Oklahoma teacher protest

[Cancel 2020.1]

Not sure who is paying attention to this, but it's tough to watch what some of these teachers have to do just to make ends meet. Many work multiple jobs. The salaries they have talked about our incomprehensibly low to me...often just above the poverty line.

OK ranks 49th in teacher pay, but it's not like it's that great in most states.

What does it say about America that we put such a low priority on compensating this profession? I actually can't think of too many professions that I would consider to be more important. It makes no sense, and is a poor investment in our future.

 

[cawacko]

LR is a teacher in Oklahoma. I know there is no easy answer for this but if we really want the best to become teachers we need to have a different compensation model other than just years taught.

 

[Nordberg]

For many years politicians would talk about the lack of respect and the low pay that teachers got. Both Repubs and Dems. but once in office nothing was done. After awhile, the Repubs wanted to privatize the educational system for profits. That required destroying the public system and demonizing the teachers. A highly respected profession became greedy enemies who did not want to teach and were raking in dough for nothing. They also had unions. that was part of the targeting in America.Unions were also demonized and destroyed. It has been a couple decades of trashing teachers. Now Americans don't like them and distrust them. They don't care if they go to college, and take more training. They just do not deserve money and respect.

If you think you are above the propaganda and think for yourself, just look at what we have done to the teaching profession. Then maybe you can learn.

 

[Cancel 2020.1]

LR is a teacher in Oklahoma. I know there is no easy answer for this but if we really want the best to become teachers we need to have a different compensation model other than just years taught.

As far as I can remember, LR has never complained about pay. I know cost of living is low there, but some of the salary ranges they were talking about were so low - and, of course, school supplies, books and any kind of special programs really suffer, as well.

Budget is a direct reflection of our priorities as a nation. I just think it's embarrassing how low proper education is on the list. That kind of investment pays for itself many times over.

 

[cawacko]

As far as I can remember, LR has never complained about pay. I know cost of living is low there, but some of the salary ranges they were talking about were so low - and, of course, school supplies, books and any kind of special programs really suffer, as well.

Budget is a direct reflection of our priorities as a nation. I just think it's embarrassing how low proper education is on the list. That kind of investment pays for itself many times over.

LR didn't complain about it but he has commented on it before. I posted that WSJ article on the two fiscal issues states face and they were Medicare and pensions. And education was one of the areas that was going to get hurt.

I still have a problem with the pay structure for teachers. Off the top of my head I can't think of too many industries where the best and worst at their job make true same amount

 

[cawacko]

For many years politicians would talk about the lack of respect and the low pay that teachers got. Both Repubs and Dems. but once in office nothing was done. After awhile, the Repubs wanted to privatize the educational system for profits. That required destroying the public system and demonizing the teachers. A highly respected profession became greedy enemies who did not want to teach and were raking in dough for nothing. They also had unions. that was part of the targeting in America.Unions were also demonized and destroyed. It has been a couple decades of trashing teachers. Now Americans don't like them and distrust them. They don't care if they go to college, and take more training. They just do not deserve money and respect.

If you think you are above the propaganda and think for yourself, just look at what we have done to the teaching profession. Then maybe you can learn.

There is no group in America that has fought change in public schools more than teachers unions. That's not demonizing teachers it's speaking truth about their union.

 

[canceled.2021.1]

Not sure who is paying attention to this, but it's tough to watch what some of these teachers have to do just to make ends meet. Many work multiple jobs. The salaries they have talked about our incomprehensibly low to me...often just above the poverty line.

OK ranks 49th in teacher pay, but it's not like it's that great in most states.

What does it say about America that we put such a low priority on compensating this profession? I actually can't think of too many professions that I would consider to be more important. It makes no sense, and is a poor investment in our future.

Pay mores in taxes and shut up. Oh wait tax the rich right? I forgot. They are your personal piggybank

Teachers know what the pay is when they go in. Why should I feel sorry for them?

Additionally they have killer retirement benefits. That was their trade off

Fuck them.

Oh and fuck you too

 

[canceled.2021.1]

For many years politicians would talk about the lack of respect and the low pay that teachers got. Both Repubs and Dems. but once in office nothing was done. After awhile, the Repubs wanted to privatize the educational system for profits. That required destroying the public system and demonizing the teachers. A highly respected profession became greedy enemies who did not want to teach and were raking in dough for nothing. They also had unions. that was part of the targeting in America.Unions were also demonized and destroyed. It has been a couple decades of trashing teachers. Now Americans don't like them and distrust them. They don't care if they go to college, and take more training. They just do not deserve money and respect.

If you think you are above the propaganda and think for yourself, just look at what we have done to the teaching profession. Then maybe you can learn.

They know they aren’t high paying jobs. They work nine months out of the year. Cry me an ocean

 

[canceled.2021.1]

As far as I can remember, LR has never complained about pay. I know cost of living is low there, but some of the salary ranges they were talking about were so low - and, of course, school supplies, books and any kind of special programs really suffer, as well.

Budget is a direct reflection of our priorities as a nation. I just think it's embarrassing how low proper education is on the list. That kind of investment pays for itself many times over.

Donate some of your own money and shut up. Do something.

 

[Nordberg]

There is no group in America that has fought change in public schools than teachers unions. That's not demonizing teachers it's speaking truth about their union.

It did not need it. the American public school system was the envy of the world. It did not rot, it was killed.

Of course you think that about unions. when is the last time a positive news story was put on about unions? It is your training. i talk to young people and they know they hate unions, but they never know why.
We are teaching to pass some tests. the financing is tied to it. So we create kids who know what is expected on the tests. Education is supposed to help you learn how to think, not what to think,

 

[cawacko]

It did not need it. the American public school system was the envy of the world. It did not rot, it was killed.

Of course you think that about unions. when is the last time a positive news story was put on about unions? It is your training. i talk to young people and they know they hate unions, but they never know why.
WSe are teaching to pass some tests. the financing is tied to it. So we create kids who know what is expected on the tests. Education is supposed to help you learn how to think, not what to think,

We are talking about the teachers unions. If you want an appeal to authority listen to what people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have said about them. They fight any and all change. Teachers unions want a one size fits all education model. That doesn't fly in the 21st century. Teachers unions are the enemy of students

 

[Nordberg]

We are talking about the teachers unions. If you want an appeal to authority listen to what people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have said about them. They fight any and all change. Teachers unions want a one size fits all education model. That doesn't fly in the 21st century. Teachers unions are the enemy of students

Nope. You may not have noticed that people move from place to place. Education has to be universal. It has to travel.

 

[canceled.2021.1]

It did not need it. the American public school system was the envy of the world. It did not rot, it was killed.

Of course you think that about unions. when is the last time a positive news story was put on about unions? It is your training. i talk to young people and they know they hate unions, but they never know why.
We are teaching to pass some tests. the financing is tied to it. So we create kids who know what is expected on the tests. Education is supposed to help you learn how to think, not what to think,

Wasn’t your new gun control leader Boss Hogg taught in a public school system?

 

[cawacko]

Nope. You may not have noticed that people move from place to place. Education has to be universal. It has to travel.

Good lord. So you want Washington, D.C. to dictate that every single school district must teach the exact same thing and exact same lessons. Zero flexibility for anyone. Good luck getting your vision implemented. What a scary thought.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

Not sure who is paying attention to this, but it's tough to watch what some of these teachers have to do just to make ends meet. Many work multiple jobs. The salaries they have talked about our incomprehensibly low to me...often just above the poverty line.

OK ranks 49th in teacher pay, but it's not like it's that great in most states.

What does it say about America that we put such a low priority on compensating this profession? I actually can't think of too many professions that I would consider to be more important. It makes no sense, and is a poor investment in our future.

Thanks for saying this. My youngest is a teacher, with a masters in special ed/minor in early childhood special ed. She makes $40K/year, after 8 years of teaching.

WTF.

 

[Sirthinksalot]

Thanks for saying this. My youngest is a teacher, with a masters in special ed/minor in early childhood special ed. She makes $40K/year, after 8 years of teaching.

WTF.

Adjusting for the fact that teachers work 3/4 of the year, it's equivalent to a person working all year making over $53,000. Furthermore, most teachers can retire in their early 50s with a full pension, plus they have great health care benefits. Cry harder snowflake!

 

[cawacko]

Thanks for saying this. My youngest is a teacher, with a masters in special ed/minor in early childhood special ed. She makes $40K/year, after 8 years of teaching.

WTF.

Does she work at a private or public school? (private schools generally pay less right?)

 

[Cypress]

Not sure who is paying attention to this, but it's tough to watch what some of these teachers have to do just to make ends meet. Many work multiple jobs. The salaries they have talked about our incomprehensibly low to me...often just above the poverty line.

OK ranks 49th in teacher pay, but it's not like it's that great in most states.

What does it say about America that we put such a low priority on compensating this profession? I actually can't think of too many professions that I would consider to be more important. It makes no sense, and is a poor investment in our future.

Dostoyevsky said you can judge the civilization of a society by looking into its prisons...but I think that can be amended to add a society can be judged on how it values it's teachers.

I do not think respect for teachers in the United States is very high. The lack of respect obviously translates to some degree to salary. Not many people encourage their kids to be teachers. I actually cannot think of any adult I know who actively talks up teaching and encourage their kids to pursue it.

Conservative dogma attacks public education year in and year out, decade after decade. I know over the years there have been discussions on the board in which the rightwing in particular, held public education and teachers in low esteem.

We live in a materialistic society that places enormous value on status, wealth, and the trappings of power. The pursuit of money and profit are often held to be the pinnacle of human achievement. Look at Trump - a lifetime pursuing money, prestige, wealth, and materialism. Does he seem like the type of guy that would hold teachers in high esteem?

I have a niece who loves being a teacher, but is thinking about getting out of it because it is almost impossible the make ends meet. I do not think it speaks well to our society that a prison guard or a Pentagon contractor could make a reasonably comfortable living, while a lot of teachers can't. I do not think super-charged, self-interested capitalism of the kind that exists in this country is completely to blame. But the lack of respect for teaching as a career and teachers in particular has to have at least something to do with how this country worships the kind of super-charged materialism, profiteering, and militarism seen on Wall Street, the Pentagon, and throughout the bastions of the existing economic hierarchy of this society.

 

[leaningright]

As far as I can remember, LR has never complained about pay. I know cost of living is low there, but some of the salary ranges they were talking about were so low - and, of course, school supplies, books and any kind of special programs really suffer, as well.

Budget is a direct reflection of our priorities as a nation. I just think it's embarrassing how low proper education is on the list. That kind of investment pays for itself many times over.

I picked this as the post to quote in my response. I knew going in back in 1984 what the pay was like in Oklahoma. I just wanted to teach, make a living, provide a home and be able to participate in my hobbies. I have been offered jobs with accounting firms after helping solve some problems for them over a summer ... more money. I have been offered jobs with a company that frames and dries in houses after working with them over a few summers ... more money. I have been offered jobs from a republican politician after helping him with his campaign ... more money. The latest is an offer from TI ... my teacher retirement in tact and more money. I have turned all of these offers down because I like to teach an am not out to do more than what I stated in the third sentence of this paragraph.

Along the way I have been fortunate to be able to travel to a few locations I didn’t have the desire to travel to when I started back in my twenties. That brings me to my second point...cost of living. I make enough to live comfortably. I own a 5 bedroom, 2200 sq ft house on two acres. Over the years it has been about a $60,000 investment. Much lower than a lot of places. I live among a lot of poor people. I make in the neighborhood of $45,000 a year and get to stay home doing it and that makes me rich in their eyes. The folks who go off and work in the oil industry or construction industry obviously make more but they have to go away to do it. But I fully understand why some can’t make a go on the starting salary in OK. If I hadn’t stayed single for so long (didn’t get married until I was 35) I don’t know if I could have done it. If I didn’t live in the country I’d have a much more difficult time. If I wasn’t raised and taught to make my own household repairs and do my own remodels I’d not have what I have. I drive a 21 year old truck and a 14 year old Tahoe. My wife does work and we keep her in a newer vehicle but it has over 100,000 miles on it.

To my third point.... It is not a raise that I want. I want our schools to be fully funded once again. We have been cut to the bare bones. I want our school to be able to hire a janitor so that I don’t have to clean my room every day and do the maintenance work on bathrooms that need to be done from time to time. I want to be able to buy new books for my classes...the ones that I use are 12+ years old. I’d like to have some that are more modern and tied to some online activities. I want our school to be able to offer music and art again. We have been cut more in the past 15 years than any state in the nation because of our republican leaders and their failure to value public education. I fully expect a wave in the other direction during the next few political cycles.

With that said, our staff of teachers voted unanimously not to participate in the walkout tomorrow. OKC passed a bill that implemented a tax increase (cigarette and fuel tax + gross production...the big one) and teacher raises. It is supposed to increase school funding and I think it would mean about an $8000 raise for me, less for teachers with fewer years of experience. Whatever. I just want them to fund our schools so we can do our jobs. I want them to appreciate that we’ve been doing more with less for a long time and we are growing tired. I’m OK with what they’ve passed if they’ll just follow through and not go back and change things. But Oklahoma Educators Association isn’t satisfied and is encouraging the walkout take place anyway. Tom Coburn is organizing on the other side to protest the increase in taxes. And I’m still tired. I’m ready to retire and get a job driving a tractor for Fish and Game.

 

[Damocles]

Not sure who is paying attention to this, but it's tough to watch what some of these teachers have to do just to make ends meet. Many work multiple jobs. The salaries they have talked about our incomprehensibly low to me...often just above the poverty line.

OK ranks 49th in teacher pay, but it's not like it's that great in most states.

What does it say about America that we put such a low priority on compensating this profession? I actually can't think of too many professions that I would consider to be more important. It makes no sense, and is a poor investment in our future.

Well, considering teachers are not paid nationally, this would reflect more on OK than on all of America.