Are teachers in California

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by Woody01

Sure you did.....that explains why Teacher's Unions give 93% of their campaign donations to the Democrats...
https://www.unionfacts.com/article/political-money/

Did you notice that in the SAME PARAGRAPH it was stated that only 41% of teachers are Democrats. Most assuredly a huge percentage of those who climb the ranks into Union leadership are Democrats and have the authority to spend Union dues as THEY choose rather than how members would choose.

VOTE THEM OUT, some will suggest. Unfortunately, those waiting in the wings for the jobs ALL tend to be Democrats.

Giving all of teacher's political funds to Democrats doesn't even work well for teachers because Democratic candidates don't need to do anything for teachers to get that money, and Republicans don't offer teachers any perks, knowing the Union money will flow to Dems.

Individually, we all vote as we choose since the Union can't force us to vote the way they do. It's an unfair situation, but leaving the Union is a difficult choice since they do provide Legal Assistance, if needed, among other services.

[LJS1993]

Originally Posted by V8 Vega

Teachers here have one goal and one goal only. Reliable, lifetime Democrat party voters.

Thirteen year instructor right here and registered Republican.

[LJS1993]

Originally Posted by hello2020

Allowed to say that they have too many kids in class (30) and for that reason teach only 4 days a week (and have a sub teach the 5th day)?
Where can I check if this thing is OK?

In my thirteen years as a public school instructor I have never heard of that occurring. In fact thirty isn't really too many students in one class. I have had up to forty five in one class during the pink slip era several years ago.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by hello2020

Allowed to say that they have too many kids in class (30) and for that reason teach only 4 days a week (and have a sub teach the 5th day)?
Where can I check if this thing is OK?

Teachers used to have up to 32 kids per class, They often had a student teacher help out a couple says a week for a few hours. Otherwise they handled the size pretty well. Now it seems they can't cope with more than about 20 or 25. Makes no sense to me.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

All my friends who are/were teachers are Republicans. Your post makes no sense p

That is amazing: the only friends we ever knew that were Republicans retired early or got out of teaching very early. Oh maybe a few exceptions but generally teachers are anything but Republicans as I see it. The post makes good sense to me. If what you are saying explain so many teachers throughout the country are members of the teachers union and think nothing of going out on strike, without much consideration for their students.

[kttam186290]

I have found that most teachers who are Republicans are usually in teaching strictly for the salary, the insurance and the retirement, not because they actually give a damn about education. You know who they are because they never volunteer for anything extra-curricular unless there's money involved.


It's just a way for them to climb the "status" ladder a little quicker, in order to best their other Republican friends they're competing with too.


I can't tell you how many Cop + Teacher (Republican, of course) pairings I've met who are all about that upper-middle class "flash"


I've dealt with these Republican teachers (always bragging about their new boat, new RV, new cars, new set of boobs, new facelift, timeshare in Maui, Lake Havasu investment home, etc, etc) who got their jobs because their husbands were connected to some higher-up buddy in the district office, or , they just happened to attend the "right" church.


They're just spending, spending, spending...and counting down the days to retirement so they can take their PERS/STRS retirement and bail to Lake Havasu, St. George or Coeur d'Alene and suppress the wages of the natives in those places.


It's pathetic.

[brittle_star]

Originally Posted by hello2020

Allowed to say that they have too many kids in class (30) and for that reason teach only 4 days a week (and have a sub teach the 5th day)?
Where can I check if this thing is OK?

The short answer is: it depends on the school district. Different school districts have different teacher/educator unions, or sometimes no union at all. If there's a union, the union sets the contract with the school district about class size caps (meaning, how many students each teacher can have per class, per grade). Each school district is different; there are no uniform class size caps across California. Most school districts and unions TRY to keep class size caps in alignment with other CA school districts in order to have some uniformity. But with the number of different school districts across CA - some much larger or smaller than others, some with much more union involvement and oversight, some with less - there's no way to keep class size caps at a universal norm.

I work for the second largest public school district in the country, for which I've worked for nearly 20 years (FYI, I'm a registered democrat, which I've been for years, but usually vote independent or libertarian). We have a very large, powerful teacher/educators union that has a lot of oversight in the district. In January 2019, our union, teachers and educators brought a legendary strike to our school district and eventually won that strike. One of the big issues teachers were striking for was class size reduction. Our class sizes were reduced by a small amount.

However, other smaller school districts in our area have different class size caps, usually smaller than ours. There are also charter schools in the area which are not allowed to unionize, but manage to keep their class sizes small by selective enrollment and suspending/expelling students with far more regularity than the large public school district for which I work.

In order to "check if this thing is ok," you'd need to contact the school district in your area and ask those questions. I'd also recommend checking to see if that school district is unionized, and if so, ask those questions of the union. THAT's where your clearest answer will come from, not from a random forum like this.

Critical thinking skills, something every educated person should have.

[BeauCharles]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

I have found that most teachers who are Republicans are usually in teaching strictly for the salary, the insurance and the retirement, not because they actually give a damn about education. You know who they are because they never volunteer for anything extra-curricular unless there's money involved.


It's just a way for them to climb the "status" ladder a little quicker, in order to best their other Republican friends they're competing with too.


I can't tell you how many Cop + Teacher (Republican, of course) pairings I've met who are all about that upper-middle class "flash"


I've dealt with these Republican teachers (always bragging about their new boat, new RV, new cars, new set of boobs, new facelift, timeshare in Maui, Lake Havasu investment home, etc, etc) who got their jobs because their husbands were connected to some higher-up buddy in the district office, or , they just happened to attend the "right" church.


They're just spending, spending, spending...and counting down the days to retirement so they can take their PERS/STRS retirement and bail to Lake Havasu, St. George or Coeur d'Alene and suppress the wages of the natives in those places.


It's pathetic.

My gosh. I don't grill anyone on their political leanings nor do I harshly judge them for what they are (or the vocation they've chosen, how they dress, where they vacation, their cosmetic surgery choices, etc...). That's the kind of intolerant attitude that makes me very sad and worried about the future of the country. I've been a registered Democrat since I was 18, but lately have voted Republican. So what? I'm sure that would garner some sort of automatic judgement from me living in the far end of North State in a rural area though.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by LJS1993

Thirteen year instructor right here and registered Republican.

My observation is obviously anecdotal, but you and Mr5150's friends are the only ones I've ever heard of, including all of the teachers in my own family.

[Gemdiver]

Originally Posted by brittle_star

The short answer is: it depends on the school district. Different school districts have different teacher/educator unions, or sometimes no union at all. If there's a union, the union sets the contract with the school district about class size caps (meaning, how many students each teacher can have per class, per grade). Each school district is different; there are no uniform class size caps across California. Most school districts and unions TRY to keep class size caps in alignment with other CA school districts in order to have some uniformity. But with the number of different school districts across CA - some much larger or smaller than others, some with much more union involvement and oversight, some with less - there's no way to keep class size caps at a universal norm.

I work for the second largest public school district in the country, for which I've worked for nearly 20 years (FYI, I'm a registered democrat, which I've been for years, but usually vote independent or libertarian). We have a very large, powerful teacher/educators union that has a lot of oversight in the district. In January 2019, our union, teachers and educators brought a legendary strike to our school district and eventually won that strike. One of the big issues teachers were striking for was class size reduction. Our class sizes were reduced by a small amount.

However, other smaller school districts in our area have different class size caps, usually smaller than ours. There are also charter schools in the area which are not allowed to unionize, but manage to keep their class sizes small by selective enrollment and suspending/expelling students with far more regularity than the large public school district for which I work.

In order to "check if this thing is ok," you'd need to contact the school district in your area and ask those questions. I'd also recommend checking to see if that school district is unionized, and if so, ask those questions of the union. THAT's where your clearest answer will come from, not from a random forum like this.

Critical thinking skills, something every educated person should have.

Was the class size reduced because of a "hard class cap" or "teacher to student ratio"?