actually TEACHING my kids mathematics , it is very obvious that these over paid sponges are not exactly dedicated. Not to mention the emotions the student have to be exposed to, Ive personally witnessed a lot of female as well as male teachers acting like out of control menepausal biatches.

[ThosewhoKnow]

Originally Posted by christen31

R U Kidding me?? You think teachers have an easy job because they get summers off? They don't get summers off! They get the same amount of vacation that anyone else does with vacation benefits. Just because the kids aren't there doesn't mean they aren't working! They are planning for the next group of kids with the next group of learning challenges. They are planning their curriculum, cleaning and organizing their classroom materials, reviewing data, and attending mandatory professional development in order to keep their licenses! They work for a salary that is contingent upon the degree they hold. And then they have to pay thousands of dollars to advance their degree only to have to use the slight pay raise to pay off the college loan debt. They work day and night...they are on call like doctors. And they deserve their benefits. I thought people in the South were ignorant...know what your talking about before you speak.....

Wow, just like doctors huh? lmao, save the bull please, we are onto you.

[wxjay]

Teachers are on call like doctors? OK, that's a bit much.

I know teachers currently and previously in the EP school system. Trust me, when they leave their office, they are NOT taking house calls for homework questions.