Opinions..

[freakygirl]

Ok.. here is the thing

My childrens teachers are going on strike as of Monday. The deal is.. they are mad because their portion of the medical expense every month is going from $22.50 to $35.00. They don't feel it's fair that they have to pay this.

My question is.. do we send them to school to cross the picket lines? (both my husband and my ex husband are union members) or do we jeopardize some of their education by keeping them home? (jeopardizing by them getting behind the rest of their class)

My ex husband, his wife, my husband and I are discussing this right now..

any opinions?

 

[PowerOfOne]

Holy cow!!

I wish that I could get medical insurance for $35.00!!! I am not a union sympathizer. The unions had their place at one time but now it is pure greed with most of them. I do not know how to answer this. If you send the child to school, will the picketing teachers think only of themselves and create such a fuss that the learning enviornment is jeopardized? Wow, $35.00??? I think they need a reality check.

 

[Gilly Bean]

If there is someone there that will teach them, I would send them. To me, that is no reason NOT to send them. I don't think I would like the environment, but I would also not show them that what they are doing is effecting my child's education in any way.

 

[registered "^^"]

$417.00 a month for coverage........send them!

 

[Cheyenne]

My teachers went on strike during my senior year. I went to school anyway. When we got back to our regular classes, my economics teacher lectured us and called me a scab. Me, a 16 year old student. The teachers were in class, but not really working as a protest at that point. This teacher gave us a pop quiz, but told us to do it open book because he didn't care.

As you might guess, I closed my book and put it on the floor. My way of defying him was to take his damn pop quiz as it should have been taken, WITHOUT a book to look up the answers.

I eventually got an apology from him for that "scab" crack. And I got an "A" on his quiz, too, as I recall. Yes, I've always been stubborn.

Send your kids to class. They will learn more than staying home, although it may not be what you expect them to learn.

 

[lavender]

 

[IA951]

well put

You think teachers need a reality check? Whatever. I think if you really analyze a teacher's pay based upon their hours of work put in, you will realize that they receive almost less than minimum wage for the work they do.

Teachers are probably the lowest paid job that requires such a level of education. These are the people that are shaping out children's lives and yet they receive SO little money, it's unfathomable.

You may think that increase is miniscule and that they need to reassess. But the teacher's union needs to be telling our government, our cities, states and nation to reassess our priorities.

this is just an excellent post.
well said, well said indeed.
I can imagine it's a shitty situation trying to a job under such massive pressure.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Sorry Freaky, no advice there.

But I had to add this. Almost every working person I know has an increase in medical premiums yearly. And they pay a lot more than $35 a month. A lot more.

My mom has just started working for the school system as a speech therapist. She was in the private sector before. She says she can't believe what a great salary and benefit package she got. Especially for nine months work.

I don't want to offend the teachers here, and I know that their job is a hard one, but they do have some great benefits and the salary isn't too shabby either. First of all, every holiday known to man teachers get off. Spring break. Winter break. How many other jobs get that?

Ruby

 

[lavender]

 

[Rubyfruit]

You think teachers need a reality check? Whatever. I think if you really analyze a teacher's pay based upon their hours of work put in, you will realize that they receive almost less than minimum wage for the work they do...

Lav, I'd like to know how you came up with that. I agree with you that teachers have a very hard job, and maybe they are underpaid, but they do not earn less than minimum wage, that I'm sure of. No where close to it.

Did you factor in all the holidays, breaks and summers off?

Ruby

 

[PowerOfOne]

Teachers pay

I do know what teachers make. I know how many hours they put in. Think about it. They may be a school for 8 hours but they are not teaching for 8 hours, they have down time. They are off in the summer and still get paid. Most school systems rotate the teachers that have to stay after school for the "detention hall" group. Coaches are paid extra for the extra curricular activities they instruct. Yeah they make a fair living and $35.00 for insurance most people would kill for.

Have you asked the elderly how much their medicare costs each month? How about the waitress that does not even have insurance? She would give her right hand to get insurance for $35.00.

I believe teachers earn every penny they make and most are damn good teachers! But to strike for a difference of a few dollars for insurance? Come on now....yeah, they need a reality check.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Every man on my mother's side of the family is a union stone mason. I don't agree that unions have outlived their usefulness across the board.

In industries that expect a great amount of expertise or education for a low level of pay, unions are the only way for some people's voices to be heard.

And no, $35/month for health insurance doesn't sound like a lot until you consider (as Lavy said) how little teachers actually make. They've paid for, in a lot of cases, a Master's degree so that they can put in 80 hour weeks, spend their own money on supplies when the budget isn't big enough, try and teach children who often times aren't interested in learning, and they do all that and more for about $35,000 a year. Which is less than I made working 8-5 at my graphic design job where i didn't have to speak to anyone i didn't want to speak to.

Send your kids to school. Explain the strike to them. And support the teachers.

 

[Rubyfruit]

...Here's a little brain candy for you people. In Texas a first year teacher, who has a Master's Degree to specialize in a field, can make as low as 19K a year. That's before taxes. That is quite a low salary compared to other professions that require a college degree.

I agree, Lav, that's very low. But that might be on the low end of the national average. I know that Connecticut has the highest paid teachers and they start at $45K, first year.

Ruby

 

[freakygirl]

You think teachers need a reality check? Whatever. I think if you really analyze a teacher's pay based upon their hours of work put in, you will realize that they receive almost less than minimum wage for the work they do.

Teachers are probably the lowest paid job that requires such a level of education. These are the people that are shaping out children's lives and yet they receive SO little money, it's unfathomable.

You may think that increase is miniscule and that they need to reassess. But the teacher's union needs to be telling our government, our cities, states and nation to reassess our priorities.

Lavy, I agree with you 100%... I have no problem with the fight they are fighting.

I guess what i'm looking for.. is.. do i send them acrosss the picket lines or do i keep them home (well their dad would since they live with him but they would be at my house more than likely) and we teach them to the best of our ability.

 

[lavender]

 

[Calamity Jane]

Did you factor in all the holidays, breaks and summers off?

Ruby

The summers that many teachers spend in 'refresher training' so that they can keep their contract the following year? Or the holidays that i know several of my teachers spent at the school trying to get lesson plans to work around budgets? It's not a cake job.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Lav, my husband's ex is a teacher and she gets paid to go to summer classes.

Ruby

 

[PowerOfOne]

Btw, I made about twice what a teacher makes in a year waiting tables.

Did YOU get insurance for $35.00???

 

[Laurel]

On a slight tangent, my health insurance has substantially raised my rates twice in the last two years - at the same time cutting back the prescriptions they cover and raising my copay. It's unbelievable! Guess they feel they have run of the House for the next few years, so run with it they will...

 

[lavender]

 

[Angel]

Did YOU get insurance for $35.00???

I just want to say that I was paid about 10 an hour at McDonald's at one point and I was paying 6.00 a week out of my paycheck for Medical, Dental and Eye.

 

[freakygirl]

eek

I didn't realize this was going to become a debate..

 

[Rubyfruit]

The summers that many teachers spend in 'refresher training' so that they can keep their contract the following year? Or the holidays that i know several of my teachers spent at the school trying to get lesson plans to work around budgets? It's not a cake job.

I know it's not a cake job. Personally, you couldn't pay me enough to do it, especially the little ones. My three drive me to the brink of insaniety as it is.

Please don't get me wrong, teachers hold a very special place in my heart. My son is in special ed and those teachers and aids are angels in my mind and yes, probably underpaid. But I doubt they got into it for the money. Teaching is a calling. It's more than a "job."

But teachers going on strike for less than $15 a month? That doesn't make sense to me.

Ruby



Ruby

 

[lavender]

 

[PowerOfOne]

I just want to say that I was paid about 10 an hour at McDonald's at one point and I was paying 6.00 a week out of my paycheck for Medical, Dental and Eye.

My heavens! I need to go to work for McDonald's!! I pay 86.00 every two weeks for insurance with a $500.00 deductible and $20.00 co-pay on meds! I am in the wrong business.