Fairfax public schools - pay freeze for teachers again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse teaches in MCPS and we are in the same position. I didn't get a raise last year, either.

I know we should both be grateful for having jobs at all, but really, this is getting very old.

You think it is getting old? How about those of us who were laid off last year and cannot find another job? Gee, how do you think we feel?

Be thankful you have a job with benefits which is safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse teaches in MCPS and we are in the same position. I didn't get a raise last year, either.

I know we should both be grateful for having jobs at all, but really, this is getting very old.

You think it is getting old? How about those of us who were laid off last year and cannot find another job? Gee, how do you think we feel?

Be thankful you have a job with benefits which is safe.

This is the flaw of government workers, they have NO CLUE how the rest of us must try to survive without the safety cushion of pratically guaranteed employment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And you got to where you are now b/c of incompetent teachers, I assume?

quite the ignorant statement coming from one - I assume - who's educated

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher, and I think I can make do on my 52,000 k a year. Not cushy, but certainly doable, and completely reasonable given the economy right now. You just have to cut back and do simple things. I hope we do get a raise when times are better, though. (I don't have kids, which makes it a lot easier for me. I can't speak for those with kids...) As for if we *deserve* a raise: For those who say it is so easy, we may not work 12 months a year (and btw, teachers usually fight over summer school jobs, but summer school is cut to save money lately), but many of us work from 6:30 am to 5 pm during the school year, with some evenings for conferences too. Being a good teacher is so much more than being great in the classroom. It means taking time to plan, give good feedback on student work and really looking closely at 120 + papers, making phone calls to parents, meeting with other teachers, helping students after school...etc. All of this while half of the class views you as a prison guard rather than a teacher. If you say "sign me up," I dare you to try it for a year! _Then_ tell me if you think we deserve a raise or not.

So why do you choose to teach?

That's your argument? Seriously?
Look, you knew the pay and benefits when you took the job. I'm not saying teachers should not be paid more. I absolutely do b/c the value of the service they provide to our children. It's important stuff. But, there are many people sacrificing and who are out of work. Budgets are being slashed - even for "government workers", though they still have gotten COLAs (which is a raise, I agree).

But, please save me the righteous "we do a lot off the hours" stuff. I know so many teachers - very good ones who I'd love to teach my child- and while, yes, they do meetings, committees, and things "after school" they are also enjoying their summers, (none of them work summers-not one), get semester breaks, and are the first to be hoping for snow days and days off (which is fine but I don't see what you're seeing). And, frankly, there are MANY professions -of which teachers are one- that do work after hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$60K a year with great benefits and off for the summer? sign me up. I took a $50K paycut already this year, and I work 12 months a year.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$60K a year with great benefits and off for the summer? sign me up. I took a $50K paycut already this year, and I work 12 months a year.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And you got to where you are now b/c of incompetent teachers, I assume?

quite the ignorant statement coming from one - I assume - who's educated

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher, and I think I can make do on my 52,000 k a year. Not cushy, but certainly doable, and completely reasonable given the economy right now. You just have to cut back and do simple things. I hope we do get a raise when times are better, though. (I don't have kids, which makes it a lot easier for me. I can't speak for those with kids...) As for if we *deserve* a raise: For those who say it is so easy, we may not work 12 months a year (and btw, teachers usually fight over summer school jobs, but summer school is cut to save money lately), but many of us work from 6:30 am to 5 pm during the school year, with some evenings for conferences too. Being a good teacher is so much more than being great in the classroom. It means taking time to plan, give good feedback on student work and really looking closely at 120 + papers, making phone calls to parents, meeting with other teachers, helping students after school...etc. All of this while half of the class views you as a prison guard rather than a teacher. If you say "sign me up," I dare you to try it for a year! _Then_ tell me if you think we deserve a raise or not.

So why do you choose to teach?

That's your argument? Seriously?
Look, you knew the pay and benefits when you took the job. I'm not saying teachers should not be paid more. I absolutely do b/c the value of the service they provide to our children. It's important stuff. But, there are many people sacrificing and who are out of work. Budgets are being slashed - even for "government workers", though they still have gotten COLAs (which is a raise, I agree).

But, please save me the righteous "we do a lot off the hours" stuff. I know so many teachers - very good ones who I'd love to teach my child- and while, yes, they do meetings, committees, and things "after school" they are also enjoying their summers, (none of them work summers-not one), get semester breaks, and are the first to be hoping for snow days and days off (which is fine but I don't see what you're seeing). And, frankly, there are MANY professions -of which teachers are one- that do work after hours.

Well said 14:02. And I completely value teaching and have thought seriously about it for myself.

Here's my guess: most teachers I know including ones who are very close dear friends, don't have as much business and/or office experience. So they would literally call me fresh out of grad school frustrated that they worked 7-5 that day and how eager they were for the summer to come. Where as 7-5 was a short day for me at the time, I was in an entry-level job and not even making what they were making. It's just a different perspective. I could also add, my job was with kids and also exhausting. With 2 weeks vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse teaches in MCPS and we are in the same position. I didn't get a raise last year, either.

I know we should both be grateful for having jobs at all, but really, this is getting very old.

You think it is getting old? How about those of us who were laid off last year and cannot find another job? Gee, how do you think we feel?

Be thankful you have a job with benefits which is safe.

Did you *read* the post? "I know we should both be grateful for having jobs at all, but really, this is getting very old."

The PP acknowledged that s/he is fortunate to have a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse teaches in MCPS and we are in the same position. I didn't get a raise last year, either.

I know we should both be grateful for having jobs at all, but really, this is getting very old.

You think it is getting old? How about those of us who were laid off last year and cannot find another job? Gee, how do you think we feel?

Be thankful you have a job with benefits which is safe.

This is the flaw of government workers, they have NO CLUE how the rest of us must try to survive without the safety cushion of pratically guaranteed employment.

19:05 here, with the teacher-spouse. I am not a government worker. In fact, I'm in a company that has laid off close to 25% of its workforce in the past two years.

Believe me, I have a CLUE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And you got to where you are now b/c of incompetent teachers, I assume?

quite the ignorant statement coming from one - I assume - who's educated

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher, and I think I can make do on my 52,000 k a year. Not cushy, but certainly doable, and completely reasonable given the economy right now. You just have to cut back and do simple things. I hope we do get a raise when times are better, though. (I don't have kids, which makes it a lot easier for me. I can't speak for those with kids...) As for if we *deserve* a raise: For those who say it is so easy, we may not work 12 months a year (and btw, teachers usually fight over summer school jobs, but summer school is cut to save money lately), but many of us work from 6:30 am to 5 pm during the school year, with some evenings for conferences too. Being a good teacher is so much more than being great in the classroom. It means taking time to plan, give good feedback on student work and really looking closely at 120 + papers, making phone calls to parents, meeting with other teachers, helping students after school...etc. All of this while half of the class views you as a prison guard rather than a teacher. If you say "sign me up," I dare you to try it for a year! _Then_ tell me if you think we deserve a raise or not.

So why do you choose to teach?

That's your argument? Seriously?
Look, you knew the pay and benefits when you took the job. I'm not saying teachers should not be paid more. I absolutely do b/c the value of the service they provide to our children. It's important stuff. But, there are many people sacrificing and who are out of work. Budgets are being slashed - even for "government workers", though they still have gotten COLAs (which is a raise, I agree).

But, please save me the righteous "we do a lot off the hours" stuff. I know so many teachers - very good ones who I'd love to teach my child- and while, yes, they do meetings, committees, and things "after school" they are also enjoying their summers, (none of them work summers-not one), get semester breaks, and are the first to be hoping for snow days and days off (which is fine but I don't see what you're seeing). And, frankly, there are MANY professions -of which teachers are one- that do work after hours.[/quote]

I am a teacher and I agree with this. While I work hard during the school year, I know that I am so lucky to have my summers off. Very few teachers I know work in the summer either and it is great to be able to spend that time with my own children. I don't have to worry about camps or daycare, etc. I do feel like a lot of teachers have a "poor me" complex and while I agree that we could be paid more, we also do get a lot of perks. That said, I do hope we get a raise this year.

[Anonymous]

Well said, 14:02 and 14:03.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well said, 14:02 and 14:03.

should be: Well said, 14:02 and 14:13.

[Anonymous]

Not a teacher here - but a teaching profession is just as critical as a doctor's - and we all know how much doctor's make.

These teachers can help shape the future life of a child, just as a doctor can shape the future life of his patient.

Whether a teacher works 9 months, gets summer off is immaterial.

But the higher pay also needs to be accompanied by accountability, etc. Why do parents not get to rate the teacher/principal/school at the end of each year?

[Anonymous]

Many, if not most, teachers in FCPS are very dedicated and enthusiastic.

There are some, however, who are real stinkers, and teach at schools that are often mentioned as among the county's best. The administrators do absolutely nothing to get rid of these people, even when they'll tell you "behind-the-scenes" that they know the teacher is a big problem and that there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of complaints about the teacher over the years. In private industry, such individuals would have been shown the door long ago. In FCPS, they get to keep their job until they retire. And, to be clear, I'm not talking about teachers who are simply uninspiring, but individuals who lie to parents, have serious personal issues and enjoy humiliating students.

When FCPS and its teacher organizations "Rhee-alize" that they need to get rid of their own dead wood, I'll be more sympathetic to these types of posts.

[Anonymous]

And teachers nowadays are getting so much help with parents providing time and supplies. Teachers have it so good these days, so they should quit complaining.

The people who are underpaid are the volunteers that get nothing for helping the teachers do their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And teachers nowadays are getting so much help with parents providing time and supplies. Teachers have it so good these days, so they should quit complaining.

The people who are underpaid are the volunteers that get nothing for helping the teachers do their jobs.

There is a BIG difference between being able to teach a child to read and write and making copies in the office or buying some crayons for your kids classroom.