Another reason to hate unions.......Can't make this crap up........

[kydonky]

Agree some unions are asking too much. But lets look at this union, the teachers union. How many times in the past month have you turned on the TV and heard how bad teacher pay is?

Even on a game show, the contestant is a teacher and the first comment is "oh you do so much for so little". Or an interview with a teacher the interviewer says "my my, you sacrafice so much for being a teacher"

The general public is constantly being bombarded with how much teachers struggle. But no one mentions the benifits with a teaching profession. Two to three months off for summer, two weeks at Christmas, a week fall break, a week spring break, snow days, holidays, inservice days, sick days, insurance, off at 4:00 everyday and a retirement that exempts them from Social Security tax because it eliminates their need for Social Security.

I'm not saying we should hang teachers out to dry. Yes they work hard and they have a tuff job just as many jobs are tuff. They need to be paid. But there seems to be a very successful public relations campaign that only gives the messages that teachers are not paid enough.

I never see a public statement highlighting the benifits of a teaching profession.

(there I have said what has be unsaid about the elephant in the room)

So this is one union and they have helped tremendously to enhance one profession. But this does not make all unions bad. I see very few carpeters in a union that do not need Social Security.

Just as if you buy a KIA car and have a problem you would not say "all cars are junk" "I had one and it was a piece of Crapiola"

[stratosjoe]

Wow that is some article. My wife of 40 years is a dumbass she should have taught in New York or Chicago or Atlanta or God only knows what other big city in the U.S. But she didn't instead she teaches grade school in a community of 3,000 kids where we bus in 45% of the students from the sticks. She has her Doctorate but refuses to turn in the paperwork because our school district could not afford to pay her the going rate. She is in a union and agrees with some of the need and disagrees with others. But because she is in one of these "hated union" she and the other thousands of teachers who make less than $45,000 a year are lumped together just like the fatcat rich Republican and the poor black mistreated Democrat. Amazing how we can see a problem an cure it by throwing the whole group out in the trash. I am sure it is my left wing liberal spirit that accept 100k ayear plus the 50k the union would throw at me if offered. I think maybe we should be looking at the people who give this gold out with no concern for reality. All of the teachers I personally know through my wife are hard working people who care what your children amount to. They do get the time off as written but I wish you could see the after hours grading books, lesson plans charity functions for gloves and coats etc. Of course thats just my 2 cents worth

[kydonky]

Stratosjoe, I did not intend to insult you or your wife. I did state that I think teachers should be paid for their work. I for one could not tolerate 40 sceaming 12-13 year old brats in one room. (joke but not a joke).

My point is that we do not need to bust unions in order to "save the country". The other point was simply whas how the public preceives teachers. Just like you alluded to in your republican democrat statement, the underpaid teachers are the primary image. There are perks to the teaching profession that are not well publicized. Perhaps if these perks were better known we would have more teachers like your wife with excellent qualifications teaching in our schools.

[GeoFisher]

Stratos, it is very VERY simple.

Figure a way to base pay on MERIT. Eliminate the Union, eliminate everyone making the same thing even if they **** at what they do.

Teachers that perform above average using measurable metrics are paid better and receive bonuses, or whatever. The ones that don't.....well FIRE their ASS and hire someone willing to perform.

Unions and Collective bargaining take the drive to excel out of the human spirit.

Later,

Geo