RANT: Teachers, why are you so whiny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom was a teacher for 30+ years and there is a lot in whining about things that corporate America would just say “suck it up, buttercup”.

That said, while the pay may be adequate, I think it is particularly demoralizing to work in an environment where everyone is on the same pay scale and the mediocre performers doing the bare minimum get the same raises as the best performers. It’s demoralizing to work with some slackers and know that they will never get fired.

It’s also tough to work in a place where all of your pay grade and seniority is tied to the school system. As an executive in corporate America, if I leave my company, I will likely have the same or higher status at my next company. I’m not tied to my workplace because I will have to start over at a new workplace. I think a lot of the complaining comes from working with the same people for 20+ years. I have been at the same company for 18 years, but lots of people come and go.

I see the same type of complaints teachers have from my government clients who have worked with the same group of people for 15+ years. They don’t get pay or bonuses to differentiate stellar performance, they are stuck with some duds for coworkers, and they are stuck in their agency or in the GS system.

Also while teachers get time off, the time they have is dictated to them. They can’t take a trip on a whim in February or take a full week off for a sister’s wedding in November. That has got to be annoying. I have a lot of flexibility to run errands or work out at lunch and come in late or leave early as needed. Teachers have no flexibility.

The difficult part is determining mediocre vs stellar performance in education. What metrics are being used?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom was a teacher for 30+ years and there is a lot in whining about things that corporate America would just say “suck it up, buttercup”.

That said, while the pay may be adequate, I think it is particularly demoralizing to work in an environment where everyone is on the same pay scale and the mediocre performers doing the bare minimum get the same raises as the best performers. It’s demoralizing to work with some slackers and know that they will never get fired.

It’s also tough to work in a place where all of your pay grade and seniority is tied to the school system. As an executive in corporate America, if I leave my company, I will likely have the same or higher status at my next company. I’m not tied to my workplace because I will have to start over at a new workplace. I think a lot of the complaining comes from working with the same people for 20+ years. I have been at the same company for 18 years, but lots of people come and go.

I see the same type of complaints teachers have from my government clients who have worked with the same group of people for 15+ years. They don’t get pay or bonuses to differentiate stellar performance, they are stuck with some duds for coworkers, and they are stuck in their agency or in the GS system.

Also while teachers get time off, the time they have is dictated to them. They can’t take a trip on a whim in February or take a full week off for a sister’s wedding in November. That has got to be annoying. I have a lot of flexibility to run errands or work out at lunch and come in late or leave early as needed. Teachers have no flexibility.

The difficult part is determining mediocre vs stellar performance in education. What metrics are being used?

+1 There are a few teachers I know who are the rave of all the parents and admin. As a co-worker I can tell you that you would have to pay me a million dollars to put my kid in a room with any of those teachers for even a day. Why? Because charisma is what those teachers have in spades and they crave the adulation so every single thing they do is focused on attention for themselves, and a nominal amount of "learning" for their students. If you take a really hard look at their classroom management, and how they treat 90% of their students, and then if you really looked hard at their "data", you would not be as impressed. Yet the parades hailing their greatness continue. I think that it is quite difficult to find a strong line defining a great teacher from a good teacher from even an okay teacher. It is not so hard to define a bad teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher. I will retire within the next ten years. I am ONLY staying because of the pension. The pension is the only thing that makes teaching worth it.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why my kids are all in private school. $hitty teachers only doing it for the pension.

I am a private school teacher. I only do it for the health insurance. My spouse makes a decent salary (about 100K) and I make about 45K in my independent, non religious school. The only thing that makes it worth it is the cheap insurance. Guess I'm a shitty teacher too. I'd really like to meet a lawyer or a finance guy doing it for anything other than the money. It is a JOB. Nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom was a teacher for 30+ years and there is a lot in whining about things that corporate America would just say “suck it up, buttercup”.

That said, while the pay may be adequate, I think it is particularly demoralizing to work in an environment where everyone is on the same pay scale and the mediocre performers doing the bare minimum get the same raises as the best performers. It’s demoralizing to work with some slackers and know that they will never get fired.

It’s also tough to work in a place where all of your pay grade and seniority is tied to the school system. As an executive in corporate America, if I leave my company, I will likely have the same or higher status at my next company. I’m not tied to my workplace because I will have to start over at a new workplace. I think a lot of the complaining comes from working with the same people for 20+ years. I have been at the same company for 18 years, but lots of people come and go.

I see the same type of complaints teachers have from my government clients who have worked with the same group of people for 15+ years. They don’t get pay or bonuses to differentiate stellar performance, they are stuck with some duds for coworkers, and they are stuck in their agency or in the GS system.

Also while teachers get time off, the time they have is dictated to them. They can’t take a trip on a whim in February or take a full week off for a sister’s wedding in November. That has got to be annoying. I have a lot of flexibility to run errands or work out at lunch and come in late or leave early as needed. Teachers have no flexibility.

My district decided to change the "step" scale a few years ago. Now you go up faster for highly effective EOY evaluations instead of just effective, etc. You can go up faster for taking coursework, etc.

Does that provide an incentive for the district to rate fewer teachers as “effective” as a cost saving measure? What criteria is being used?


It is getting harder to be rated as highly effective these days. This is Baltimore City and they are broke. They are changing the rubric this year. Whatever. We get paid a lot more than anywhere else in Maryland because we have to out up with a lot of crap. Not just regular teaching in a public school crap but no heat, water, supplies, lots of rats, mice, bugs, asbestos, sewage issues, you name it.

I can see paying more for those who sponsor after school clubs, create the yearbook, serve as team leader, subject leads, mentor, etc.

[Anonymous]

It's not 180 days it's 196

Also being a teacher is a highly stressful and ever changing field. Look at the teacher SHORTAGE across the nation.


I am a special education teacher, sorry no I don't get paid enough, I want to live in DC and I do but it's expensive.

The premise of this seems to be teachers complain too much but in my experience all jobs where you work over hours, are stressful or dangerous, and don't always have access to the best tools, etc. people tend to complain.

I do think complaining is not fruitful, action is. *shrug* but I don't mind if my colleagues want to complain to let off steam.

I'm so glad you're not my para lol.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amen. No other white collar professional whines like a teacher.

No other is payed less.

[Anonymous]

“payed”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

This post has so many inaccuracies that I don’t even know where to begin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

This post has so many inaccuracies that I don’t even know where to begin.

I think that may be a troll post, but for the sake of entertainment let’s start with the claim that, “Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year“. Here is what retired Fairfax teachers pay for healthcare in retirement for example:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Retiree%20Premiums_2020.pdf

It runs between $500-700/month for an individual, $1,100-1500/ month for two people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

This post has so many inaccuracies that I don’t even know where to begin.

I think that may be a troll post, but for the sake of entertainment let’s start with the claim that, “Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year“. Here is what retired Fairfax teachers pay for healthcare in retirement for example:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Retiree%20Premiums_2020.pdf

It runs between $500-700/month for an individual, $1,100-1500/ month for two people.

Gasp! How dare we introduce facts? It will probably fall on deaf ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

This post has so many inaccuracies that I don’t even know where to begin.

I think that may be a troll post, but for the sake of entertainment let’s start with the claim that, “Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year“. Here is what retired Fairfax teachers pay for healthcare in retirement for example:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Retiree%20Premiums_2020.pdf

It runs between $500-700/month for an individual, $1,100-1500/ month for two people.

Gasp! How dare we introduce facts? It will probably fall on deaf ears.

As I expected, so far crickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with everything he said ! teachers are the whiniest people I ever come in contact with! They never have to drive in snow or ice , hardly rain for that matter , never have to worry if they’ll be home on Christmas or any other holiday or put in a request for a summer vacation because guess what , they’re already off ! Nurses don’t leave work until they are finished , yes they stay overtime all the time! But they don’t whine!! Nurses don’t get paid unless they punch the clock nor get paid for 30 min lunch break or have a planning hour ,don’t have sick days or personal days , or substitutes ! Who could substitute for a nurse! And look At the covid-19 crisis - Now most teachers are off 2&1/2 more months than they’re usual 3-4 including Christmas and spring break and getting they’re usual salary not even having to worry about not getting paid or how they’re going to pay their insurance and everything else that comes out of these people’s check that aren’t getting a check! Much less worry if they are even going to be alive at the end of their shift !And a teacher gets to retire at 30 years service when most nurses I know have to work 45-47 yrs! Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year. Nurses don’t! They don’t think about all this when they whine! Plus if you look at they’re salary where I live, per hour they work they are making more than a nurse with the same years of experience. Do the math before you say you don’t get paid as much, which doesn’t matter , just don’t whine about it and then turn around and ask a nurse sitting beside you if she is having a nice summer😳That nurse will let you know when she finally gets her one week off that she had to request and bid for! It should be against the law for a teacher to ask that to anyone but another teacher!

This post has so many inaccuracies that I don’t even know where to begin.

I think that may be a troll post, but for the sake of entertainment let’s start with the claim that, “Teachers get medical insurance paid for after retirement if they just work something like 20 hours per year“. Here is what retired Fairfax teachers pay for healthcare in retirement for example:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Retiree%20Premiums_2020.pdf

It runs between $500-700/month for an individual, $1,100-1500/ month for two people.

Gasp! How dare we introduce facts? It will probably fall on deaf ears.

As I expected, so far crickets.

Still nothing.
00:50, where are you?

[Anonymous]

I agree with that long rant 100%. Teachers, you do not work harder than other professionals -- PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE YOU DO. We all work long grueling hours and don't have summers and every other holiday off. Your pay is fair for what you do. What you do isn't rocket science. I'm sure it does require A LOT of patience, and I don't doubt for one second you work after hours. But again, so do all other professions. Please get off your high horse of how special you are and how you "deserve" so much more pay. Stop your whining.

I love a lot of teachers. I know many! But STOP playing your violin. You chose this career. I am so sick of alllll the teachers I know whining CONSTANTLY. Pre-COVID and post! I don't see any other professional constantly whining about how deserving they are of more and everything else you're always crying about. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

To a comment above about unpaid summers -- do they get their annual salary (whatever that may be) let's say they're salaried at 55k ... do they get that 55k if they don't teach summer class? Or they do they have to teach summer school to get their annual salary of 55k?