Chris Christie got into a confrontation with a teacher over education budget cuts, and I applauded Christie’s take. If the whiny teacher didn’t like what she was getting paid, she could always go find another job. She, of course, claimed she was doing it because she “loved it”… immediately after she had complained about not making enough, of course.
I gotta say, I really liked Christie’s remark about not being able to print money, too. I just like him more and more.
Now, here’s something interesting. The teacher, Rita Wilson, said that she doesn’t make anything near $83,000 a year. Erick Erickson was able to find out that there is, in fact, a New Jersey teacher named Rita Wilson. And she makes $86,389 a year. She also gets a stipend of $652. If it’s the same Rita Wilson, then someone’s a liar.
And clearly, most teachers don’t do it just because they love it. I don’t know what planet teachers live on that makes them expect that they automatically deserve a ridiculous salary just by virtue of being teachers, but it’s not the same planet I live on. There are teachers out there who do it for the love of teaching, certainly, but all too many of them whine about their salaries without giving a second thought to the fact that they work less hours and get paid more than most white-collar workers. Hell, millions of people can’t even get paid at all, and teachers are wanting increases in their salaries?! And those New Jersey public school records showing teachers getting paid roughly around $45,000 a year — at the lowest. Most of the salaries I saw were considerably higher. What kind of entitlement mentality do you have to have to think that getting paid $70,000 a year or so is a bad living? My God, I would love to make that much money to only work 180 days a year. Unions have poisoned education in this country to where teachers can’t even see at all how good they have it. They get paid decent money, work good hours, have a lot of time off, have full benefits, and excellent pension plans. But they want to squeeze more, more, more out of our wallets while our children do worse, worse, worse.
It’s sickening, and thankfully, this woman was able to encompass for all to see exactly what the problem with so many teachers is. The whiny, entitled, unionized victimhood mentality has got to stop.
How did we get to the point where Oliver Hardy could be the most respected (and respectable) politican in America? When he runs against (and defeats) Obama in 2012 enjoy the Laurel and Hardy mash ups.
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
[For a light hearted take on our present peril]
Carla says: Teacher do not work a full 8 hour day. Their hours are form 8 a.m. to no later than 3 p.m. with a minimum 30 minute lunch break and most likely a 15 minute nutritional break. Let’s not forget their 1 hour prep time every day. THEY WORK 7 HOURS A DAY WITH BREAKS. They have an at the most a 2 to 3 month vacation – paid, a one week spring break and a two week Christmas break. HOW MANY PUPIL FREE DAYS TO THEY HAVE A YEAR DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. If they only made $45,000. a year (and that is for beginning teachers) that would be $5625.00 a month that they are making for the 8 months that they actually work. I like that kind of money.
Great post. The more that Liberal Frauds like this “teacher” can be exposed, for both “loving her job” and complaining about her (unjust?) compensation, the better we’ll be in the long run.
Who is John Galt?
First, here’s my response: if high school teachers (caveat because I’m really not a middle/elementary school teacher type) don’t think they are getting paid enough, I will do their job, at their salary, for the next academic year. They can then try to do mine, at my salary.
I cannot tell you how many smart, highly educated people I know who are struggling to find work, waiting tables, or making absolutely crap money (and paying off massive graduate school loans) right now… so for teachers to get up on their high horses and ask for more of OUR salaries (which is how they get paid) is disgusting.
Let’s put $45,000/year, starting salary, in perspective. It’s $5,000 more than the average first-year lawyer makes and is about $10,000 more than the average medical resident makes. It is roughly equal to what newly-graduated engineers and accountants make; it’s more than what biologists and chemists make. As this (http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/24/theyre-earning-what-americas-highest-starting-salaries/) points out, all jobs that give you any kind of money like that require a lot of math skills and a specialised degree, as well as long hours and few (if any) vacations.
Now, let’ just compound this issue with the sad reality that unions don’t allow towns to reward talent and a lot of people fight to ensure that talented members of the private sector cannot teach for a year or two – the certification requirements are too strict to be worthwhile as anything but a career. And then there’s tenure – which is something not found in the private sector.
/rant
Melinda P says: Roxanne, I agree. If they do’t like how much they make, then we’ll switch. Here’s the catch; I’m a stay at home, homeschooling mom. I don’t think they’d like that.
It doesn’t surprise me that more and more parents in the US are getting fed up with the educational system. That’s why cyber schools, which are crap in my opinion, and homeschooling are on the rise. Parents are getting wise to the fact that the teachers are making more, yet their children are learning less. Why else would homeschoolers be kicking their public schooled counterparts butts in everything?
Give any homeschooling parent their tax money that would be used to “educate” their student in the public school, and guaranteed they’d still be doing better. If this teacher wants to meet people who are teaching because they love it, then she needs to go to her local homeschool co-op. These are parents that love to teach their children, don’t have the degrees she does, don’t get her salary, but enjoy it!
These are parents that love to teach their children, don’t have the degrees she does, don’t get her salary, but enjoy it!
Melinda P.: that’s the only thing in your post I’m going to disagree with. Some of the homeschooling moms that I know are smarter and better-educated than most public-school teachers. In fact, a few weeks ago, I heard a woman (PhD, who homeschools her kids) talking about her friend who homeschools – her friend, the MD. Go find that in a public school!
In fact, what I’m seeing is that it’s the brilliant parents who want to homeschool their children, because they don’t want their kids to be victims of the mediocrity mentality that is so prevalent in public schools.
Blake says: As someone who works in the school system, it’s a distinct possibility the teacher in question doesn’t know what her annual salary is. Teachers are paid monthly and she may not have ever done the math. Or, just as likely, did the math and got a wrong answer.
No, I’m not kidding.
Badger Nation says: Preface: I mean no offense to any teachers on the board. I had enough good teachers to keep me awake and not-bored in school.
-We must be serious about the statistical reality of the teaching profession. That reality is that our K-12 teaching corps comes from the left side of the bell curve. We generally do not have our best and brightest teaching our young. The Teach For America program recruits out of Ivy League-type schools precisely because these people are not going into teaching on their own accord.
-In my personal experience, teachers have by far the largest sense of entitlement of any white collar profession (however, this may be selection bias, since all the teachers I know are American females). Cf. this video clip.
-At a certain point, the whole “teachers are the most important job in the world/we raise the next generation of leaders/etc etc” meme gets old.
-As has been mentioned, teachers work nine months of the year. Whether they take the summer off or do other work I don’t care, but they draw a salary for nine months of work.
-The structural comforts of the profession are enviable. I have an MS in engineering. Good work, but not exactly breaking the bank; without going into management, a BS-MS engineer is lucky to get $100,000 a year, and the raise/promotion structure is pretty flat (again, unless you move into management). We are further threatened by outsourcing and H1B in-sourced labor. And I had to do a LOT more to get two degrees in engineering than anybody with education majors.
-Everyone has complaints about their job, that’s not new and it’s good to vent. But the sanctimony of teachers I know is unreal and frankly makes me less sympathetic to their troubles.
Badger Nation says: Forgot to complete the thought that teaching credentials are inflated, devalued and perverted. The undergraduate teaching degree, the push to get meaningless master’s degrees and the lack of actual subject knowledge in the profession is wacked beyond belief.
They wouldn’t want someone with an actual course of study in history, or science, or mathematics – I gather that would threaten the gaggle of B.Eds.
Preface: I mean no offense to any teachers on the board. I had enough good teachers to keep me awake and not-bored in school.
-We must be serious about the statistical reality of the teaching profession. That reality is that our K-12 teaching corps comes from the left side of the bell curve. We generally do not have our best and brightest teaching our young. The Teach For America program recruits out of Ivy League-type schools precisely because these people are not going into teaching on their own accord.
-In my personal experience, teachers have by far the largest sense of entitlement of any white collar profession (however, this may be selection bias, since all the teachers I know are American females). Cf. this video clip.
-At a certain point, the whole “teachers are the most important job in the world/we raise the next generation of leaders/etc etc” meme gets old.
-As has been mentioned, teachers work nine months of the year. Whether they take the summer off or do other work I don’t care, but they draw a salary for nine months of work.
-The structural comforts of the profession are enviable. I have an MS in engineering. Good work, but not exactly breaking the bank; without going into management, a BS-MS engineer is lucky to get $100,000 a year, and the raise/promotion structure is pretty flat (again, unless you move into management). We are further threatened by outsourcing and H1B in-sourced labor. And I had to do a LOT more to get two degrees in engineering than anybody with education majors.
-Everyone has complaints about their job, that’s not new and it’s good to vent. But the sanctimony of teachers I know is unreal and frankly makes me less sympathetic to their troubles.
Melinda P says: Roxanne, You are right that there are some parents who have very advanced degrees and teach their children. I’m talking about the mainstream parents. I have a BA in Music, nothing more. I’m not an idiot, but I see schooling my children as a way to learn more myself. Life is about learning all you can, and using the brain God gave you. It’s not about victimhood and how I can make the most money by doing the least amount of work.
Lazlo says: Boo Hoo! Teachers don’t get fed grapes in a Roman setting, and don’t get regular parades and stuff.
1. It is not the responsibility of an employer to compensate someone for their education. It is the responsibility of the person getting the education to make sure they find employment that does.
2. Taking a job with less pay to do something you love is a willing trade and it is bad manners to complain as if she has no choice.
3. This lady wants to get paid by the piece, just like sweat shop garment workers. OK. All the “pieces” have to be inspected (tested) and found to be free of defects like: “Inability to read or do basic math, grow to adulthood without a working knowledge of the system of government they live under, inability to speak English, write legibly, follow instructions, behave in a civilized manner. She gets all that right, and I’ll see she gets more work.
Just wanted to say that I am working at a big Pharmaceutical corporation in Clayton NC and I endroce Barack Obama with all my heart. I invite all my friends and colleagues to re-elect Obama in 2012!! I LOVE YOU OBAMA
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