Comments on: Fun Monday

By: storyteller

storyteller — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:50:46 +0000

I missed your Fun Monday post last week, but noticed it today as I left my link for this week. Teacher compensation has always been near & dear to my heart as well … especially when one considers what ‘sports figures’ and ‘entertainers’ earn and the cost of living. I’m ‘happily retired’ after 34 years in the classroom … raised by a Dutch mom who taught me to live within my means always … but how can society reconcile the variance in compensation and what does that say about our values? Excellent post …
Hugs and blessings,

By: ari_1965

ari_1965 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:51:29 +0000

Sorry, not with you on the teacher pay question. Teachers right out of college with only a B.A. start at $44,000 in my area, and they have excellent health and dental that costs them next to nothing. I think that’s an adequate starting salary package, even more so when you consider that the job is only for 9 months out of the year. Most other recent college graduates don’t earn anywhere near $44,000 right out of the starting gate and they work 12 months/year.

By: Alison

Alison — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:31:28 +0000

Welcome to Fun Monday!! I agree with you, our teachers are vastly underpaid and they have incredible responsibility…I vote for you!!

By: amanda

amanda — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:28:00 +0000

My folks are both teachers so I have to agree! Although, I think the Aussie teaching system is much different to yours (tenure? eh?).
Thanks for your comment today. I recently got back into blogging after a break of about 6 months (after I lost the shared blog in the custody battle post-split, and yes, it could be worse, there could be kiddies involved). Look forward to reading more from you.
Cheers
Amanda

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Fun Monday. Since both my husband and I are teachers, I am all for number one. If administrators were doing their job, there would be no need for number 3 as incompetent people would be eliminated at an earlier stage than tenure. Bonuses, now there is a good idea.

By: Irish Coffeehouse

Irish Coffeehouse — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:12:59 +0000

Oh how very true! I’m all for merit pay and tenure? What’s that all about? Nonsense if you ask me.

Great list! And welcome to the FM Family!

By: teacher/husband

teacher/husband — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:21:57 +0000

Still looking forward to homecoming on Thurs:-)

Good test scores ? Good teaching!!!

By: Robocop

Robocop — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:07:01 +0000

There are many honorable occupations that are underpaid. Raising the wage of teachers would be a good start.

By: Sayre

Sayre — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:31:42 +0000

I am 100% behind you on pay!!! Teaching is a calling and there is a severe shortage of good teachers. Probably because the calling is being turned away in favor of actually making a living. Bonuses are a great idea, no matter what field you’re in (I’m a state worker and we’ve actually taken CUTS in pay because our “raises” for the last 5 years haven’t kept up with inflation. I make less today than I did five years ago!).

I can’t reallly speak to tenure as I am unfamiliar with it, but it sounds like you have thought about it a lot – so I’ll go along with you. Hope you’re still married on Friday!

By: faye

faye — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:53:47 +0000

Hi Emily! Welcome to Fun Mondays–you’re right, this is a great opportunity for a group of very different people to weigh in on a topic pulled out of the air. I’ve been participating for almost a year and always have something to say on the selected topic.

I agree with all of your recommendations for teachers. As a society, we undervalue and underpay those professions that have the greatest potential for improving our future citizens. I’m a retied teacher and I would have been entirely comfortable with both merit pay and lack of tenure. Treating everyone the same and protecting longevity for its own sake just leads to mediocre teaching.