With Market Rates Unaffordable, Oakland Turns To Building Teacher-Only Affordable Housing

[Manonthestreet]

First import more illegal aliens...,,,next lower interest rates to zero.....then lower credit and down payment levels needed.....stir vigorously........sure it'll all work out

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

This is a stupid plan. The solution is to give parents vouchers that they can use to pay tuition as the public or private school of their children. Then the public schools will be forced to compete with the private sector, and changes will be made.

I know that liberals are totally against this plan to reform public schools, but I have never heard them articulate a logical reason.

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

My best class has 18 students. My worst class has 27. Does class size matter? Yes!

Better teacher training? Nope.

Higher pay? Did you see the starting teacher salary in Oakland? Their highest pay that they can attain is over $10,000 less than I make after 17 years, and my cost of living is microscopic compared to the People's Republic of California. Yes, they need to solve that problem. A new teacher with student loans will never be able to afford to live there.

As I said, I am a Republican and a conservative and I don't hold with a great deal of the liberal ideas in education. I also don't hold with conservatives who spread lies and misinformation to try to win arguments with their talk-radio talking points.

Most conservative pundits who bash public schools should spend some time in a public school and learn why they are wrong.

 

[Blackrook]

This is a stupid plan. The solution is to give parents vouchers that they can use to pay tuition as the public or private school of their children. Then the public schools will be forced to compete with the private sector, and changes will be made.

I know that liberals are totally against this plan to reform public schools, but I have never heard them articulate a logical reason.

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

My best class has 18 students. My worst class has 27. Does class size matter? Yes!

Better teacher training? Nope.

Higher pay? Did you see the starting teacher salary in Oakland? Their highest pay that they can attain is over $10,000 less than I make after 17 years, and my cost of living is microscopic compared to the People's Republic of California. Yes, they need to solve that problem. A new teacher with student loans will never be able to afford to live there.

As I said, I am a Republican and a conservative and I don't hold with a great deal of the liberal ideas in education. I also don't hold with conservatives who spread lies and misinformation to try to win arguments with their talk-radio talking points.

Most conservative pundits who bash public schools should spend some time in a public school and learn why they are wrong.

Your claim to be a conservative is doubtful at best, when you lie and say that vouchers don't work. Just admit that you are a big government liberal.

 

[The Rabbi]

This is a stupid plan. The solution is to give parents vouchers that they can use to pay tuition as the public or private school of their children. Then the public schools will be forced to compete with the private sector, and changes will be made.

I know that liberals are totally against this plan to reform public schools, but I have never heard them articulate a logical reason.

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

My best class has 18 students. My worst class has 27. Does class size matter? Yes!

Better teacher training? Nope.

Higher pay? Did you see the starting teacher salary in Oakland? Their highest pay that they can attain is over $10,000 less than I make after 17 years, and my cost of living is microscopic compared to the People's Republic of California. Yes, they need to solve that problem. A new teacher with student loans will never be able to afford to live there.

As I said, I am a Republican and a conservative and I don't hold with a great deal of the liberal ideas in education. I also don't hold with conservatives who spread lies and misinformation to try to win arguments with their talk-radio talking points.

Most conservative pundits who bash public schools should spend some time in a public school and learn why they are wrong.

Your personal experience is irrelevant. The truth is there is no evidence class size determines outcome.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

My best class has 18 students. My worst class has 27. Does class size matter? Yes!

Better teacher training? Nope.

Higher pay? Did you see the starting teacher salary in Oakland? Their highest pay that they can attain is over $10,000 less than I make after 17 years, and my cost of living is microscopic compared to the People's Republic of California. Yes, they need to solve that problem. A new teacher with student loans will never be able to afford to live there.

As I said, I am a Republican and a conservative and I don't hold with a great deal of the liberal ideas in education. I also don't hold with conservatives who spread lies and misinformation to try to win arguments with their talk-radio talking points.

Most conservative pundits who bash public schools should spend some time in a public school and learn why they are wrong.

Your personal experience is irrelevant. The truth is there is no evidence class size determines outcome.

I have a master's degree in education and my sources disagree. What do you sources say? I bet I can find more that say it does matter than you. Remember, I am a professional. It is what I do.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

My best class has 18 students. My worst class has 27. Does class size matter? Yes!

Better teacher training? Nope.

Higher pay? Did you see the starting teacher salary in Oakland? Their highest pay that they can attain is over $10,000 less than I make after 17 years, and my cost of living is microscopic compared to the People's Republic of California. Yes, they need to solve that problem. A new teacher with student loans will never be able to afford to live there.

As I said, I am a Republican and a conservative and I don't hold with a great deal of the liberal ideas in education. I also don't hold with conservatives who spread lies and misinformation to try to win arguments with their talk-radio talking points.

Most conservative pundits who bash public schools should spend some time in a public school and learn why they are wrong.

Your claim to be a conservative is doubtful at best, when you lie and say that vouchers don't work. Just admit that you are a big government liberal.

Remember Florida's voucher system? I taught there under that system at the largest high school in the district.

Do you know how many voucher students my district lost to private schools at the high school level? None.

There were plenty of high schools available in the city, but none would accept vouchers. Number 1, they were almost all full to capacity. Number 2, the amount of the voucher did not cover anywhere close to the tuition which often exceeded $10,000 per student. Number 3, they would not refund unused tuition back to the local school district if they dis-enrolled the student and returned them to the public schools.

The schools were Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist, and several Independent high schools. The Catholic high school had such a long waiting list, they built another high school. Both schools then had waiting lists. No one was short of money if they wanted a religious education for their students.

 

[OKTexas]

A whole acre, how many housing units with parking can you get on a single acre? An acre is about 210 feet square. Sounds like pork to placate the NEA to me.

Check your math.

An acre is 43,560 square feet.

You are just a little off.

I said "about" 210 square, which to be exact is 44,100 square feet, a whopping 1.2% off, to be exact again an acre would be 208.71 feet square, get a fucking life already.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

A whole acre, how many housing units with parking can you get on a single acre? An acre is about 210 feet square. Sounds like pork to placate the NEA to me.

Check your math.

An acre is 43,560 square feet.

You are just a little off.

I said "about" 210 square, which to be exact is 44,100 square feet, a whopping 1.2% off, to be exact again an acre would be 208.71 feet square, get a fucking life already.

I hate to break it to you but 210 feet square is the same as 210 square feet. Didn't you pay attention in school? As for "getting a fucking life already", math is my life!

 

[OKTexas]

A whole acre, how many housing units with parking can you get on a single acre? An acre is about 210 feet square. Sounds like pork to placate the NEA to me.

Check your math.

An acre is 43,560 square feet.

You are just a little off.

I said "about" 210 square, which to be exact is 44,100 square feet, a whopping 1.2% off, to be exact again an acre would be 208.71 feet square, get a fucking life already.

I hate to break it to you but 210 feet square is the same as 210 square feet. Didn't you pay attention in school? As for "getting a fucking life already", math is my life!

All I can say is you must have a really shitty life. Try drawing a square box that is 210' and tell me how many square feet are in it. Do I need to define square for you?

square
[skwer]

NOUN

1. a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles.
2. the product of a number multiplied by itself:
   "a circle's area is proportional to the square of its radius"
3. an L-shaped or T-shaped instrument used for obtaining or testing right angles:
   "a carpenter's square"
4. informal
   a person considered to be old-fashioned or boringly conventional in attitude or behavior.

If you have any more questions ask your geometry teacher.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

A whole acre, how many housing units with parking can you get on a single acre? An acre is about 210 feet square. Sounds like pork to placate the NEA to me.

Check your math.

An acre is 43,560 square feet.

You are just a little off.

I said "about" 210 square, which to be exact is 44,100 square feet, a whopping 1.2% off, to be exact again an acre would be 208.71 feet square, get a fucking life already.

I hate to break it to you but 210 feet square is the same as 210 square feet. Didn't you pay attention in school? As for "getting a fucking life already", math is my life!

All I can say is you must have a really shitty life. Try drawing a square box that is 210' and tell me how many square feet are in it. Do I need to define square for you?

square
[skwer]

NOUN

1. a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles.
2. the product of a number multiplied by itself:
   "a circle's area is proportional to the square of its radius"
3. an L-shaped or T-shaped instrument used for obtaining or testing right angles:
   "a carpenter's square"
4. informal
   a person considered to be old-fashioned or boringly conventional in attitude or behavior.

If you have any more questions ask your geometry teacher.

OK, now class, listen carefully! A square is a geometric shape, a plane figure with four equal sides and four right angles.

An acre is a measure of area measured in square units, like all other measures of area.

Acres are not square! They can be any dimensions you wish as long as the product results in 43,560 square feet.

I teach in a country school where if i said something akin to what you just posted, my agriculture students would laugh me right out of the school.

 

[Dragonlady]

This is a stupid plan. The solution is to give parents vouchers that they can use to pay tuition as the public or private school of their children. Then the public schools will be forced to compete with the private sector, and changes will be made.

I know that liberals are totally against this plan to reform public schools, but I have never heard them articulate a logical reason.

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

Smaller class size, better tools for all students (computers, books, supplies), and higher wages for teachers. Teaching is the lowest paid profession. You cannot attract the best people if they cannot afford to live on their wages.

Two outta three ain't bad Rabbi. We'll make a practical liberal out of you yet.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

This is a stupid plan. The solution is to give parents vouchers that they can use to pay tuition as the public or private school of their children. Then the public schools will be forced to compete with the private sector, and changes will be made.

I know that liberals are totally against this plan to reform public schools, but I have never heard them articulate a logical reason.

Ah, the old vouchers argument that has failed in every instance where it has been tried! Bravo!

Vouchers are nothing but a way to take money from public education to subsidize the private school educations of rich kids who do not want to attend schools with poor students or students of color.

Yeah, and that's what we should do. Public schools are out performed by private schools constantly and consistently. And contrary to claiming it doesn't work, there are numerous examples where it has worked.

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves: James Tooley: 9781933995922: Amazon.com: Books

The Beautiful Tree
By James Tooley, details school choice systems around the world, where public 'free' education is routinely out done by private schools in even the absolute poorest places in the world.

Public education in America is a disaster. Money SHOULD be taken away from public schools and given to better schools.

Only in moron brain damage left-tard land, do we punish success and reward failure. How about we reward success, and punish failure.... crazy concept huh? Obviously public is SO terrible, that this basic concept is hard to grasp.

You really should educate yourself on this topic before pontificating. Comparing schools systems in the US to any others is always an apples to watermelon comparison. there are no other countries with our unique demographics so all comparisons are bogus.

Also, since private schools get to select their students, can kick out disciplinary problems, do not have to handle handicapped or learning disabled students, I would damn sure hope they got better results! See how your comparison falls apart at the slightest touch?

I am a conservative, but the one thing I cannot stand is for the talk-radio informed education bashers that love to talk out of theirbacksides on this topic. I have been both a classroom teacher and administrator. and I can tell you that you are unfortunately clueless when it comes to public education.

I honestly wish those of you who bash public education would spend a little time shadowing a teacher or principal at your local schools so you can see what you would not see in any private school.

Aha. A member of the educational establishment speaks up. Of course plying the party line for all its worth.
Let me guess: your solutions involve smaller class size, better teacher training, and higher pay for teachers.

Smaller class size, better tools for all students (computers, books, supplies), and higher wages for teachers. Teaching is the lowest paid profession. You cannot attract the best people if they cannot afford to live on their wages.

Two outta three ain't bad Rabbi. We'll make a practical liberal out of you yet.

Our state has not funded textbooks for years. We just started a new course offering so textbooks had to come from somewhere else in the budget. Many of the ones we have are literally falling apart after years and years of usage. We have to buy replacements from used book sellers and have them shipped to us, sometimes at great expense.

 

[FA_Q2]

Really bad idea.

If you need to pay them more then do it. Using accounting tricks like this is asinine.

Yeah, just pay them more. Pretty easy when you are not the one directly footing the bill. This is the problem with Americans today. This is the only reason the democrats ever win any election anywhere at any time. You all just assume someone else is going to pay the bill, and that it won't be you.

That is rich you assuming that I am a democrat or that I dont know who is footing the bill.

The problem with Americans today is that they expect something for nothing. That they think they can ignore the government in its totality, vote for whoever is on their 'team' so they can 'win' and then go about ignoring what those politicians actually do.

Here we have a case of spending money through a gimmick because they need to pay teachers better or lose them. The solution is much simpler than idiotic schemes - pay them more or accept the consequences. That public education costs something and they certainly are not getting rid of that.

 

[OKTexas]

A whole acre, how many housing units with parking can you get on a single acre? An acre is about 210 feet square. Sounds like pork to placate the NEA to me.

Check your math.

An acre is 43,560 square feet.

You are just a little off.

I said "about" 210 square, which to be exact is 44,100 square feet, a whopping 1.2% off, to be exact again an acre would be 208.71 feet square, get a fucking life already.

I hate to break it to you but 210 feet square is the same as 210 square feet. Didn't you pay attention in school? As for "getting a fucking life already", math is my life!

All I can say is you must have a really shitty life. Try drawing a square box that is 210' and tell me how many square feet are in it. Do I need to define square for you?

square
[skwer]

NOUN

1. a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles.
2. the product of a number multiplied by itself:
   "a circle's area is proportional to the square of its radius"
3. an L-shaped or T-shaped instrument used for obtaining or testing right angles:
   "a carpenter's square"
4. informal
   a person considered to be old-fashioned or boringly conventional in attitude or behavior.

If you have any more questions ask your geometry teacher.

OK, now class, listen carefully! A square is a geometric shape, a plane figure with four equal sides and four right angles.

An acre is a measure of area measured in square units, like all other measures of area.

Acres are not square! They can be any dimensions you wish as long as the product results in 43,560 square feet.

I teach in a country school where if i said something akin to what you just posted, my agriculture students would laugh me right out of the school.

Considering I was once a land surveyor I know that, the example I used was so the folks on this board could picture in their minds how small an area the size of an acre is when it comes to building housing. The average lot size in the US is about 8,700 square feet, meaning you can only get about 4 average houses per acre. You can get more in a high rise building but even that is limited by available parking.

Also if your students don't know the difference between 210 feet square and 210 square feet, you're not doing your job.

 

[il Tupe]

Can't wait how people blame teachers for this one..
With Market Rates Unaffordable, Oakland Turns To Building Teacher-Only Affordable Housing

When the Oakland school year began Monday, the city’s public school system was still scores of teachers short of the number it needs. The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has thrown job fairs and deployed administrative employees with teaching credentials to the classroom to cover the shortfall.

But now, thanks to a twist in a city land deal that’s been years in the making, the district may have a new lure to offer potential hires: teachers-only affordable housing.

OUSD is weighing a bid to build below-market rental housing units for city teachers on a plot of land near Lake Merritt. Earlier this summer, the acre appeared to be headed destined to turn into high-end housing. But critics scuttled the deal before it could receive final city council approval, and Oakland announced it would accept new proposals for developing the land.

Converting the plot to teacher-specific housing at an affordable price could solve multiple problems at once for the district. Rents are rising faster in Oakland than almost anywhere else in the country — including neighboring San Francisco, though separating the two cities’ readings downplays the connection between San Francisco’s infamously tight real estate market and Oakland’s role as first-choice spillover city for many people who work across the bay. The 12.1 percent increase in rental costs from 2014 to 2015 is second only to Denver’s 14.2 percent hike, according to Trulia.

As rents boomed, teacher salaries didn’t keep pace. The contract approved by teachers earlier this summer includes gradual 14 percent raises, but Oakland Educational Association (OEA) members are hardly thriving. First, that 14 percent hike over three years will mostly be playing catchup to the 12 percent rent increase that’s already happened.

Second, the raise is applied to an obscenely low floor. Out of 125 major city school districts analyzed in a 2014 National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) report, Oakland ranked 121st on teacher pay. After adjusting for cost of living in the various cities, the NCTQ report estimated that Oakland teachers start at just $25,713 and never earn more than $42,420 in salary. Pittsburgh, at the top of the report’s list, pays teachers a starting salary of $42,420 and allows pay as high as $106,000 a year in cost-of-living terms.

As it’s become harder and harder to live in the city on a teacher’s salary, OUSD’s teachers have been pushed outside the city where their students live. About three in four Oakland teachers lived in the city when teacher’s union president Trish Gorham started in the system 20 years ago, she told the Contra Costa Times, but now that ratio is down below 60 percent.

The pinch between pay and housing costs that Oakland’s teachers face is common around the country. For decades, teacher pay has fallen as a share of GDP per capita—indicating that society is placing a shrinking value on the profession as compared to other lines of professional work. As the rental market has tightened dramatically in recent years and the housing market has struggled, it has become very difficult to afford a place to live as a public school educator.

First, you people on the left seem oblivious to math.

The city government does not have unlimited funds. You can't fund *everything* and more, and never run out of cash.

Of course the automatic answer is "Let's increase teacher pay". So who is going to pay for that? More taxes? The public doesn't want higher taxes.

So lets cut Medicaid Medicare. Oh no! Can't do that!. Let's cut food stamps or welfare. Oh no! Can't do that!.

Ok, then you can't have more teacher pay. It's called math. The magic money tree doesn't exist just because you demand more cash.

Second, I find it ironic. It seems the problem was accidentally mentioned in the article.

This is my opinion, and I have no proof... yet. But I wager the answer was in the key starting comment....

Community outrage helped scuttle the city's proposal earlier this year to sell an acre of prime Lake Merritt real estate to a developer planning to build a luxury tower.
​

Interesting..... So they are 'outraged' and scuttling projects to create more housing in the city.... then they are complaining about the high cost of rentals.

Anyone else see the issue? Let's limit supply of housing... then complain the price is going up?

Demand for housing is always going up, unless you have a shrinking population. Oakland doesn't.

But supply is being limited. The government is preventing developers from building more housing units.

Granted this could be an isolated incident, but I doubt it. If the "community" is 'outraged' because someone wanted to build more housing, I betcha this is a pattern. A pattern that limits supply of housing, which drastically drives up cost.

I bet you the whole problem they are trying to solve, is caused by their own bad policies.

Is it possible that teachers cannot afford to live in the area? It is the most expensive in the country. Inner cities have problems with teacher retention because teaching in these cities is a job from hell. I applaud anyone who can do it effectively.

 

[initforme]

Teachers should work for free.. They should fix all the problem kids for no wage and then be automatically incarcerated. They are servants of the taxpayers and should be treated accordingly.

 

[SwimExpert]

Of course the automatic answer is "Let's increase teacher pay". So who is going to pay for that? More taxes? The public doesn't want higher taxes.

Oh, just stop right there. Morons like you who think they are conservative, when they're really just idiots, make me sick. If you believe in free markets, then a shortage in any job (including teachers) indicates that pay is below market value. Period. So free market economics dictates that teacher compensation must increase.

That being said, this housing project is a very bad idea. All it is going to do is create artificial pressure in the natural housing market (just like every other example of government trying to get into markets) and lead to greater long term damage, increasing upward price pressure in the overall market. Teachers will get "affordable" housing. Meanwhile, lower income people will get displaced within the market and either be forced to seek even more expensive options that are out of their range or to settle for slum end options because they can't afford anything else.

 

[SwimExpert]

I hate to break it to you but 210 feet square is the same as 210 square feet. Didn't you pay attention in school? As for "getting a fucking life already", math is my life!

"Feet squared" means an area of X by X. Thus, 210 feet squared is an areas 210 feet by 210 feet, or 44100 square feet.

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

Firing a teacher means the teacher also loses his or her housing. That's gonna work out real good.

There is a new comedy coming out can't remember the name but I caught a preview. A teacher talking to another said, " I have tenure I could kill a kid and not get fired. "

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

Of course the automatic answer is "Let's increase teacher pay". So who is going to pay for that? More taxes? The public doesn't want higher taxes.

Oh, just stop right there. Morons like you who think they are conservative, when they're really just idiots, make me sick. If you believe in free markets, then a shortage in any job (including teachers) indicates that pay is below market value. Period. So free market economics dictates that teacher compensation must increase.

That being said, this housing project is a very bad idea. All it is going to do is create artificial pressure in the natural housing market (just like every other example of government trying to get into markets) and lead to greater long term damage, increasing upward price pressure in the overall market. Teachers will get "affordable" housing. Meanwhile, lower income people will get displaced within the market and either be forced to seek even more expensive options that are out of their range or to settle for slum end options because they can't afford anything else.

Schools are not the free market its government funded aka taxpayer funded.