Solution -- What Do You Think

[Hollywood Bound]

Well this has been a very interesting post with good arguments on both sides of the issue as to why or why not the increase is deserved. What I haven't seen are very many solutions if any. Here is a possible solution and please feel free to chime in again.

Why not increase the teachers work day by 1 hour(negotiable) to compensate for the increase in wages and benefits.

This compromise seems to be a no-brainer since almost everyone agrees that teachers work extra hours, but politically this is a win win for both sides on the issue. Here is why.

1. The BOE through the contract acknowledges the extra effort that is undertaken by teachers and is willing to pay for that effort.

2. The Association is appears to be reasonable and willing to earn the increase. More pay for more work. Issue one applies also.

3. The public/tax payers are getting extra work for the increase in pay. It doesn't appear we are paying the teachers more than the annual rate of inflation and not getting any benefit. Remember inflation is not running at 4% somewhere in the 2% range.(note 1 on COL raises)

There are probably more benefits that I have neglected to mention.

Here is a personal drawback.

I prefer to do my planning and grading from the comfort of my home and the current 7.5 hour day means I can be at home when my child returns from school so I can be an involved parent and not have a latch key kid.

(note 1) Cost of Living raises. If employees require annual COL raises during inflationary periods(which is most of the time), will they also support cost of living decreases in deflationary periods. The possibility of entering a deflationary period is a current concern at the FED and Treasury.

[KAHUNA]

I don't know, Hollywood Bound. My personal gripe isn't that teachers don't work enough hours, especially when you consider all the work they take home, plus unpaid time devoted to extra-curricular activities, clubs, sports (in some cases). I just want the teaching community to tone it down a little when it comes to the whining about money! For your level of education, combined with your health bennies, retirement plan, ample time off (holidays and summer), the pay is not that bad. I know everyone wants as much as they can get. It's the American way. But those of us in the private sector have almost NO guarantees! NO guaranteed retirment (usually), NO job security (not like teachers), NO built-in raises, and NO tenure privileges. Look, private industry was MY choice. And I'm not trying to villify all teachers (or other public employees) . I just think many in government, teaching, etc. need a little reality check. Where do you think your raises come from? Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in private industry could just raise the price of all their goods and services everytime they wanted a raise, and be assured they'd still sell the same of amount of product. More times than not, your raise comes out of MY pocket, and I have little (if any) say in the matter. I think some in the public sector are so out of touch with the real world, they just think money grows on trees! Our economy could be barreling towards depression, and I know some in the public sector who'd wonder how much their RAISE would be that year, while national unemployment was shooting sky high! Remember, a job's a privilege, not a right. And anyone's eventual worth in the marketplace is inextricably tied to performance. Give us top-notch students, give us nationally ranked academic performance scores, and we'll give you the kinds of salary and benefit steps that are commensurate. It's like the man who said to his woodstove, "give me heat, and THEN I'll supply the wood". Doesn't quite work that way.

[Hollywood Bound]

Hi Kahuna

I to am fed up with the whining and griping about teacher pay. Since we live in a semi-capitalist society, if these teachers are not being compensated sufficiently for their effort, they can talk with their feet. I did just that and am now returning to the profession. I was able to double my salary outside the education community, but I chose to return.

I suggest more teachers find jobs in the real world for several reasons.

1. To experience the world outside of academia.

2. To gain real world experience, that can be returned to the classroom. (This is another topic entirely since most teachers come directly out of college without any real working world experience to apply their middle or high school classroom).

3. To find daycare for that period after school and all those school holidays that occur through the year.

4. To find that many other jobs take their work home with them.

5. To realize that if my company loses the next contract or business slows down my job is on the line. Not that they have tenure after a fixed number of years and it takes an act of congress to be fired.

Bottom Line - why did I return

I teach because I enjoy working with the kids and maybe I can reach a few. I can't reach them all. The other reason I teach is the family friendly lifestyle it affords me. No where else can I get the time off I can as a teacher. To do this I choose to live in a small house, drive an economy car and shop at walmart vs the expensive stores. I looked at the pay scales going in when I chose to change careers and knew I would never be rich.

For me,

TIME IS MORE VALUABLY THAN MONEY

Because,

I believe in the long run my children will remember that dad was always around to do things(playing, fishing, going places), not that we had two expensive cars, a 4000 sq ft house and a 1 week vacation at Disney World every year and was never around.

[SmallTown]

Originally posted by Hollywood Bound
I looked at the pay scales going in when I chose to change careers and knew I would never be rich.

For many people in the world, the payscale at their current job does not dictate if they will be rich or not.

[Oz (Premo)]

Aren't teachers salaried employees? In the business world, that generally means that you work the hours necessary to get the job done. So, as a taxpayer / businessperson, we're paying them to do the job, including the time they are in the school building. Making them stay in a building for another hour in no way justifies a pay increase.

[KAHUNA]

Good for you, Hollywood Bound. YOUR students are the lucky ones! The same for your children too! No one's against paying a living wage, but too many in the public sector (not just teachers) have lost touch with the real world! If you want a career in the public sector, great! Accept the bennies, AND the limitations. Same with private industry. The $$$$ can be great, as long as the job holds out! That's the tradeoff. And while I certainly don't mean to stereotype ALL public sector workers, many (especially many "base" (pax river) types), when asked how they like their jobs, start to ramble on about pay steps, vacations, retirement, etc. To which I reply, "that's not what I asked". " How do you like your job"???? Again, the same type of response. Sadly, many are more concerned with what they GET, and less with what they GIVE!! Again, that's not a blanket statement, and there are many in private industry just as bad! I just tend to notice it more among "civil servants". Actually, as a group, and to your benefit, teachers seem to show this trait somewhat less.
I wish you luck with your return to the teaching field. It's not easy. And the fact that you decided to return say volumes more about dedication and professionalism. If more were like you, maybe the taxpaying public would look more kindly on your requests, needs, and yes, pay!