Posted by sjuan2 at 11/17/09 09:46AM        Post ID#: #18338

I think this is a good program. We need more teachers who have had to make a living in the real world, rather than collecting a union protected government salary and benefits their entire adult life.

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Posted by ryanmc2 at 11/17/09 12:05PM        Post ID#: #18348

Wow, Sjuan it's amazing that you feel that way. "We need more teachers who have had to make a living in the real world.." What do you define as the real world? I'm just wondering. Most teachers don't make the $51K that was listed as the "average" in the article the other day. Most teachers really don't make all that much - period. This is after dealing with classrooms every day that are filled with a good portion of kids that (a) don't want to be there (b) have zero parental support at home (c) are involved with mutli-generational gangs and really the list goes on. Schools are becoming more and more underfunded and dangers (with the little pidgeons bringing weapons and all). And oh. Let's talk about the benefits. My insurance covers WAY more things than the school district's does. Ditto with the 401K. Oh, but wait! We haven't even discussed the student loans that are in the 5 figures! That aren't written right off by some new program. We haven't even begun to talk about those.

So.. Again: what is that real world you're referring to? The one where the spouse of a soon-to-be teacher is sometimes working 2 jobs to compinsate for the soon-to-be-teacher who can't work while going to school and starting student teaching?

I could go on and on.. But, I won't. I've got to get back to my real world.

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Posted by sjuan2 at 11/17/09 12:46PM        Post ID#: #18358

Ryanmc2,
The "real world" I referred to is one where you have to work a full year, your pay is based on performance, you don't get Columbus Day, MLK Day, etc. off, you have to pay thousands per year for health insurance, you don't automatically get a 3% raise every year, you don't get sick days or "personal" days because there are no substitutes to do your job. The college degree you need to work in the "real world" doesn't include finger painting in the cirriculum.

In the real world, your employer doesn't get their revenue by taxing property owners. They actually have to produce something that people want, unlike public schools which produce students who can't do math and are unprepared for college.

We need teachers, but I get tired of the ones with a huge sense of entitlement, who are constantly whining about their pay and benefits as if the people that pay their salaries don't have to work hard for their income.

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Posted by ryanmc2 at 11/18/09 08:20AM        Post ID#: #18429

Honestly, I don't know too many of the "entitled" teachers out there. The majority that I know of are doing it because they genuinely (sp?) care about the kids. They're the ones that are working on Columbus Day, MLK AND during the summer when they're supposed to be off.

Don't be bitter toward the entire community of teachers when you don't know everyone's background. Yes, their salaries are subsidized by taxes, but then again, they're also paying just as much as you and I right into that.

I have absolutely no problem with teacher's "whining" about their salaries because in my opinion, they earn every penny. Again, I don't know of too many of them that do indeed "whine" about this. I know what these guys are up against. They not only have to educate these days, but they also have to protect students from each other, intruders, etc...

I don't know about you, but at my job, I don't have to worry about my coworkers going outside and being caught in the middle of a haze of gang bullets..

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Posted by sjuan2 at 11/18/09 10:02AM        Post ID#: #18442

Well ryan, if it's so horrible teaching for half the year, they are always free to join us in the "real world". For some reason, most of them don't.

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