How much is enough?

This past Saturday, a teacher from here in Yakima wrote an article in the newspaper detailing the difficult challenges faced by teachers, the rough working conditions and the poverty level wages they have been forced to accept.

Read the editorial here.

Here is my response to Mr. Miller’s letter:

Once a proud example to the world, the American pubic school system is now a shadow of it’s former self and the United States is now last among the industrialized nations. The President recently laid out his plan for “winning the future”, but we can hardly do so with a third rate education system. Lately we’ve been hearing a lot from teachers and the teachers unions about how overworked and underpaid our teachers are. If we hope to lead the world in education again, we need to correct the tragic neglect of these valuable national treasures known as teachers and the heroic public service they provide our country.

In recognition that immediate action must be taken , I humbly submit the following proposal to advance the future of education in America.

We need a minimum starting base salary for new teachers, set by the Congress, thereby ensuring fairness among the states. Currently my nephew’s wife is going to school and planning to join the teaching profession. After she finishes school they are planning to move to whatever state pays their teachers the most money. This inequality allows those states with more resources to recruit all the best teachers. Therefore, pay should be standardized, giving all the states an equal footing when drafting new teachers. Naturally, it cost more to live in Manhattan than it does in Pocatello Idaho, so a local cost of living adjustment would be added to the base salary depending upon where the teacher lives and works. The only question remaining to be asked is, “How much is enough”?

Lately I’ve heard a lot of teachers and union people comparing the teaching profession to the work done by doctors and scientists, and suggesting we should pay teachers the same amount earned in those professions. With that in mind, I’m suggesting a starting BASE salary of an even $100k per year with automatic 5% increases in the base salary for each year of service. After 10 years, a teacher would be earning $147k a year in base salary. Mr Miller, who has been teaching for “26 plus years” would now be earning $322k in base salary. I’m curious what would be considered a fair pension.

Before all you aspiring teachers start planning your retirement to some beach house in Malibu , I have a few more things to add. As it turns out, there is more than one question remaining to be asked. In fact, there are several.

How do we pay for it?

I guess “The Rich” are just going to have to pay a little more of “their fair share“. Here in Washington State we don’t have a state income tax. A proposal to add implement one on high income earners was rejected by the voters in the last elections. I guess the legislature needs to do another end run around the greedy voters in Washington State an impose that income tax anyway. The teachers gotta have this money. Of course, if you have children at home you will qualify for child tax credits and probably won’t have to pay the income tax. Once again, the people using the system are not the ones paying for it.

How long will it be before we’re once again being told that teachers need a pay raise?

Human nature being what it is, there is never enough money. No matter how much you have, you’re always going to want more. It’s just human nature. Every time a union contract is renegotiated, they are always for more money, more benefits, or more time off. How much is enough?

How does a six figure salary for a 9 month teaching job improve the education of a child?

We’re already told how overworked and underpaid teachers are. If they are already doing the “best they can,” how is it possible that paying them more money will translate to children getting a better education? If they are already giving 100%, how can we expect 110?

One of two situations is the truth. One, they’ve been slacking off and holding the education system hostage while waiting for more money, or two, they know full well that higher teacher salaries will not result in a better education for little Johnny, (or Jose’). Either way, I think all this fuss about union benefits for teachers, and higher salaries exposes the truth once and for all. It’s never been about education. It’s always been about greed.

I recently heard an older man on a radio show complaining about proposals that would raise the retirement age to 70 years old. The host of the radio show said “We have to do something, the system is going broke. It’s not going to be there for our children and grandchildren.”

The old man’s response was, “I don’t care. I paid into the system and I’m going to get mine while it’s still there”.

The thinking from the teachers unions is pretty much the same. Anyone with even nominal intelligence knows that we can not keep demanding more and more money from a decreasing number of taxpayers to pay ever increasing wages and benefits for public sector union employees. We don’t have the money to sustain this, but union thugs just don’t care. They intend to get as much as they can, for as long as they can, even if it bankrupts everyone else.

Now, let’s set the record straight. Yes, teachers have a tough job. I sure wouldn’t want to do it. You couldn’t pay me enough to babysit 30 undisciplined misfits all day long. Yes, it’s also an important job. Educating the youth of America is just about important as it gets unless we want a society of people with the intelligence of Joe Biden.

There are a lot of people out there with important jobs though and most people think they should be paid more than they are getting. I’d love to be making 20% more in my paycheck but the man who signs that check has a different idea. When I’m not shooting off at the mouth in some blog post, I drive a milk tanker for my day job. If you think that’s not important, try eating your Frosted Flakes dry tomorrow morning. How about the cow? She’s got a pretty important job, don’t you think? (No, I’m not talking about the Secretary of State.)

If teachers really want to be paid a better salary and actually improve the education system at the same time, then I suggest that we’re going to have to make some adjustments to the system that does not involve throwing more money at an already failed system.

Every time we get a new President, we get treated to a brand new plan for education. George H.W. Bush was going to be the “education president”. Clinton introduced “Goals 2000″. George W. Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” act that was actually written by Ted Kennedy. Of course when it didn’t work out as promised, Bush took all the blame. Now Obama has released his education plan called “Race to the Top”. All of these education plans have two things in common. They have all required more money than we were spending before, and they have all failed.  According to figures just released by the Department of Education, 82% of the schools in the nation are failing to meet their goals.  Obviously we need a change in direction. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Failure. All the money in the world won’t change that.