The Myth That Refuses To Die

[JT8691]

Your teachers union tells you that, but it is not true

Pay attention I'm not in the union. I opted out. Smarten up.

Teaching isn't my first career.

I work about 10 hours a day, how long does the average American worker work for?

 

[rightwinger]

Your teachers union tells you that, but it is not true

Pay attention I'm not in the union. I opted out. Smarten up.

Teaching isn't my first career.

I work about 10 hours a day, how long does the average American worker work for?

I live right next to a school. In over 30 years as a professional, I have seen teachers cars show up an hour after I report to work and are gone an hour before I get home
They work a total of 180 days a year. I work 250

Don't sell the bull about how much harder teachers work

You work about 2/3 the hours of everyone else. I don't begrudge you, but thats the way it is

 

[WorldWatcher]

Tell you what I won't post it publicly but I'll pm it to you if you admit I'm not full of shit. Deal?

Absolutely.

My intent is to visit your State Education codes and look at how they mandate teacher contracts for public schools teachers and then visit your schools website and examine pay/salary scales and current vacancies for teachers. If the law says that Teachers are example employees under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act and are paid on an annual basis, your pay scales are setup on an hourly rate and not an annual salary, and that job postings for your school division indicate compensation rates in terms of hours worked instead of the contract period (annual salary).

I will be glad to come back and confirm you aren't full of shit.

BTW - I work in the Human Resources Office of a school district and I'm responsible for teacher contract generation so I'm pretty familiar with the process.


>>>>

 

[WorldWatcher]

By "work" more than 40 hours I mean mostly planning and grading. I work 8 hours a day. I have 6 classes, lunch, and a planning period. Planning period is only 50 mins long.

Now i currently have a little over 150 students. I make every student write everyday (I teach English). At least two paragraphs...many times they need to write more (it really depends on the day and what the lesson is).

That's 300+ paragraphs everyday. I'm paid 50 mins to grade/revise all of those AND plan for future classes (I have 2 preps meaning I teach 9th and 10th grade so I need to plan two separate lessons).

If I have essays to grade/revise times that by 100 or 50,

Now you tell me is it really possible that I can do all of that in 50 minutes a day?Maybe if I was a shitty teacher who didn't care I would (and unfortunately there are many out there).

It's why many English teachers don't bother to read a lot of the work students hand in (which for the record I think is bs).

So I think we can agree that in order to do my job effectively I need to work more than 8 hours a day (40 hours a week).

Now I am paid hourly. Obviously I get sick/personal days (which I've never taken).

Oh and the icing on the cake? As a non-education major (which I like to think makes me well rounded) I have to pay to take classes during the school year for the state.

I want to make it crystal clear I'm NOT bitching. I know what I signed up for. I'm fine with it.

What pisses me off is people who have no clue what they're talking about comment about what my job entails because they heard from somewhere else. I don't assume I know everything your job entails, don't make assumptions about mine either.

A lot of what you hear or may perceive is true. A lot of it is bullshit.

What pisses me off the most is that I bust my ass every single day to do the best possible job for my students and people belittle me (usually because they assume I'm a liberal-which I'm not). Or they blame everything on teachers when they won't buy their kid a $1 folder or notch about having to buy a $8 book but will buy their kid $300 shoes. That's their choice and it's fine. But when you tell your kidneys more important to have a pair of Air Jordan 7s than it is to get an education-----don't blame me when your kid doesn't take school seriously.

Ps: oh and for the record I opted out of the teachers union (which in all fairness did ruffle the feathers of some co-workers but not all and I'm not the only one to do so).

None of that makes you an "hourly" employee and I never said you didn't work more that 40-hours per week. I'm quite familiar with the duties and responsibilities of teachers and how they fit into the typical work week.



>>>>

 

[Samson]

BUT I work A LOT more than 40 hours a week (which is all I'm paid for). Just saying.

Most salaried employees work more than 40 hr/w

Teachers get paid by the hour in my district.

At face value these two statements seem to be contradictory. You say you are paid by the hour and then say you are only paid for 40 hours per week yet work "A LOT" more than 40 hours.

Mind posting the school district and state you work in. I'd like to verify that?



>>>>

This does seem a bit weird.

This article may give us a clue, lacking more specific information:

Hourly Wages for Teachers Chron.com

In some areas, teacher's unions enter into collective bargaining agreements with school districts. Union members are assured of receiving either a minimum annual salary or a minimum hourly rate. Members of the Boston Teacher's Union receive an hourly minimum wage of $41.03. However, the bargaining agreement does not cover overtime wages, which are negotiated separately. The highest paid teachers are found in New York State, where unions are active. Wages in New York are based on annual pay rather than hourly rates. Average annual secondary school teacher's salaries in New York amount to $75,300.​

 

[bodecea]

morning Unkatore , hows it goin . Yeah , voluntary work is work that is done voluntarily and volunteer work should be done with no expectation of payment . Simple solution is for teachers to quit beating the drum [tootin their horn] about volunteer work and quit doing volunteer work !! [simple solution]

I believe that one of the first things teachers do if they are negotiating a new contract and the district is balking....is to "work to the contract". You'd be amazed what does not get done when teachers no longer volunteer above and beyond what their contracts say.....school districts have been known to grind to a halt.

 

[WorldWatcher]

BUT I work A LOT more than 40 hours a week (which is all I'm paid for). Just saying.

Most salaried employees work more than 40 hr/w

Teachers get paid by the hour in my district.

At face value these two statements seem to be contradictory. You say you are paid by the hour and then say you are only paid for 40 hours per week yet work "A LOT" more than 40 hours.

Mind posting the school district and state you work in. I'd like to verify that?



>>>>

This does seem a bit weird.

This article may give us a clue, lacking more specific information:

Hourly Wages for Teachers Chron.com

In some areas, teacher's unions enter into collective bargaining agreements with school districts. Union members are assured of receiving either a minimum annual salary or a minimum hourly rate. Members of the Boston Teacher's Union receive an hourly minimum wage of $41.03. However, the bargaining agreement does not cover overtime wages, which are negotiated separately. The highest paid teachers are found in New York State, where unions are active. Wages in New York are based on annual pay rather than hourly rates. Average annual secondary school teacher's salaries in New York amount to $75,300.​

So I went and looked at Boston's pay scales which they quote as an annual salary. (Teaching Positions Salary

Stating that you are paid $49,000 per year or saying we'll pay you X$ for Y-hours that you are scheduled but will not be paying overtime is a difference - well - without a difference.

At the end of the day Teachers fall under the Professional exemption of the FLSA and employers need not pay actual hour worked because they are in the "Exempt" category.



>>>>

 

[Samson]

So I went and looked at Boston's pay scales which they quote as an annual salary. (Teaching Positions Salary

Stating that you are paid $49,000 per year or saying we'll pay you X$ for Y$ that you are scheduled but will not be paying overtime is a difference - well - without a difference.

At the end of the day Teachers fall under the Professional exemption of the FLSA and employers need not pay actual hour worked because they are in the "Exempt" category.

Yes the simple statement that either you are Exempt, or not, seems to be purposefully blurred in favor of calculating an Exempt Wage using a Maximum number of hours allowed by the imagination.

 

[JT8691]

I live right next to a school. In over 30 years as a professional, I have seen teachers cars show up an hour after I report to work and are gone an hour before I get home
They work a total of 180 days a year. I work 250

Don't sell the bull about how much harder teachers work

You work about 2/3 the hours of everyone else. I don't begrudge you, but thats the way it is

None of that makes you an "hourly" employee and I never said you didn't work more that 40-hours per week. I'm quite familiar with the duties and responsibilities of teachers and how they fit into the typical work week.



>>>>

-I work 199 work days a year-NOT 180.

-Your claims contradict each other. You state I work 66% of the average person (2/3), but the numbers YOU cited add up to 72%. Which one is it?

-199 / 250 = 79.6%. So I work roughly 4/5 the amount of days you do....BIG difference from 2/3.

-I'm guessing you didn't pay close enough attention to your math teachers.

-That doesn't include necessary training that I'm required to take AND pay for outside of school hours.

-Have you ever paid for any required training at your job? I just $2.5K at mine last week.

-Also I usually work about 4 hours over the weekend, do you?

-I'm not suggesting that I work too much. I'm suggesting that you don't know wtf you're talking about when you cite "2/3".

 

[WorldWatcher]

I live right next to a school. In over 30 years as a professional, I have seen teachers cars show up an hour after I report to work and are gone an hour before I get home
They work a total of 180 days a year. I work 250

Don't sell the bull about how much harder teachers work

You work about 2/3 the hours of everyone else. I don't begrudge you, but thats the way it is

None of that makes you an "hourly" employee and I never said you didn't work more that 40-hours per week. I'm quite familiar with the duties and responsibilities of teachers and how they fit into the typical work week.



>>>>

-I work 199 work days a year-NOT 180.

-Your claims contradict each other. You state I work 66% of the average person (2/3), but the numbers YOU cited add up to 72%. Which one is it?

-199 / 250 = 79.6%. So I work roughly 4/5 the amount of days you do....BIG difference from 2/3.

-I'm guessing you didn't pay close enough attention to your math teachers.

-That doesn't include necessary training that I'm required to take AND pay for outside of school hours.

-Have you ever paid for any required training at your job? I just $2.5K at mine last week.

-Also I usually work about 4 hours over the weekend, do you?

-I'm not suggesting that I work too much. I'm suggesting that you don't know wtf you're talking about when you cite "2/3".

1. You quoted me also - I never claimed you work 180 days. The contracts I write are for 200 workdays. 180 Instructional (students in school) and the remainder being "in-service days" (students not in school), and Professional Development days.

2. I can't speak for other states, but in Virginia the only "required" training that an individual might have to pay for outside of normal school division PD events is completion of 1 bachelor level class in each 5-year license cycle (this requirement can be waived once in a career). If you hold a license based on a Master's degree or higher this requirement does not apply.

3. There are many professions that require continuing education to maintain licensure status: doctors, lawyers, nurses, speech pathologist, occupational therapists, etc. Here is a sub-list from Virginia:

• Architects
• Asbestos
• Auctioneers
• Backflow Prevention Device Workers (Tradesmen)
• Barbers
• Body Piercers
• Cemetery Salespersons
• Contractors
• Cosmetologists
• Electricians (Tradesmen)
• Elevator Mechanics (Tradesmen)
• Estheticians
• Fair Housing
• Gas Fitters (Tradesmen)
• Geologists
• Hearing Aid Specialists
• Home Inspectors
• HVAC (Tradesmen)
• Interior Designers
• Landscape Architects
• Land Surveyors & Photogrammetrists
• Lead Abatement
• Nail Technicians
• Onsite Sewage System Professionals
• Opticians
• Plumbers (Tradesmen)
• Polygraph Examiners
• Professional Engineers
• Real Estate Appraisers
• Real Estate Salespeople & Brokers
• Residential Building Energy Analysts (individuals)
• Residential Building Energy Analyst Firms
• Soil Scientists
• Tattooists
• Waste Management Facility Operators
• Wastewater Works Operators
• Water Well System Providers (Tradesmen)
• Waterworks Operators
• Wax Technicians
• Wetland Delineators

DPOR Online Renewal Services

>>>>

 

[JT8691]

1. You quoted me also - I never claimed you work 180 days. The contracts I write are for 200 workdays. 180 Instructional (students in school) and the remainder being "in-service days" (students not in school), and Professional Development days.

2. I can't speak for other states, but in Virginia the only "required" training that an individual might have to pay for outside of normal school division PD events is completion of 1 bachelor level class in each 5-year license cycle (this requirement can be waived once in a career). If you hold a license based on a Master's degree or higher this requirement does not apply.

3. There are many professions that require continuing education to maintain licensure status: doctors, lawyers, nurses, speech pathologist, occupational therapists, etc. Here is a sub-list from Virginia:

• Architects
• Asbestos
• Auctioneers
• Backflow Prevention Device Workers (Tradesmen)
• Barbers
• Body Piercers
• Cemetery Salespersons
• Contractors
• Cosmetologists
• Electricians (Tradesmen)
• Elevator Mechanics (Tradesmen)
• Estheticians
• Fair Housing
• Gas Fitters (Tradesmen)
• Geologists
• Hearing Aid Specialists
• Home Inspectors
• HVAC (Tradesmen)
• Interior Designers
• Landscape Architects
• Land Surveyors & Photogrammetrists
• Lead Abatement
• Nail Technicians
• Onsite Sewage System Professionals
• Opticians
• Plumbers (Tradesmen)
• Polygraph Examiners
• Professional Engineers
• Real Estate Appraisers
• Real Estate Salespeople & Brokers
• Residential Building Energy Analysts (individuals)
• Residential Building Energy Analyst Firms
• Soil Scientists
• Tattooists
• Waste Management Facility Operators
• Wastewater Works Operators
• Water Well System Providers (Tradesmen)
• Waterworks Operators
• Wax Technicians
• Wetland Delineators

DPOR Online Renewal Services

>>>>

I apologize as I didn't mean to quote you. I'm not used to the new (I haven't been on USMB in a while) quoting system yet.

My post wasn't geared at you at all.

But as for my paid training I have to pay $2.5K because I'm not an education major--even though I do have the option of taking the classes at a college instead-but that's more expensive and more of a pain.

I've passed all of the required tests to get my license (which I DO have). I get my classes from the district. They make us (non-ed majors) take 6 classes either after school hours, on saturdays, or over the summers. They range from 40-80 hours each. Not including another 5-10 hours of work (depending on the class) that we have to do after we've completed the class. You typically have 3 years (in my case 2) years to complete it.

 

[rightwinger]

I live right next to a school. In over 30 years as a professional, I have seen teachers cars show up an hour after I report to work and are gone an hour before I get home
They work a total of 180 days a year. I work 250

Don't sell the bull about how much harder teachers work

You work about 2/3 the hours of everyone else. I don't begrudge you, but thats the way it is

None of that makes you an "hourly" employee and I never said you didn't work more that 40-hours per week. I'm quite familiar with the duties and responsibilities of teachers and how they fit into the typical work week.



>>>>

-I work 199 work days a year-NOT 180.

-Your claims contradict each other. You state I work 66% of the average person (2/3), but the numbers YOU cited add up to 72%. Which one is it?

-199 / 250 = 79.6%. So I work roughly 4/5 the amount of days you do....BIG difference from 2/3.

-I'm guessing you didn't pay close enough attention to your math teachers.

-That doesn't include necessary training that I'm required to take AND pay for outside of school hours.

-Have you ever paid for any required training at your job? I just $2.5K at mine last week.

-Also I usually work about 4 hours over the weekend, do you?

-I'm not suggesting that I work too much. I'm suggesting that you don't know wtf you're talking about when you cite "2/3".

6 hours a day times 180 days is 1080 a year, barely half of what other professionals work. I gave you credit for homework to get to two thirds of another worker

Yes other workers have to pay for their own training and accomplish it on their own time

 

[JT8691]

6 hours a day times 180 days is 1080 a year, barely half of what other professionals work. I gave you credit for homework to get to two thirds of another worker

You're really bad at math aren't you?

I work 199 days...NOT the 180 you cited--that's school days Not the amount of days that teachers work).

I teach 6 hours a day.

I have a 1 hour planning period where I DO work the ENTIRE time. I have a MINIMUM of 300 paragraphs to read, revise and grade a day. (needless to say 1 hour isn't enough time to get that done). I usually need another hour to get it done.

I need to plan 2 lessons for every school day. I teach 9th and 10th grade, therefore I need to plan 2 lessons a day. Lessons usually take me about a 1/2 hour to plan EACH lesson. That's an additional 1 hour a day.

I'm required to take classes for my certification, it typically takes up roughly 9 hours a week of my time (that not only do I not get paid for, but that I pay for).

So let's break this down by day shall we?

7 hours (6 classes+planning period)+ an additional 1-2 hours of grading (as an English teacher it obviously takes me a long time to accurately grade papers).

I work around 8.5 hours each school day (not including my hour lunch--which I don't work during).

I work 8 hours EVERY saturday because my district makes me take classes for my certification due to my major. Work from these classes is roughly another 1 hour to complete AFTER class.

I like to plan lessons on Sundays for a couple of weeks into the future. This takes me roughly 5 hours to complete. EVERY Sunday.

So let's add those hours up shall we?

8.5 X 5 (hours of class/grading/revising on a school day) = 42.5 hours a week

8 hours of Saturday class + 1 hour of work from class = 9 hours + 42.5 = 51.5 hours a week

5 hours of planning on Sunday + 51.5 = 56.5 hours.

I work roughly 56.5 hours EVERY week. Give or take 2 hours.

56.5/5 = 11.3 hours I work per each work day during a week.

11.3 X 180 (school days) = 2070 hours during the school year

There's an additional 19 professional days that I HAVE to work and work lasts 8 hours

19 X 8 + 2070 = 2222 hours per school year

This past summer I had 2 weeks of a class that I have to take for that program (that same program that requires me to work Saturdays).

2 X 40 = 80 hours + 10 hours (of assigned work) = 90 hours

2222 + 90 = 2312

Over the span of one full year I will worked roughly 2312 hours.

If you work 8 hours a day for every one of the 250 days that YOU cited:

8 X 250 = 2000 hours

You would actually work roughly 312 LESS hours than I do (assuming you take NO lunch break).

Granted after another 2 years I wont have to take those Saturday classes that I mentioned, so after 2 years I'll only have to work about:

1800 hours. Which is 90% of 2000.

Any questions?

 

[rightwinger]

6 hours a day times 180 days is 1080 a year, barely half of what other professionals work. I gave you credit for homework to get to two thirds of another worker

You're really bad at math aren't you?

I work 199 days...NOT the 180 you cited--that's school days Not the amount of days that teachers work).

I teach 6 hours a day.

I have a 1 hour planning period where I DO work the ENTIRE time. I have a MINIMUM of 300 paragraphs to read, revise and grade a day. (needless to say 1 hour isn't enough time to get that done). I usually need another hour to get it done.

I need to plan 2 lessons for every school day. I teach 9th and 10th grade, therefore I need to plan 2 lessons a day. Lessons usually take me about a 1/2 hour to plan EACH lesson. That's an additional 1 hour a day.

I'm required to take classes for my certification, it typically takes up roughly 9 hours a week of my time (that not only do I not get paid for, but that I pay for).

So let's break this down by day shall we?

7 hours (6 classes+planning period)+ an additional 1-2 hours of grading (as an English teacher it obviously takes me a long time to accurately grade papers).

I work around 8.5 hours each school day (not including my hour lunch--which I don't work during).

I work 8 hours EVERY saturday because my district makes me take classes for my certification due to my major. Work from these classes is roughly another 1 hour to complete AFTER class.

I like to plan lessons on Sundays for a couple of weeks into the future. This takes me roughly 5 hours to complete. EVERY Sunday.

So let's add those hours up shall we?

8.5 X 5 (hours of class/grading/revising on a school day) = 42.5 hours a week

8 hours of Saturday class + 1 hour of work from class = 9 hours + 42.5 = 51.5 hours a week

5 hours of planning on Sunday + 51.5 = 56.5 hours.

I work roughly 56.5 hours EVERY week. Give or take 2 hours.

56.5/5 = 11.3 hours I work per each work day during a week.

11.3 X 180 (school days) = 2070 hours during the school year

There's an additional 19 professional days that I HAVE to work and work lasts 8 hours

19 X 8 + 2070 = 2222 hours per school year

This past summer I had 2 weeks of a class that I have to take for that program (that same program that requires me to work Saturdays).

2 X 40 = 80 hours + 10 hours (of assigned work) = 90 hours

2222 + 90 = 2312

Over the span of one full year I will worked roughly 2312 hours.

If you work 8 hours a day for every one of the 250 days that YOU cited:

8 X 250 = 2000 hours

You would actually work roughly 312 LESS hours than I do (assuming you take NO lunch break).

Granted after another 2 years I wont have to take those Saturday classes that I mentioned, so after 2 years I'll only have to work about:

1800 hours. Which is 90% of 2000.

Any questions?

Yes, we all admire what a workhorse you are

Do kindergarten teachers have 4 hours of papers to grade each day? How bout phys ed teachers, art teachers, school nurses,

I have seen the assignments I had in school. Lot of multiple choice, fill in the blank stuff. My kids got a lot of assignments on a computer. Looked auto graded
I have neighbors who are teachers at various levels. I do not see them burning the midnight oil or working summers

 

[JT8691]

Yes, we all admire what a workhorse you are

Do kindergarten teachers have 4 hours of papers to grade each day? How bout phys ed teachers, art teachers, school nurses,

I have seen the assignments I had in school. Lot of multiple choice, fill in the blank stuff. My kids got a lot of assignments on a computer. Looked auto graded
I have neighbors who are teachers at various levels. I do not see them burning the midnight oil or working summers

I cannot speak for all teachers. But don't make the mistake of boxing all of us into the same box. For example those teachers who barely get to school on time and leave right after the bell DO exist and they give the rest of us a bad name.

I can speak for English teachers though. There's no way to auto grade an essay. No way to auto grade writing. I give very limited fill in the blank stuff (as those are level 1 and 2 questions). I work my kids and I absolutely push them. I have very high expectations. "I can't do that" isn't an acceptable answer in my classroom.

But as I said don't box us all in. I'm a relatively young teacher and my test results/evaluations/improvement scores among students are great.

I work my finger to the bone and don't whine or complain. I'm not in a union. I gladly make less money than I could elsewhere. I've sacrificed that income for my family. And you know why I do it? For my students. When I look in the mirror I know that I did my very best to help the lives of my students. I sleep like a baby at night.

So if you want to go ahead and belittle teachers-be my guest. But you might want some perspective first.

There ARE some great teachers out there. And it may sound egotistical, but I like to think that I am one.

 

[rightwinger]

Yes, we all admire what a workhorse you are

Do kindergarten teachers have 4 hours of papers to grade each day? How bout phys ed teachers, art teachers, school nurses,

I have seen the assignments I had in school. Lot of multiple choice, fill in the blank stuff. My kids got a lot of assignments on a computer. Looked auto graded
I have neighbors who are teachers at various levels. I do not see them burning the midnight oil or working summers

I cannot speak for all teachers. But don't make the mistake of boxing all of us into the same box. For example those teachers who barely get to school on time and leave right after the bell DO exist and they give the rest of us a bad name.

I can speak for English teachers though. There's no way to auto grade an essay. No way to auto grade writing. I give very limited fill in the blank stuff (as those are level 1 and 2 questions). I work my kids and I absolutely push them. I have very high expectations. "I can't do that" isn't an acceptable answer in my classroom.

But as I said don't box us all in. I'm a relatively young teacher and my test results/evaluations/improvement scores among students are great.

I work my finger to the bone and don't whine or complain. I'm not in a union. I gladly make less money than I could elsewhere. I've sacrificed that income for my family. And you know why I do it? For my students. When I look in the mirror I know that I did my very best to help the lives of my students. I sleep like a baby at night.

So if you want to go ahead and belittle teachers-be my guest. But you might want some perspective first.

There ARE some great teachers out there. And it may sound egotistical, but I like to think that I am one.

If you read this thread, you will see I posted how much I admire teachers and how much of an impact they have had on my life

I just don't believe they work the hours other professionals do and are paid accordingly

 

[Politico]

So a person going to college sees that their chosen profession pays X. They graduate from college and get a job in their chosen profession and get paid X, but since they graduated now want Y, not seeing why they deserve Y, when they were told they'd get X and still pursued their careers.

That is pretty much how Generation Whine works.

 

[Rikurzhen]

Some teacher related comedy from MAD-TV.

 

[M.D. Rawlings]

if teachers don't like the pay then why do they go to school to get jobs as teachers Unkatare ?? Teachers are s'posed to be smart but getting a [supposedly] low paying job as a teacher doesn't sound very smart to me . Maybe teachers oughta get jobs where they like the pay scale !!

In my experience, many public education teachers are as stupid as dirt: the stupid leading the ignorant.

 

[M.D. Rawlings]

Yes, we all admire what a workhorse you are

Do kindergarten teachers have 4 hours of papers to grade each day? How bout phys ed teachers, art teachers, school nurses,

I have seen the assignments I had in school. Lot of multiple choice, fill in the blank stuff. My kids got a lot of assignments on a computer. Looked auto graded
I have neighbors who are teachers at various levels. I do not see them burning the midnight oil or working summers

I cannot speak for all teachers. But don't make the mistake of boxing all of us into the same box. For example those teachers who barely get to school on time and leave right after the bell DO exist and they give the rest of us a bad name.

I can speak for English teachers though. There's no way to auto grade an essay. No way to auto grade writing. I give very limited fill in the blank stuff (as those are level 1 and 2 questions). I work my kids and I absolutely push them. I have very high expectations. "I can't do that" isn't an acceptable answer in my classroom.

But as I said don't box us all in. I'm a relatively young teacher and my test results/evaluations/improvement scores among students are great.

I work my finger to the bone and don't whine or complain. I'm not in a union. I gladly make less money than I could elsewhere. I've sacrificed that income for my family. And you know why I do it? For my students. When I look in the mirror I know that I did my very best to help the lives of my students. I sleep like a baby at night.

So if you want to go ahead and belittle teachers-be my guest. But you might want some perspective first.

There ARE some great teachers out there. And it may sound egotistical, but I like to think that I am one.

Certainly there are good teachers in the public education system, even great ones, but I don't care. It’s not about the teachers; it’s about the kids.

The public education system is an unmitigated disaster, and it's not going to get better anytime soon. The problem is not a lack of funding, or poorly paid teachers and administrators. The problem is an entrenched political agenda that is bent on destroy the minds and hearts of American youth. The only solution that would ever turn things around is universal school choice, i.e., competition.