devo said:
paraphrasing here: ummm, said a lot
devo, you are clearly very dedicated and I'm sure you are a great teacher. And, like many (most? all?) of us, you are frustrated by a bureaucracy that stands in the way of getting the job done. It is all the more frustrating when you see kid's futures impacted by it. It is a tough job to try to do well. In that regard, you have my empathy and admiration.
However, I'll stand by my earlier statement - pay or 'worth' can only really be determined in a free market. And between a teacher's union and a government 'monopoly' in education, I think it is far from a free market.
Why are there teacher shortages in nearly every major city district? Why are there thousands of qualified teachers trying to get hired for that handful of jobs in other successful districts?
If a district cannot hire enough competent teachers, they need to change something - working conditions, pay, benefits, recognition, security, future advancement; whatever solves the problem. And
the government owes it to the people to fix the problems.
But, if a district has far more than enough competent teachers apply for a job,
they owe it to the taxpayers to review their compensation policy and lower it. Simple free market stuff. And I sure wouldn't 'blame' a teacher for going after the most attractive job offer.
walk into your local school, volunteer in any classroom, and document the ineptitude. Good luck!
Well, I'm sorry to say, I have had bad luck here. My kid's 5th grade advanced math teacher was not aware that a number divided by itself was equal to 'one'. And we are in a good school district. This same teacher was proud to tell us that they had over 400 people apply for a recent position. And this incompetent teacher was making over $75,000, along with other benefits higher than most people in the private sector get.
Crazy bureaucracy and spending. Systems that are inefficient and old. But don't pin that on the teachers. I think most teachers would argue that all that crap is a road block to them as well.
Well, I won't pin it on the teachers, like most employees, they are cogs in a wheel. But, I sure would like to see teachers work with their unions to fight for better education. All I've seen is pay and benefits as talking points in union negotiations. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd welcome it, but I have not seen it.
where did you go so wrong as to NOT become a teacher?
That is a straw man. There are many reasons I did not become a teacher, or any number of other tough professions. But that does not mean that those professions should not be paid according to a free market. And in a free market, no one really has a right to complain about their compensation, or anyone else's - it is what it is. Don't like it - find another job. Like your job - then accept the going rate. That's all that was being said.
-ERD50