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In my 33 years in education, we never made as much salary as comparably educated non-public workers. Every month for 33 years a big chunk of money came out of my salary toward my share of my pension fund. I paid federal, state, local, and school taxes just like you. Some summers were spent earning recertification.
I don't know what you do for a living, but I'm pretty sure it's not as important as what a good teacher does.
Importance is relative, but good teachers are definitely valued. My brother is one outside the US and he tells me all of his challenges - and few of them have to do with teaching students. However, he’d be the first one to also admit he couldn’t cut the pace of change that the corporate world goes through. Each to his or her own.
One point though - you spent 33 years in education, so I’ll assume (hopefully correctly) that once you get past the first few years you never really feared for your job. That despite lower pay you have stability in knowing that except in the unlikely case of massively lower enrollment the worst you would expect is a different administration, changing curricula, or a change in class or school.
As you didn’t spend time in the corporate world I’ll tell you that there is generally zero stability, zero compensation guarantees, no pension, much higher benefit contributions, and massive transformation and change on an annual if not quarterly basis. Any added salary is partly to compensate for risk. So again, each to his or her own.
Wow! In what district does a teacher get “a six figure salary plus pension benefits plus summers off?
Here’s an example. Pick Smithtown Central District - the first 10 pages are all $100K plus. Feel free to check others as well. If you want an eye opener look at Jericho, where the cost to educate each student is close to $50K per year.
Obviously at least some of these are administration but note with these small districts there are only maybe 5-7 schools. And for many who joined before 2000 or so their pension tiers are very generous.
I’ll admit that my experiences are closer to these than to others I’ve heard here where teachers are paid $35K and have to work in run down schools with terrible conditions. Perhaps that’s what frustrates me somewhat as well.
I see a lot about how the children will most likely be fine if they get the virus, but not much about the parents.
At 28, I'm easily the youngest mother out of the entire second grade class. I believe there's one younger in the third grade, and one younger in the incoming first grade class. Maybe this is different in the South or something, but I'd guess that most school age parents are mid thirties to 40+. My husband will be in his forties when our youngest starts kindergarten. There are also several parents who are in their fifties, if not pushing 60.
Where's the concern for them? Mortality seems to steadily increase after 40. The kids being okay is nice, but not if they're left orphaned or with a dead parent.
I'm having trouble articulating this. I think that I would like to see a greater concern for the adults involved. The teachers, admin, building staff, and family members in the home. The large majority are not going to be healthy sub 30s, especially when 75% of the country is overweight.
The lives of teachers, staff, administration, and parents are not expendable.
I would be in support of a plan that sent the most vulnerable kids into school (special needs, parent/s have to work) with voluntary, younger, healthy staff.
Also, as a SAHM, I think it's incredibly selfish that so many other SAHMs without special needs kids, are bent on sending their kids back to school. I've seen it from parents I know and on the internet. The feigned helplessness with, "I have two masters degrees, but I will I teach my child to write/read/anything," and the pure selfishness, "maybe just old and sick people should stay home," is just such a sad attitude.
Maybe they think they'll abuse their kids....?
I lack patience at times. I'm an introvert. Those qualities do not make me great for homeschooling, and I'd wager that a way less educated, non English speaking parent who had more patience and enjoyed socialization would do better. But, I am going to try. I will read books, I will look on the internet, and I will develop coping strategies to do the best that I can.
Why no leave the schools open for the vulnerable families and children who truly need it? Idk....I've seen it mentioned to cries of, "but my kid needs socialization!"
As a nation, it would be nice if we could work together. Instead, it looks like we're headed towards a disaster that ends in virtual learning for all.
Also, new teachers with masters degrees get paid less than or close $40k in many populated areas of Colorado. When you're down to $35k, it probably makes more sense to tutor online and drive Uber than risk your own health.
The lives of teachers, staff, administration, and parents are not expendable.
I would be in support of a plan that sent the most vulnerable kids into school (special needs, parent/s have to work) with voluntary, younger, healthy staff.
Also, as a SAHM, I think it's incredibly selfish that so many other SAHMs without special needs kids, are bent on sending their kids back to school. I've seen it from parents I know and on the internet. The feigned helplessness with, "I have two masters degrees, but I will I teach my child to write/read/anything," and the pure selfishness, "maybe just old and sick people should stay home," is just such a sad attitude.
Maybe they think they'll abuse their kids....?
I lack patience at times. I'm an introvert. Those qualities do not make me great for homeschooling, and I'd wager that a way less educated, non English speaking parent who had more patience and enjoyed socialization would do better. But, I am going to try. I will read books, I will look on the internet, and I will develop coping strategies to do the best that I can.
Why no leave the schools open for the vulnerable families and children who truly need it? Idk....I've seen it mentioned to cries of, "but my kid needs socialization!"
As a nation, it would be nice if we could work together. Instead, it looks like we're headed towards a disaster that ends in virtual learning for all.
Also, new teachers with masters degrees get paid less than or close $40k in many populated areas of Colorado. When you're down to $35k, it probably makes more sense to tutor online and drive Uber than risk your own health.
Interesting perspective. I bolded your comment and sadly feel it's probably accurate. I'm waiting for the "sorry, but due to a spike we're going virtual" notification.
I looked up Colorado teacher pay and 50th percentile is only around $58K and 90th $75K - regardless of time spent teaching. There definitely are a lot of different jobs that would pay this. Contrast that with NY which starts teachers at $58K, and with a master's degree and 8 years experience + coursework $87K.
In my 33 years in education, we never made as much salary as comparably educated non-public workers. Every month for 33 years a big chunk of money came out of my salary toward my share of my pension fund. I paid federal, state, local, and school taxes just like you. Some summers were spent earning recertification.
I don't know what you do for a living, but I'm pretty sure it's not as important as what a good teacher does.
That's an absurd statement. Every year, children die on the roads on the way to school. I take it that since one child dies in this manner, it's just not worth it?
Not only are kids highly, highly unlikely to develop serious symptoms or even catch this virus, they are the least likely to transmit it. What is missing from your calculation are all the negative outcomes that result from again locking down the schools. Kids will also die if we do this again. For many, their parents' ability to provide for them will be severely impaired. There are other negative outcomes.
n=1, TX (transactional residency, not otherwise happy to be here). 1 x 7yo. Private school offered option of a) 100% in residence or b) all-online as of a couple hours ago. We're going with option B, still supporting the school with full tuition. Trying to do our part to keep the staff paid and the facilities solvent for subsequent years.
The numbers are not even close in this clownshow of a state for us to entertain in person this quarter. They're allowing re-assessment of status for spring. Best case scenario for us is we hunker down for the end of 2020, and re-attack the in-person thing for the second half of the academic year based on the "BDA picture" at that time. This offering seems to mirror what is likely to be offered by the public districts here in C TX.
I don't begrudge those who weren't able to hedge/pivot themselves out of the Precariat before the music stopped. It's cold what this Country did to their own, with that false dichotomy joke of a "choice". May the odds be ever in your favor....
Only (3) states offer "running start", one of which has FREE tuition. Dual enrollment is available in many states. Most parents won't cough up the dough. Too busy saving for retirement and Johnny's expensive (but possibly ineffective) USA 'higher' education.
I'm an advocate for students, no matter what the means.!. Our family foundation (funded from my night shift factory job) sponsors scholarships every year for nearly 30 yrs. To needy students in higher edu. Our kids got zero of that, as they were intentionally equipped to self support by college age.
It is sad we (USA) sequester the learning of all in the name of education. It doesn't have to be so. As a society, we could change that today.
If only we desired to put our kids and future well being of our country and neighbors as an actionable priority.
I suspect, from your many posts, that you have a lifestyle which is quite different to the mainstream. I would think you have lived in some sort of a commune, though I may have entirely the wrong impression. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it certainly does not mirror the life of most people in western countries.
You suggested that young people could seek to be employed in family businesses. Here, at least, that is outside the minimum employment age.
Even when you write about people minding each other’s kids so to enable homeschooling, I think that most younger people will only trust extremely close family members or friends to do that these days. Those whom they often most trust, grandparents, may need shielding from this virus.
You suggest that when travel is possible, young people could go to New Zealand on working holiday visas.But that is the whole problem with this virus. Young people who were planning to travel, have gap years, experience the world,are suddenly in a holding position. Borders are closed and no-one will be going to NZ, Australia or many other countries until there is a vaccine. People are starting their working lives in a climate of high unemployment, closed businesses and lost opportunities.
Poorer countries like Kenya have had to abandon their whole school year. Our country is desperately trying to enable kids not to lose this year and so Victoria are about to allow senior students back face to face to school next week, new lockdown notwithstanding. If the year is lost these kids won’t be doing much that is constructive. They will be sitting at home online.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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One thing we definitely do not want... is to be 'normal' (i.e. status quo)
USA EDU and HC systems are far below world competitiveness.
No communes, nothing abnormal, except we purposed to spend the short few yrs of K-8 WITH our kids (living internationally for much of that. Equipping them to become community oriented adults and self sufficient for their own needs and equipped for learning (college by age 16).
Of course, I had mentioned getting back to 'normal' travel / work visas / gap yrs AFTER Covid, but there are still plenty of USA based opportunities, many in each community. We have 2 scholarships pending for NZ and AU, and I advised the applicants to retain their original objectives, but to use a yr or two where they must being effective in their communities. (maybe they can test or sequestor in NZ / AU by the time their coursework begins), if not serve your community and travel locally.
It is really very simple.
Wake up, be with your kids, engage them in every activity (including mentoring Public Schooled kids). Give them responsibility and a lot of slack to figure out how to accomplish that. Start them investing and learning how to value companies and read balance sheets and financial statements (In USA they better know that stuff since they have to be their own investment advisors for their retirement accounts. (Ours were investing by age 12. One became a boglehead, and other a trader, all are employed in financial management positions and doing very well and responsible. In Spite of having no 'traditional' schooling before college.
I was well educated when I left country school and age 11. City schools were the worst waste of my time / education. Everyone just 'attends' (including teachers). Very little innovative or exciting or new.
YMMV
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