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Your friend, along with those unnamed others (you?) who resent that teachers make more than them made choices in their careers, didn't they? The salaries of different fields of work are set by the value our capitalist market-driven economy places on their contribution. Unless you are suggesting that we move more closely to a socialist economy, the only resentment people have of teachers should be on the choices they made in selecting their own career fields.
Most people don't go into teaching "for the money" or the gravy train of benefits. I doubt education schools have people giving breakdowns on pension schemes and the like to new students.
Yeah in many states they do to help encourage enrollment in teacher education programs and to keep their own jobs. They aren't dumb
Most people don't go into teaching "for the money" or the gravy train of benefits. I doubt education schools have people giving breakdowns on pension schemes and the like to new students.
Oh really? You've characterized teachers' lives as quite the gravy train compared to all those resentful private sector worker:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
No one is saying the job isn't important, but there are many jobs in the private sector that are also very important, require similar amounts of education, are compensated worse than a teacher, and that's in straight salary, not considering the pension.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
Without getting too political, a lot of resentment comes in when people who make similar to what a teacher does are unable to receive anywhere near the income from their own private savings, with strong contributions, normal growth, and safe withdrawal rates, as a teacher's defined benefit pension plan.
Whether or not teachers are paid and compensated "enough" misses the mark, which is they are often paid and compensated better (including their pension) that many private sector workers with a similar level of education and experience, especially those in areas where the economy is not doing well.
Non-teaching staff (bloat) keeps growing. We had plenty of administrators as a percentage of total enrollment 30 years ago, yet bloat increases.
In 1970 I was 13-14 years old and had recently left the elementary grades. Our Elementary School had 6 Teachers, 0 Principals, 0 Secretaries, and 1/2 Custodian.
In hindsight, not only was the building understaffed to provide appropriate education, it was also likely a safety concern due to thin staffing.
i do not want to repeat those staffing levels for any one's child!
Non-teaching staff (bloat) keeps growing. We had plenty of administrators as a percentage of total enrollment 30 years ago, yet bloat increases.
Moreover, that increase in bloat has not led to any measureable improvement in student achievement.
Schools have expanded their mission and become social workers. Cost increases are due to special ed, bilingual ed, lots of teacher aides, expanded lunch and breakfast programs, counseling and alternative instructors, speech therapists, resource teachers for special instruction for at risk youth, transportation, etc. Look at some of the websites with statistics on particular schools. Most schools in my city have 60% or more of students qualifying for the free lunch program. On my last property tax bill, I noticed that 1/3 of the school taxes are for charter schools. There are 19 charter schools in my city primarily for special needs and at risk students. Several of the magnet schools in my city have similar missions for at risk kids. These small charter and magnet schools are costly. In my day, these kids just dropped out by or during high school. Besides the at risk youth, almost every family I know seems to have at least one child with learning disabilities or issues such as Aspergers that require special school programs. No wonder the cost of education has increased so much. And all the school staff are under the pension system with the possible exception of the charter schools.
Non-teaching staff (bloat) keeps growing. We had plenty of administrators as a percentage of total enrollment 30 years ago, yet bloat increases.
Moreover, that increase in bloat has not led to any measureable improvement in student achievement.
It didn't take much staff to maintain an abacus. Today there are data networks, computers. printers, projectors, document cameras, smart boards etc. to service and maintain. Technology instructors are needed. There are lots more special education programs, breakfast and lunch programs, more bus service. Some high schools have 4000 students. There are elementary schools with 1,000 students. These buildings need to be cleaned and maintained, supplies need to be ordered, and so on. It takes a lot of support to enable the instruction that occurs in the classroom.
Same with the Post Office. Until the '90s, employees did not pay into SS and were not eligible for Medicare either. Up until seven years ago, post office employees who retired under CSRS only had their pensions. Some worked in other jobs that paid into SS in hope of collecting more at old age, but alas, there was/is a thing called WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision), which penalized their hard work. Their SS are cut up to 60%.
And many Police Departments. The one which I worked for 15 years was one of the few that was on Social Security and that turned out to be a good thing
In California the main goal of all teachers starting in kindergarten on up is to indoctrinate students into reliable lifetime Democrat party voters.
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