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Teachers pay

Discussion in 'The Dungeon' started by Repo Man 32, Apr 3, 2018.

  1. Motofun352

    Motofun352 Well-Known Member

    As a former school board director I feel I can weigh in here. The problem is much more located in the state government than the local school board. The unions have poisoned the bargaining process through state mandated rules and laws that cripple the local board. I did my duty on the board, I was in charge of the finance committee and on the negotiating committee when the contract was due to expire. There was NOTHING to negotiate except money. No way to negotiate for any kind of performance incentive. No way to deal with poor performance. The only bone the union threw to us was they would throw the janitors under the bus to get more money. Totally despicable and they would ruin the small town in order to get their way. The kids welfare wasn't anywhere on their list of demands. After my time in purgatory was over I did not run again. I know it was a chicken shit move on my part but I was getting angry and not very happy with being so frustrated....
     
    gixxerreese likes this.
  2. crashman

    crashman Grumpy old man

    None of that changes the fact that teachers are paid x dollars for x hours and there is nothing in the contract about working extra hours for free.
     
  3. Motofun352

    Motofun352 Well-Known Member

    That's kind of the point. All the BS about how altruistic their motives are and when it matters it's all about the money.
     
  4. crashman

    crashman Grumpy old man

    And the flip side of that argument is how people know that alot of them do enjoy teaching and care about the kids so it is easier to come up with ways to fuck them on pay...

    That being said, the teachers would have alot stronger argument if it was easier to get rid of crappy teachers.
     
  5. Motofun352

    Motofun352 Well-Known Member

    You know, I would be happy with that. We actually had a teacher that was so lame that he never upgraded or changed his teaching plan for 30 years. We had parents giving their kids the answers to tests that they took when they were in school. That was failure on so many levels.....Of course it's a small town where most teachers are related to others in the community...very hard to discipline Uncle Harry. :eek:
     
  6. In Your Corner

    In Your Corner Dungeonesque Crab AI Version

    That sounds nice but speaking as someone who was involved and fought the system for almost two decades, it's impossible for one person to affect anything from the top down, but you can damn sure walk into the school office and give the Principal an earful.
    And you can speak up to their teachers if they aren't doing a good job.
    Every Superintendent of schools knew me. I don't accept the old governmental "your beef is with someone else far above, I just work here" crap.
     
  7. In Your Corner

    In Your Corner Dungeonesque Crab AI Version

    No, there is no age exemption.
     
  8. kenessex

    kenessex unregistered user

    And this makes you the exception to the rule. You, sir, are a 1 percenter. The other 99 just want to bitch and try to make others do it their way.
     
  9. kenessex

    kenessex unregistered user

    Here is another fallacy. It is not hard to deal with ineffective teachers if the administrator is willing and able to do their job well. Part of the problem is we have too many poor administrators.
    I believe there are very few teachers who come to school every day with the attitude of; I want to see how hard I can suck today or see how much I can struggle.
    So the first step in dealing with an ineffective teacher, as an administrator, is to sit down with them and have the difficult discussion that they are not doing the kind of job that they need to. The next step is always to ask them how you can help. That is a hard discussion to have as it always involves hurt feelings and many times tears. Nobody, no matter how old they are likes to be told they are not doing a good job. If things don't change or can't change( don't assume that everybody can be a good teacher), then you have determined that the teacher needs to go and put them on a very specific plan of improvement with timelines, check points measures of success and professional development. If the teacher fails to meet the requirements of the plan of improvement they can be terminated. It usually will take about 2 years of work on the administrators part to get the job done legally, in concert with the negotiated agreement and honoring the rights of the teacher. It is a lot of work, takes time and many administrators manage to screw it up along the way and violate the contract, teachers rights or fair labor practices. Those are the admin that embarrass me professionally.
     
  10. crashman

    crashman Grumpy old man

    I agree that most teachers are trying to do a good job. My youngest daughter is currently in college pursuing a Special Ed degree so I am certainly not trying to criticize the profession. But like any job if someone is not performing well, are counseled and continue to do a poor job they should be let go. It doesn't matter if the problem is lack of ability or poor attitude. But your idea of "not hard" and mine vary considerably. I don't believe that it should take 2 years to get rid of someone that is doing poorly. That is subjecting alot of kids to substandard instruction. IMO, if you counsel someone and they continue to exhibit a poor attitude that should be grounds for immediate dismissal. If they have a decent attitude and show that they are willing to work at improving their skills then by all means spend a bit of time and effort on them.

    :crackup:Thats great! I did not have any issues until my kids were in high school. But I did know the Superintendent, most of the school board and the Principal of their high school. I may be alot of things but scared to speak up is not one of them. If there was an issue there would be one communication with the teacher and if that did not improve things I would go in and talk to the Principal. If nothing happened there I would follow up with an email to the Principal cc'ing the Super. I only had to do that a couple times until the Principal started responding. But I also made sure I had what I thought was a workable solution to any problem that I contacted them with. Through the years my kids had a few truly great teachers, alot of good teachers and a couple that had no business trying to be educators. I would just like to see the shitty educators kicked to the curb faster.
     
  11. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member

    How the hell did you know my real name? Are you some kind of spy or something?
    (and I didn't retire until 1503.)

    :moon:
     
    Funkm05 likes this.
  12. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member

    That's it exactly. It's not different. Most of them work far more than forty hours per week for almost all the year.
     
  13. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    So why do they bitch so much.

    Never mind according to the admin in charge, he was unable to secure any teacher participation with any extra hour bus duties as a result that they would have to work additional hours. How does this equate.
     
  14. 600 dbl are

    600 dbl are Shake Zoola the mic rula

    GTFO.
     
    badmoon692008 likes this.
  15. In Your Corner

    In Your Corner Dungeonesque Crab AI Version

    We worked to provide solutions for my son who is Aspergers, so we weren't just bitching. I paid for a couple of training sessions for the teachers by the founder of the Asperger's Association of New England. My wife volunteered during school hours and we were involved in PTA, playground maintenance volunteers, chaperoned field trips (one I did was 5 days long), did fundraisers and bake sales and you name it.
    One of my wife's closest friends still is my son's 2nd-grade teacher.
    I was even elected to the school finance committee once but unfortunately, a ballot question eliminated the school finance committee, so I was elected but could not serve.
    I did not angrily demand, but I made it clear I would not accept the status quo and today that status quo is very different and like to think I had some part in that. All the stuff we had to fight for and so much more is now just offered right from the start.
    It was worth it, though. Our Aspy is now 30 and you'd never know he has autism.
     
  16. sheepofblue

    sheepofblue Well-Known Member

    Actually if the whining is correct that is a false statement. I have read a ton of claims on the extreme off hour work they do.

    I am in G97's camp though. They claim to be professionals yet act like line workers. Most professionals do some personal time learning or enrichment. Most professionals have somewhat flexible hours.

    There are down sides to teaching such as the lack of flexibility on vacation time but it was a choice made just as other trades. Make the choice wisely and live with it happily or keep the whining down.
     
  17. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    True story

    I'm currently sitting in the Boonville Bar with a Waukee first grade teacher that I just met.

    Its for the children. LOL
     
  18. SGVRider

    SGVRider Well-Known Member

    If you’re old enough to be in the bar you’re too old for her, sorry bro.
     
    G 97, Motofun352 and pickled egg like this.
  19. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Why is he still in second grade?
     
  20. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    The power of the missing comma.
     

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