Teachers to work for free

ryco · #1 02-24-2009, 10:04 AM

The governor of Oregon is offering to work for free for four days. Oh, and to cut his pay by $5,860 a year. But he wants every teacher in the state's public schools to work for free for five days, or the state will close the schools early this year. The State is already talking about making the rest of the year a four day week.

Teachers are already on the low end of the pay scale. Considering how important a good education is, they should be making real money.

Also seeing as in a lot of cases they also seem to double as daycare supervisors. Daycare is expensive!

Not a big fan of public education and don't have kids, but this seems insane.

nortonrider · #2 02-24-2009, 10:11 AM

Why not pay the teachers and have the administrators work without pay?

....yeah, that boat would never float.

Stinsok · #3 02-24-2009, 10:25 AM

Why not have the govenor and state senate work for free all the time?

PSPookie · #4 02-24-2009, 10:31 AM

Hmm . . . that sounds like a well thought out plan.

What we need to fix the economy are dumber kids. Not only should they be dumber but we should also make sure they have less to do and more time to roam the streets. This has all the earmarks of a brilliant long-term solution.

fo shizzle · #5 02-24-2009, 10:34 AM

Oregon is no different than the other 49 states that have massive budget shortfalls this year. They're just trying to deal with it the best they can.

The easy fix is to short the kids 5 days of school this year. At least the governor is trying to be creative in solving a problem.

Rocker949 · #6 02-24-2009, 10:35 AM

I really like the idea of administrators working without pay the best. That's a winner.

WalterBush · #7 02-24-2009, 10:42 AM

Our new governor instituted cuts immediately once the previous one went to work at the White House. She didn't wait 'til the new fiscal year, and nothing is off the block. She's trying to avoid situations like you describe.

An elementary school close to my home is not sending homework back with the kids; they're claiming their budget doesn't allow for the paper necessary for teachers to run off copies for 1st and 2nd grade homework. Keep in mind, this school doesn't have textbooks for those grades, either. Kindergartners and 1st graders also don't eat from the veggie bar part of the school lunch program, which sounds illegal to me.

So...if the teachers aren't getting paid much (they're not), there are no books and not enough money for paper...where's the money going? Their district is solid upper-middle class, so it's not like they don't have a budget to work with. My kids' school has plenty of paper, and a smaller budget

Personally, I'm eyeing the school board and administrators. Telling teachers to go home so we can save some dough is like telling the police or fire department to go home for a few days. Come on, really? You can't find anywhere else to cut?

ryco · #8 02-24-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fo shizzle

Oregon is no different than the other 49 states that have massive budget shortfalls this year. They're just trying to deal with it the best they can.

The easy fix is to short the kids 5 days of school this year. At least the governor is trying to be creative in solving a problem.

I understand that the state is trying to deal with the shortfall the best they can, but to cut the pay of the people who are already paid so little seems like a crappy solution.
Why make the working poor sacrifice?

MakiSupaStar · #9 02-24-2009, 10:54 AM

They're talking about doing the same thing in my district, here in California.

Thunderscreech · #10 02-24-2009, 10:57 AM

And here, in VA. My dad, who retired from teaching, goes up to see people occasionally.

For Oregon, that means more people to run the meth labs.

Gard · #11 02-24-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

They're talking about doing the same thing in my district, here in California.

Doesn't anyone find it ironic that the only people they are talking about putting OUT of work are the only ones actually DOING any work in the first place?

I say we make the "management" pukes work for a month with no pay, every single person in admin, every single executive branch elected official.

That otta make things about right...

(Note I did not say "stay home" I said WORK for no pay.)

SteveC · #12 02-24-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryco

Teachers are already on the low end of the pay scale. Considering how important a good education is, they should be making real money.

Also seeing as in a lot of cases they also seem to double as daycare supervisors. Daycare is expensive!

I teach in North Dakota. We are 49th on the pay scale. I think we could/should be paid more, but I am not (completely) unhappy with my salary. I am able to provide (barely) for my family.

The daycare thing is true. To many people, school is daycare. When school is closed for some reason, it is pandemonium.

If I was paid on a daycare basis (let's say $25 per day per kid) I'd make about $1,800 more a month. That's about a 60% increase. I'd take that.

nortonrider · #13 02-24-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalterBush

Telling teachers to go home so we can save some dough is like telling the police or fire department to go home for a few days. Come on, really? You can't find anywhere else to cut?

Well, that's exactly what they are doing around here. The Fire Depts are hurting bad and the news last night said to expect a busy signal if you call 911 because they are gonna cut the number of 911 operators.

Genius, Absolute Genius!

RWP · #14 02-24-2009, 11:26 AM

You have to be careful, sometimes you get what you ask for.

stevetx19 · #15 02-24-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinsok

Why not have the govenor and state senate work for free all the time?

because then only a select group of people can afford to hold public office...i mean its bad enough as it is

hbarcat · #16 02-24-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalterBush

Telling teachers to go home so we can save some dough is like telling the police or fire department to go home for a few days. Come on, really? You can't find anywhere else to cut?

State officials always say this when they have budget shortfalls. It's all a bluff. "We have no choice but to lay off teachers, police and EMT's, close the hospitals and parks and stop repairing the roads and picking up the trash." Then, when everyone is nice and scared, they announce that the only way to prevent all this stuff from happening is to raise taxes and fees. Because there is no way that they can cut bureaucracy, waste or fraud.

mothmonsterman · #17 02-24-2009, 07:56 PM

how about we fire the incompetent teachers and pay good teachers more that way we aren't producing ignorant drones that can't contribute to society?

jokn388 · #18 02-24-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mothmonsterman

how about we fire the incompetent teachers and pay good teachers more that way we aren't producing ignorant drones that can't contribute to society?

The union will not allow it. As far as they are concerned, all teachers are good teachers...

nortonrider · #19 02-24-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mothmonsterman

how about we fire the incompetent teachers and pay good teachers more

....You get what you pay for.

PurplePurple · #20 02-24-2009, 09:05 PM

My city is closing a fire station every weekend. It takes an extra two minutes for a fire truck to get to that neighborhood. It would really suck to have your house catch on fire and then lose it due to being a day the station was closed.

My state is also cutting things with a butcher knife but my Governor apparently took around $18k in per deim(sp?) pay for living at their own house instead of the govoner's mansion.

What is wrong with admin?