Try grading exams for a class of 25 when these exams take 4 hours a piece to correct. On top of that, try preparing lessons for your other classes, grading exams for these classes as well, running after-school activities and planning a class trip for 32 9th graders to a foreign country.
Yes, teachers have it good.
Good is not the right word, but it's a damn good thing I love my job because I know that I am making a difference in the lives of my students.
I don't attack your profession. You don't attack mine.
Here's an intersting pov... from a teacher who obviously takes pride in his profession:
I'd rather my local bux go to him than a gov't bureaucracy, any day. Hard work for a dollar always equates with me.... so yeah, I hear you both, Michelle and DC... I really do. But at the same time, I'm disheartened at the prospect that not only the kids, but the teachers suffer from the budget cutbacks that failed levies bring about.
In some cases, the teachers that kids see ARE the only parenting they receive. In other cases, those same teachers supplement the parenting that is already helping to make their kids a potential success when they grow older.
What price is appropriate for that kind of service to the community? What price is worth it for our country's future?
Do any of us know the number?
I also just want these people to be able to do what they're called to do... and we ALL know they can't, if their own neighbors "just say no" ... simply because they can do so on this particular ballot.
I see it as an investment in our nation's future... mismanaged money and all. There may come a time when I too say, "Enough is enough!" and vote no. So far, for me... that time hasn't come yet. Your mileage may vary- and that's cool with me, too...
You'll be happy to know that our school levy passed this week. I didn't even know there was one on the ballot. Didn't see a yard sign or get one piece of junk mail about it. Hmmm. Guess I wasn't a very informed citizen on that one.
Michelle - that's apparently a common tactic that levy proponents use to pass a levy - the August "special election". In my suburb, property taxes have tripled since we moved in - every couple years, another school levy. Its for the children, dontcha know? Well the people finally had enough and the last levy had been trounced by more than 2-1 margins three times in a row. So last August they ran a "special election", way under the radar, no signs, no newspaper reports - nothing - and darned if it didn't pass. The proponents were the only ones that knew about it.
Xenia’s renewal levy, a 3.5-mill, five-year measure that will not increase taxes, was approved by a vote of 1,519 to 584 (72 percent to 28 percent). Voter turnout on a soggy day was only 12 percent.
The turnout was so low because nobody knew about it...
Quote: You'll be happy to know that our school levy passed this week. I didn't even know there was one on the ballot. Didn't see a yard sign or get one piece of junk mail about it. Hmmm. Guess I wasn't a very informed citizen on that one.
You non-voting puke,.... Glad it passed though,...what is your property tax hit ??
Quote: Try grading exams for a class of 25 when these exams take 4 hours a piece to correct. On top of that, try preparing lessons for your other classes, grading exams for these classes as well, running after-school activities and planning a class trip for 32 9th graders to a foreign country.
Yes, teachers have it good.
Good is not the right word, but it's a damn good thing I love my job because I know that I am making a difference in the lives of my students.
I don't attack your profession. You don't attack mine.
I didn't attack your profession. You took it as an attack, and that is not my fault.
Please note: every job has good and bad. You're not the only one, okay?
Teachers do not have it any worse than most of us.
And, what grade do you teach? It takes 4 hours for you to grade 1 single exam? 25 students, man, that's 100 hours of grading. That's over 4 days IF you worked 24 hours a day, and you don't - not on grading exams anyway. Take away your 8 or 9 hours at school......... what kind of exams are these? And you do this weekly? Oh, no, probably once a year. Anyway, 4 hours to grade an exam is ridiculous. There's a problem there somewhere.
I won't go on as this thread is not about you or me or teachers - it's about levies.
I would love to continue this conversation though - in pm's or a new thread, if you so desire.
Again, I never attacked teachers or the profession.
Wow. What kind of exams are you giving? You should rethink how you are doing your work. I taught a managerial accounting class at Kent State, and didn't have to deal with anything like that. Teaching can be time consuming, but you should get your lesson planning down to a science. If you are teaching the same material every year, you should be able to reuse your plans. I'm sorry, but from my personal experience, teaching is much easier than most other jobs.
Quote: Try grading exams for a class of 25 when these exams take 4 hours a piece to correct. On top of that, try preparing lessons for your other classes, grading exams for these classes as well, running after-school activities and planning a class trip for 32 9th graders to a foreign country.
Yes, teachers have it good.
Good is not the right word, but it's a damn good thing I love my job because I know that I am making a difference in the lives of my students.
I don't attack your profession. You don't attack mine.
Quote: Wow. What kind of exams are you giving? You should rethink how you are doing your work. I taught a managerial accounting class at Kent State, and didn't have to deal with anything like that. Teaching can be time consuming, but you should get your lesson planning down to a science. If you are teaching the same material every year, you should be able to reuse your plans. I'm sorry, but from my personal experience, teaching is much easier than most other jobs.
Exactly.
Teaching has goods and bads. The goods are: income. Benefits, Retirement after 25 years. Being able to buy years towards retirement. 2 1/2 months off every summer. 2 weeks off every winter. Most places have at least 3 days for spring break. Bad weather days. Lunch period, No class periods (gym, music, art periods).
Teachers are not over worked at all.
The bad? Supposedly starting wage, although most college grads start at the same or even a lower wage. Continuing wages - although teachers get raises based on time served - not quality.
And, the other bad..........hmmmm - I guess some teachers need to spend 4 hours grading a single exam. I guarantee 99% of them don't though.
Teachers do a great job overall. They, most anyway, like what they do. Most of them think they should get paid more. I think I should get paid more, don't you think you should get more?
Sorry about teachers spending and hour or 2 in the evening getting tests graded - it's what you signed up for, and if you can't do it in your free periods at school, I guess you get to do it at home.
I work at home all the time. I have a friend that is the controller for a business. He goes to work 7 days a week. He gets his salary - but to do his job he spends not only M-F at work 8 to 5, he puts in 2 to 5 hours on Saturday, and another 3 hours on most sundays. He doesn't gripe and complain. He doesn't get 2 1/2 months off every summer or 2 weeks at Christmas.
Me - and this is my choice, okay? I get no paid time off. Not one day. I work all day, then come back and do the "office" work. Wanna day off? I can do it whenever I want. And it's not paid. Not one cent. Hear me griping? Nope.
Take any job - there are good things and bad things. I get tired of hearing about teachers that work 100 hours a week, are underpaid, blah blah blah. The teachers that say that more than likely haven't had any other job to realize that, unless you work in a factory or at a gas station or fast food place - that's how things are.
These are twelfth-year student English exams. Then when spring rolls around and you get to the Abitur, the test that German students need to graduate high school, it takes six hours per exam.
And did I say anything about being underpaid or complaining about my hours?
I griped about the fact that people seem to have the impression that teachers do nothing and just count down to summer vacation and don't look into what it is that teachers actually have to do.
Quote: And did I say anything about being underpaid or complaining about my hours?
I griped about the fact that people seem to have the impression that teachers do nothing and just count down to summer vacation and don't look into what it is that teachers actually have to do.
Back up a little. No one said what you just said "people" say. No one.
All I have said, or all I have tried to say is: teachers have it pretty good compared to other working people. And they do.
I have it pretty good compared to others, and I don't have a retirement package. I don't get 3 months off per year. While I don't grade exams (and I don't care where you live or teach, 4 hours to grade a test is crazy, let alone 6 hours. I question that greatly by the way, and if it IS accurate, there's serious problems in that school district).
My wife thinks she has it pretty good in her job. Most of my friends think they have it pretty good. And yes, every person I mentioned thinks they should be paid more. And, aside from the teachers - no one else gets 3 months off per year, plus vacation time as well.
Teachers have it pretty good. Sorry you don't see it that way. But apparently you haven't had a full time job other than teaching. There's pluses and minuses to every job - not just teaching.
Quote: And did I say anything about being underpaid or complaining about my hours?
Actually, yes, you did gripe about your hours - the 4 hours per exam per student you supposedly spend "grading". The time you spend planning a trip. The time you spend doing lesson plans. (why don't last years work?)
My mom taught for 35 years. I don't remember her spending much time at home doing school work at all.
I have a cousin AND her fiancee that teach. They love it, and they never seem to "defend" what they do, and they absolutely never say things like "oh, it takes so much time. I can't do anything other than teach, grade, make lesson plans - etc)
In fact, this is their second year teaching in N.C. and they both have said "lesson plans? Basically the same as last year".
Again, I don't care to go much deeper in this thread. If you think teaching is so much harder than other jobs, pm me, or start a new thread. Then we'll discuss it in more detail.
Quote: and planning a class trip for 32 9th graders to a foreign country.
You're planning the trip, eh? Good chance you're going on it then, right? Are you paying full price, or is the school subsidizing it? See, just one more perk for you.
And to be honest...the lowest rung. The guy who picks up your litter or makes your Big Mac probably isn't revolutionary or groundbreaking in his thinking or ideals; he isn't likely to change the world...but what he/she does is important. It could be a teenager on the way up or a broken person on their way down...occasionally it's left to the mentally handicapped...but the lowest rung makes the world go round.
Quote: You remind me that I forgot soldiers...doctors...
And to be honest...the lowest rung. The guy who picks up your litter or makes your Big Mac probably isn't revolutionary or groundbreaking in his thinking or ideals; he isn't likely to change the world...but what he/she does is important. It could be a teenager on the way up or a broken person on their way down...occasionally it's left to the mentally handicapped...but the lowest rung makes the world go round.
Yes, there is always a place for everyone. Thanks for the props on "soldiers." I always wanted to be a doctor as a toddler, but it was out of my family's income level.
By the way people here still do not get that there are no sports, someone asked yesterday about the boys playing football this fall. I just don't understand how people did not understand the outcome of this levy
People voting for something they knew nothing about is so frustrating and infuriating! They already have their minds made up and will not take the time to educate themselves.
Apparently someone who was either really stupid (uneducated on voting) or was playing a sick joke on you,....or beneift of the doubt, someone who did not have voting rights in SWCSD.
Glad it passed though,...what is your property tax hit ??
