Teaching in Wisconsin? (Madison: insurance, home, layoffs)

[handyfolks]

I am a teacher in California looking to move my family out of this state. I am wondering how the teaching "environment" is in your area. By this I mean jobs outlook, state-wide layoffs, salaries, cost of living, etc.
I am married with two children, ages 10 and 7 so a family-oriented atmosphere is important. I'd like to be in a place where community is important.

Thanks

[MaseMan]

Wow...I think you should look into the recent collective bargaining debate to get a feel on the current attitudes toward public education in this state.

[handyfolks]

I understand the debate that has hit the news. In California a lot is in the news, but overshadows reality at times. Different areas, especially away from the metro areas, are often a different case.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by MaseMan

Wow...I think you should look into the recent collective bargaining debate to get a feel on the current attitudes toward public education in this state.

Yeah because paying for your pension and your healthcare is so terrible and actually working a 8 hour day is worth protesting just ask the green bay teachers who are asked to work an 8 hour day. Everyone loves and respects and honors teachers for what they do but we lose those feelings when they act like this..
‪Fox Reporter Gets Berated With "FOX Lies" In Wisconsin Protests‬‏ - YouTube

Yes this guy teaches in the hartland school district, what a great example he is setting for his children.

[Hotbug]

Originally Posted by handyfolks

I am a teacher in California looking to move my family out of this state.

I will assume then you are a government unionist teaching at a government (public) school in CA.

Therefore, why not just take a year off and go check out different areas/states? You can do that, then if you change your mind, you can return to the government (public) school your union runs and get your old job back, same seniority, etc.

take a year long vacation and see the options you have.

[nonexpat]

Take a chill pill Hotbug. Every post you do has some hatred in it. Most teachers got into the business because they care about kids. You make it sound like they all want to get rich. Are you a street cleaner or something? I'd hardly call 40k a huge salary for somebody with a college education and such an important job. I care about my kids' education and hope that their teachers are fairly compensated for a very important and difficult job.

[handyfolks]

Wow, way to make assumptions Hotbug. Yes, I teach at a public school. I need to feed my family. We believe in having a mom home when the kids are home and having insurance. I would work at a non-public school if I could afford it. I can't. I am a conservative to the bone and that is why I want out of California. I would never leave my district in the lurch by taking a leave. In fact when that topic came up a few years back by some teachers at my school, I fought it, saying it was a joke and no other jobs allow it, why should we have it. I'm not one for wanting everything given to me. I prefer to work for it. I worked in the business world for quite awhile before teaching. I know that teachers can be a whining profession and I wish they would stop. If you want to be treated professionally, act it. I could go on and on, but I'' leave it at that. I just wanted Hotbug to realize that assumptions can lead to incorrect inferences. Think before you speak.
===== .

Originally Posted by Hotbug

I will assume then you are a government unionist teaching at a government (public) school in CA.

Therefore, why not just take a year off and go check out different areas/states? You can do that, then if you change your mind, you can return to the government (public) school your union runs and get your old job back, same seniority, etc.

take a year long vacation and see the options you have.

[Hotbug]

Originally Posted by nonexpat

Take a chill pill Hotbug.

Not any emotion here--just facts.

Every post you do has some hatred in it.

Because someone proclaims something, attributes an emotion to someone else, it doesn't mean it's true.

I'd hardly call 40k a huge salary for somebody with a college education

You must not be very well versed in the real world as there are a lot of people with college degrees that don't make 40K/yr, much less get summers off, be able to take a year off and come back as if nothing happened, but the greatest of all, get the government union exorbitant health care and retirement packages.

$100 deductible? Vested in the bennies as soon as they are hired?

such an important job.

apparently not important enough to keep them from walking out on the 'children', free food programs and all, in an effort to protect their dream job hours, protection, health care and retirement package.

But being honest, most people would do the same as the teachers would as by using 'children' to protect their gravy lifestyle and secure retirement. It just happened to take place in madison this time.

[Hotbug]

Originally Posted by handyfolks

Wow, way to make assumptions Hotbug.

OK then, I may be wrong, but I'm going off california government teachers.

Yes, I teach at a public school.

well, not wrong so far.

I need to feed my family.

So does every person that has a family and even 'children'.

We believe in having a mom home when the kids are home and having insurance.

Then, you are living the dream of pretty much 80% of parents in this country. Nothing new here, nothing special. Well, the health care and retirement packages that taxpayers are forced to pay for for teachers (and their families) are pretty special. Only CEOs of "rich corporations" get such gravy train golden parachute packages. Not working families, much less working individuals.

I would work at a non-public school if I could afford it.

thank you for stating what is obvious to all--almost every government school employee first takes that position so they can avail themselves of the lavish time off, wonderful environment, unfireable, and as stated, a health care and retirement package to truly worship.
In madison it's like that, just as california, just as in new york etc.
BTW, my mother was a madison teacher.

I am a conservative to the bone and that is why I want out of California. I would never leave my district in the lurch by taking a leave.

That's your problem. You are 'conservative', so you care (dime a dozen) but also you put other things first, before you. My neighbor was a CA teacher and he did take a year off. He'd talk about how great the ESL (spanish teaching) was in california, but wondered how it was paid for. I laughed when I reminded him of how he could walk away from his job for a year, then come back and pick up as if nothing happened. He was a christian guy, pure in heart, but truly a doe int he woods when it came to the hardball, face bashing militancy of government unions.

this is why you should check out madison during these "pro government unionist benefit package" protests. Walk up there and you will see what I"m talking about if you don't already know. But if you're not one of the government unionists or their backers, don't bring your children.

Madison ain't so special after all....

[Empidonax]

Hi Handyfolks,

As you can see, there's a lot of jealousy, bitterness, and resentment from all sides. If you had introduced yourself as an entrepreneur with a desire for community and a need to feed children, Hotbug might not have given you such a hostile reception. But in many ways, that is what Wisconsin is like now: the political and social atmosphere in Wisconsin has become more toxic than ever. Many people find fault with public employees, and particularly teachers, as if they were all greedy and lazy vacationers; other people see businessmen and private-industry leaders as money-hungry and tax-evading leeches who seek special privileges. These tensions have been around for decades, but the recent fallout mirrors a lot of what is going on at the national level. Wisconsin is in many ways a nice place to live, but I would advise against coming here to teach in the public schools--not so much because of the end of collective bargaining and the upcoming paycuts, but more because of the anti-education and anti-intellectual mentality that seems to be on the rise. But this is not to minimize the impact of looming pay cuts now and well into the future: the current government is very good at reducing spending (thus putting many jobs at risk for new teachers), but the jury is out on its effectiveness in fostering business growth to make up for the cuts. My guess is that if Wisconsin's business climate has a resurgence, it will take 10-20 years to do so. But given the advantages and competition from other states and countries, and the general decline of the US, I'm not optimistic. If you're basically conservative but still want a teaching job in a state that has promise, and if you want a reasonable chance of keeping your job and even getting a raise once in a while, I would look elsewhere.