The NERVE of some people!

Ok, I just got finished reading an article that just upset me to death.  My s/o, who is most definitely an active teacher (at a parent booster meeting as I type)  read and was upset too.  Maybe we just don’t know enough about Illinois’ Public School System to be all up in arms, but if you’ve ever taught….just ONE day…in a classroom anywhere, you know and might take offense to this too.

Read the original arcticle HERE. (no place for comments)

In fairness to the original blogger who posted this, I didn’t attack them.  The article was part of a series of blog posts and articles about public sector employment and how the payment is unfair ( = too high) for the services rendered. The teacher one had to do with pensions, and how they are too high for teachers to retire so early (given as average of 58 years), but also jabbed at what the teachers had made for the four years leading up to their retirement.  There was also a link to a video about 7% pay increase every year.  I had to voice my feelings on the issue so (before I thought “duh, I’ll just blog about it”) I left a lengthy comment…pasted here for your enjoyment.

I realize you didn’t necessarily write the article, but concerning the “teacher retiree class of 2008” one…I really have to take issue. The article stated, “This exercise once again highlights the excessive total compensation being paid to many public workers especially teachers. When we add in the shorter work year, value of tenure, gold-plated fringe benefits on top of lavish early pension benefits we end up with a very privileged, very expensive class of workers.”

Please remember, when you talk about teachers, this is a profession made up of people who EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS. Not ones who defraud investors; not ones who glorify sex, drugs, and violence to make a profit; not ones that indebt the entire country because some financial formula made lots of money in the short-term.  These are Educators that spend a lot of time trying to teach kids something valuable while at the same time trying to ensure every student passes a myriad of state-mandated tests. Also keep in mind that many students in the present school-age generation do not get the kind of parental commitment or values-based upbringing that makes this job anywhere near easy.  I am a partial product of Illinois’ educational system,and I noticed a PROFOUND difference in the quality of what was being taught when my family moved to Florida (in the third grade, no less).  I also turned out better for my early educational experience in the state compared to many of my peers that were only exposed to Florida’s system. Derrion Albert, an honor student, and his murderers were also in Illinois classrooms, so you can see a one-size-fits-all approach is not possible in the realm of teaching. The stress of teaching during the school year DOES require summer work, and much more than the general public realizes, plus the fact many teachers that have worked with and/or still know put in WAY more than a 40-hr work week during the regular school year. Think more in the range of 60 or 70 hours, average. I know I did. Many people in public education choose to work toward advanced degrees, and some positions within the school often REQUIRE it (think school counselors, curriculum coordinators, media specialists, nurses and administrators), and this often factors into the salary that they make.

And to top all of this, most educators in the United States pay into their teachers’ or state retirement system throughout their entire career.

Sorry I don’t have statistics or graphic organizers to prove all of this. It was just a very upsetting post for me to read. So please, if we’re going to gripe about tax dollars being spent carelessly, don’t start the blame game with the teachers.

I know I haven’t taught in two years, but NOBODY is going to attack teachers and what they’re worth on my watch.