Just say 'no' to teachers' unions bill

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Wednesday, May 26. 2010

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The Savannah Morning News

We encourage Georgia Congressmen John Barrow and Jack Kingston to vote "no" on proposed legislation to spend $23 billion to help powerful teachers' unions.

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#1 isa on 05/26/10 at 06:41 AM

Teachers do not need a union. They need to teach our students reading-writing-arithmetic.
Only bad teachers need unions to keep their jobs.

#2 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 08:25 AM

I'm all for the teachers but I feel that they have gotten out of hand. I have lots of freinds who are teachers and they are constantly compaining about money and furlow days. I tell them if money is that bad then go out and find another job. Except this job doesn't give you 3 months off a year.

#2.1 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 11:25 AM

GET REAL! UGHHHH!

#2.2 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 05:23 PM

So true. The salaries are higher as starting pay than social workers, law enforcement and MH counselors employed by the state. Then, they are given raises every year when other agencies are not. They talk like they have a sense of entitlement (complaining about going to work at the end of the summer and having to furlough with the rest of the state). This has gone on for too long, beginning with Gov. Miller. It seems we have shot ourselves in the foot with these high salaries as it has caught up with us now and the children are suffering. It is time to get back to the basics; hiring teachers that want to teach and not for highes paying jobs with the most time off.

#3 Educator for 35 years on 05/26/10 at 09:42 AM

Listen, young minded people. Teachers need protection and Job security. I have been a Teacher since 1975. And kids are not the same. They talk back curse and tell you what to kiss and how to kiss it. And actually we have 1 and a half months off from school. Which I think is well deserved! Some of you parents get tired of your own children on the weekend! How do you think we feel for 200 hundred days a year for 8 hours a day. And not to mention the FREE over time. I work till 5:30 p.m everyday and I arrive at work at 7:00 a.m everyday. I don't get paid a penny more if a student needs extra help after school. BUT, because I'm the EDUCATOR I' am I stay everyday! GROW UP! I wish some of you would apply to sub just one day! And see if you can survive! Are you smarter than a fifth grader? I guess not- we have been stop teaching: reading, writing, and arithmetic! You must have been one of my VERY first students!

#3.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 10:20 AM

I will for one commend you for the great job you do...for our kids! THANK YOU My hat goes off to you!

#3.2 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 06:42 PM

You make more money than those of us with the same education that work 365 days per year well over 8hrs per year.. The three months is still there, only stretched out over the year (spring break, winter break, fall break, etc etc). Sorry, no sympathy here. Check out the salaries of other state employees that work all year for those of you that are not aware of this.

#3.2.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 07:29 PM

oops, well over 8 hrs per day

#3.2.1.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 09:25 PM

So go enter the T.A.P.P. program with your equally educated self and teach school since you are sure it's an easy job with so many built in days off. :)

#3.2.1.1.1 Anonymous on 05/28/10 at 07:15 AM

There was a time when I may have considered it but now have many years into my career in another feild and am in management so my career has led to other avenues. At this point, it would not be a logical choice to make a major change. Some feel a calling toward other professions with children but, unfortunately, get paid less.

#3.2.2 Hardworking Teacher on 05/27/10 at 08:44 PM

I guess you think we actually get a break over the summer and on the spread out breaks. Come to the school during the summer and you will see teachers preparing their rooms and making plans for the next year. We don't get paid for that. Do you know how many times I have to take work home such as papers to grade that students were too lazy to complete the first time around, but have to be given another chance to complete it? When I was in school you got one chance and one chance only to do the work. Now we have to bend over backwards to give students multiple times to redo tests and homework. I have neglected my family at home to do paperwork that can not be done at school and I know many other teachers who do the same. So maybe you should see it is not a 9-5 job with summers off. If you had to deal with some of these kids you would need a break too.

#3.2.2.1 Anonymous on 05/28/10 at 07:09 AM

I appreciate the job you do but read your comment again with an open mind. To the rest of us it sounds like complaint after complaint from a very well-paid individual that does the same thing that others do year round for less pay. Other professionals could submit a list of their "unpaid" overtime, duties that are above regular job requirements, and in addition to that, having thier lives threatened, and being on-call 24-7. That bein said, there are many people that work very hard at very hard jobs for the state and are paid less and work more days. Sorry we cannot place school jobs in a higher paygrade or overall status. I do sincerely thank you for the job that you do, though - from another lower paid state employee

#3.3 Enoughcomplaining on 06/02/10 at 05:10 AM

With a month and a half off during the summer months you still have more free time than most Americans who make less money and have eqaul education backgrounds. You also have fall, winter, spring, and Christmas breaks that the average American does not have. You also have job security after 5 years even though many of you fail to do your jobs. You have free periods, and most of you leave by 4pm. Most Americans work year round for less pay. So it is complaining, and if teachers did their jobs and didn't put the unions first our schools wouldn't be failing. Why do teachers fight so hard to block charter schools or have any competition. Because most of them, not all, are failing at their jobs. A major study quoted on the Neal Boortz show stated that people that entered the teaching profession today scored at the bottom of the SAT/ACT tests and graduated at the bottom of their college graduating classes. I have 5 teachers in my family and all they do is complain. I think they are paid plenty for what they do. Time for the teacher's to grow up and the unions to get out so the schools can improve.

#3.3.1 Think again on 06/02/10 at 02:14 PM

In the first place we don't even have a union. Secondly, we have three evaluations throughout the year and can be rejected a contract for the following year. Just because you have tenure doesn't mean the principal can not get rid of you. For the comment about teachers leaving before 4:00 pm most of them choose to take the work home and do it because we do have families to get home to as well. So just remember that when you get off work and plop yourself in front of the TV that there is a teacher grading papers or making phone calls to parents at night after they leave school. (on top of taking care of our own children) Trust me the job does not end when you leave the school.

#3.3.1.1 Anonymous on 06/02/10 at 06:13 PM

Other professionals work after 5:00 on a regular basis, including summers and the day before Christmas eve, et, it is not just teachers.

#3.3.1.1.1 You Choose on 06/02/10 at 08:21 PM

No, it's not just teachers. People choose their profession. So if you are so angry and jealous of the time teachers have off, please be my guest and step up to the plate, get your teaching degree and teach.

#3.3.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 06/03/10 at 04:34 PM

other professions are just as rewarding, only the pay is not comparable and the state budget is suffering

#3.3.2 Anonymous on 06/02/10 at 02:38 PM

WEll said! Well said!

#4 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 11:57 AM

I had an eight grade teacher, Mrs. Rhodes. She was the absolute worst. She would scream at us and tell us our questions were stupid. She told me I was not smart enough for college prep. Other teachers said everyone knew what a crap teacher she was but she had tenure and there was nothing that could be done. Screw tenure. She should have been fired for how she talked to us and degraded us.

#5 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 01:32 PM

The majority of teachers nowadays are arrogant and overreactive, and very expectant.

You should listen to a group of them talk sometime.

#6 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 03:03 PM

Yeah, the federal government has no business bailing out cash-strapped rural school districts. Who do these teachers think they are, Goldman Sachs?

#6.1 Anonymous on 05/26/10 at 10:24 PM

Dont you pay federal taxes?

#6.1.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 06:05 PM

Do you understand sarcasm?

#6.1.1.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 06:39 PM

Its hard to distinguish from the normal drivel that is posted. Good one.

#7 The Snarky Georgian on 05/26/10 at 05:53 PM

Walter Geiger does not list the author of this piece. Most people from Georgia would know that it is against the law for public employees here to engage in collective bargaining. There are no "powerful teachers' unions" in this state. If there were, wages and benefits would be higher, on par with other states.

We have two weak, largely ineffectual teachers organizations that represent public school teachers and no state organization represents professors in the University System.

I for one do not understand the hostility some Georgians feel for educators. Most of us are hard-woking, regular folks. Politicians, however, might prefer low high-school graduation rates and lower college enrollments. Educated people are threatening to people in authority, and we certainly would not want to build a prosperous, independent-thinking populace here.

#8 Georgia Teacher on 05/27/10 at 04:21 AM

As a teacher, I don't think Georgia should get money borrowed from China to keep teachers working.

I do think the state should have complied with its constitutional mandate to adequately fund education for its students.

And I suspect that most of those bashing teachers here wouldn't step in a classroom for love nor money.

#9 cats on 05/27/10 at 05:00 AM

When I was young and living in a very hard situation, school was my only refuge. The teachers may have sensed it, or they may have seen how desperately happy I was to be away from my home situation, and were kind and supportive toward me.
That was many years ago, but it's certainly colored my feelings toward educators.
When my 2 children were in school here, I gave the teachers permission to paddle my kids if needed. (Remember I was paddled in the 8th grade at Villa Rica HS- I deserved it.)
It's not us against them here. I certainly wouldn't want to be with a pile of hormones for 8 hours daily- this is why I'm not a teacher.
A little respect is due here, folks. Teachers are trying to pour knowledge and discipline into some hard heads. I think we do our young people a favor by teaching them to sit down, shut up and show a little respect to an adult.
They will need that skill in future, when we hopefully get them out of the house and into their futures.

#10 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 05:11 AM

There is not enough money to make me teach some of these kids, public or private. I am so thankful for the good teachers we have.

#11 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 06:45 AM

It would be great to see love and dedication in all teachers. There are some that give the profession a bad name. People have had bad experiences with teachers and use that to judge other teachers. There needs to be something in place to remove ineffective teachers so that good ones get the recognition they deserve.

#12 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 08:27 AM

Teachers unions are nothing more than an excuse to let BAD teachers stay in the profession and continue to intimidate, bully, harass and yes even KILL students!

http://www.examiner.com/x-/x-4959-Special-Education-Examiner~y2009m5d23-Is-a-license-to-teach-also-a-license-to-kill

I have been involved personally with special ed in public schools for over 10 yrs now, and in helping parents across the country with the blatant corruption.

If anyone else in the free world got away with what BAD teachers get away with, they would be FIRED from their jobs. Why are teachers above this? They even have 'rubber rooms' that they stay in when they are bad instead of being fired. They get PAID to sit all day and do nothing -

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/05/04/2008-05-04_teachers_in_trouble_spending_years_in_ru.html

Dont' get me wrong, I know there are GREAT teachers out there. My own daughter had a great teacher here in Pike Co that was belittled by the special ed dept and mandated to keep her mouth shut instead of helping my child like she wanted to do.

This crap is rampant all over the US and most parents don't even know it.

#13 TTerry on 05/27/10 at 09:19 AM

The old saying about teachers a long time ago was (If a child fails to learn--The teacher fails to teach). We had on average of 30 to 35 kids in a class every day. Mrs Wilson, Mrs Sullivan, Mrs Cherry, Mrs Frambo and a long list of others. My hats off to these ladies for a great job of my education. They had complete control of the classroom,because the powers in charge backed them. If we misbehaved,and it was often, our parents were notified, and we paid a price. If you did something really bad, punishment was administered, in front of the whole class.
The teachers of today are not lucky enough to have the backing of the parents of unruly children. I had a cousin that was a teacher,and I could not believe some of the cases that happened to her and others. Could not get over the lack of parent backing, but threats of law suits because their child was not allowed to do what and when he or she wanted. I really do think every decision made by the teachers in the classroom,with guidance, should have total control of his or her classroom, you loose if you don't. If they have kids that spit, curse, or threaten a teacher, should be expelled from school if their parents wont get involved. Remember we will always have to have people to say-----you want fries with that? Get them out of class where kids want to learn.
I was a union member for 22 yrs. Went over five years once with no cost of living or raise. Point is the unions protect a bad worker, as well as a good one. Even ones that cost a company lots of money.I have seen this happen over stealing, and the union saved his job. Thats just one of a bunch.
The teachers do not need the N.E.A. to play politics. It should go by the way of the doe-doe bird. Washington has no business in the teaching business, it needs to be handled at state level,but the N.E.A. is now the most feared union of politicians.
At one time a union was a good and necessarey thing, but they have out lived their usefulness. I do not think a union is necessary for good teachers to keep and prosper in their career. Just stick to the three Rs and no politics, that, they need to learn as they start getting paychecks with all of the deductions taken away from them. They will learn this just like my granddaughter that started her first real job,as she pondered why they took so much. I told her welcome to the real world, and keep your nose in the wind.

#13.1 Anonymous on 05/27/10 at 12:40 PM

I agree with you so much. In addition to the parents not backing up teachers in disclipline, it's also the administrators who don't back up the teachers.
It is a part of NCLB law that states if a school has disclipline reports and is considered a 'bad' school, they will not get MONEY. SO the reason kids don't get discliplined in school now is because of MONEY.
You would think that in order to get this money, schools would actually make the kids behave. But they don't. Instead they ignore it all so there won't be any disclipline reports, so there won't be any proof of disclipline being taken, thus - MORE MONEY!
And most parents don't even know this is happening.
If you ever wonder WHY there's so much disrespect, bullying, fighting, suicides, and killing in schools, now you know.

And WE as PARENTS pay these educators their PAYCHECK to do this to OUR OWN CHILDREN!

#13.2 Anonymous on 06/05/10 at 05:35 AM

You're telling your age. I had the same teachers and I know how old I am.

#14 Anonymous on 05/28/10 at 07:52 AM

3.2.2 wrote - When I was in school you got one chance and one chance only to do the work. Now we have to bend over backwards to give students multiple times to redo tests and homework

WHY? Why can't you give them just one chance now? That's why they don't care, cause they KNOW they can get away with it.

#14.1 Hardworking Teacher on 05/28/10 at 07:37 PM

Because we too have a boss telling us we have to do it. For #3.2.2.1 Don't get me wrong I love my job and I just think that people have the wrong impression that we do nothing but teach and go home and have so much time off. They don't see the long list of extras that teachers put into making students lives better. We are not just teachers. I also understand that every job has perks and so called complaints, but people choose their own profession. I have plenty of parents over the years telling me I don't know how you do it followed by "I could not be a teacher"

#14.1.1 enough on 06/04/10 at 06:33 PM

Why should teachers make four times the average salary of the people in the community they are taxing. It's insane.

#14.1.1.1 Why? on 06/06/10 at 12:11 PM

Why do baseball,football, basketball ect. make millions when teachers taught them how to read, write and so much more. Yet we and other state employees don't get paid squat compared to these types of people who do get paid an extreme amount more. Maybe if all of us underpaid people quit supporting events like this it would show them we are tired of being unprioritized and under appreciated.

#14.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 06/06/10 at 03:46 PM

Ha ha, Baseball, football, basketball, etc. players don't need to know how to read and write. It is common for athletes to be allowed to pass to be able to play. Very poor argument there.

#14.1.2 Theresa Geroge on 06/16/10 at 08:36 AM

I agree with you. My daughter is a teacher and my son in law they work all the time. The school hours and then come home and plan and get things together. It is never ending. They even have to supply soap!!!! at the school for the students because the county does not supply it, to our schools. The teachers are underpaid!! they are teaching our children and educating the future of America. Teachers need a raise and they need security. I am all for anything that helps the teachers get a raise and job security.

#15 "over-paid" teacher on 06/04/10 at 09:55 PM

Because most of them have four times the education! Average teacher salary in GA is $48,000. If your statistic is true then the average employeed Lamar Co. resident makes $12,000 a year- before taxes!!!??? Do the math.

#15.1 Teacher tired of others complaining on 06/06/10 at 09:17 AM

That's just average. Most teachers that make that much have a Master's degree (which took 2 years of college past the 4 year bachelor degree) and have worked for 8 years. Starting teaching salary is approx $33,000. So our pay is really based how many degrees and how many years experience you have. So if you are complaining about the pay of teachers maybe you should get more degrees if you don't have one at all or aquire something past a bachelor degree to move you up in pay. I had two small children when I got both my first two degrees and I am currently working on my specialist so I don't want to hear from anyone I don't have time....especially since online schools are now available for people's convenience. I bet if some people wiped out Facebook Farmville and other unproductive stuff like that in their lives they would get further ahead. Where's your priorities?

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