Here's the problem. The problem is, the PUBLIC is responsible for the budgets set forth in public schools. Here in Texas, we don't have a state income tax. That means, property taxes pay for public schools. If they want to give more to those in the public sector, that means higher taxes. When was they last time you heard people saying 'HELLS YEAH, I WANT TO PAY HIGHER TAXES!!'

It's a position that people should be more passionate about. I know people here that complain they are never planning on having children, and for that reason they shouldn't have to pay for schools...

It is truly one of those circles. Can't pay them more unless more people want to pay more...

$500/mo? What is that going to pay for, his cell and cable bill?

And I'm not sure how many teachers are union, but I'm betting it's a minority. They can get fired easily, for petty political reasons.

Zoomie, those people with no kids who complain, need to realize that someone else paid their education for them too.

umm.. on top of a pension from a real job, an extra 500$/month is a nice bonus. Its not like volunteers have to be there everyday for 12 hours.

Its over half the payment of a Camaro, and thats a nice retirement gift to yourself. I dont imagine he plans on living on 500/month when he retires.

Oh, I know that. No one WANTS an uneducated society. But, no one really wants to pay for it. Hell, people don't WANT To pay for their own children :lol:

I feel for teachers. But, it really is much like any other profession - those that give a shit and put in extra time and attention are better at their job, and are usually the ones that get chewed up and spit out by the "job."

NYS is mostly union..

This is one of those threads where I can hardly formulate a response for the incredible amount of fail by one poster. Seriously, all joking aside, his attitude and propensity for residing in left field actually scares me.

When I was a teacher, it almost consumed me, and I worked hard to create a balance. I was at school from 7am-6pm every day. I spent most Sundays either planning or marking. When I had to learn a new song for a class, I spent countless hours practicing it and learning to play. When there was a school production, all the teachers chipped in to build sets, run acting classes, etc.

I worked an average of 60 hour weeks (at school) and probably about another 10 or so outside of school. So yes, I had time off, but I when I was working I worked 70 hours a week. :idk: Oh...and all of this was for 40,000 a year BEFORE taxes.

Edit: I should add that I'm not whining or complaining about this. I just find it really hard to believe that someone is judging an entire profession based on a few bad apples. I'm well educated and worked my ass off to do the very best I could do in my chosen profession. It's just astounding that someone would be so negative about it. :scratch:

Yet you hurl personal insults like a child. I know they say when you teach you learn but I didn't think it was from the kids.

Do you think that other people in other professions don't work hard hours like that? Your average CEO and even doctors would dream of a 60-70 hour work week. How many people do you think come home and just forget their work until they clock in the next day? How many people travel for weeks on end for projects outside of their area. When I moved pool tables one thing I noticed is just about every house had an office. Why have an office if you "just go home" unlike teachers.

Our school systems are failing miserably and America is the laughingstock of the other countries when it comes to education. Oddly enough our colleges are top notch which draws students from around the world. College teachers are not paid much better than public school teachers (and they HAVE to have much greater knowledge than a simple education degree). They still aren't paid as good as some Union monkey at a GM assemly plant but that's another subject.

I'd be more open to teachers getting better pay IF they can turn the education system around. You don't do it by demanding more money, you do it through hard work and working with the people above you for realistic solutoins. After that, then you demand more money and rightfully so.

What does "deserve" have to do with it? Teachers are paid what the market will bear. With pay where it is there are already more teachers than teaching positions. Teachers unions are supposed to be working to increase teachers' pay but appear to be completely incompetent. As long as teachers work for the pay they currently receive that pay isn't going to significantly increase.