Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

average salary is 62K divided by 1552 hours (194 days) = 318/day divided by 8 hours = 40/hour. Actually more because teachers get personal days, as well. So, again, teachers why are you complaining? In a traditional office job this would be 80K/year. 40/hour is a decent wage even without COL!!!!

You realize that starting salary is not 62K, right? Starting salary is more like 48 K (14K less). You also realize that teachers pay into the VRS and a local retirement system as well as having deductions for other benefits. If a teacher has a student loan to pay back and is trying to live in Fairfax County, this is not a king's ransom. We're talking about a person who has a college degree here. Many people who do blue collar work make more than 48K. If a teacher works summer school, they might make 3-4K more. This is not big money. Teachers are not getting rich.

Nor are any teachers I know working only 8 hour days. Most do planning after school or on weekends when they're not grading papers or tests.

I would love some of these people who think teachers have it made try to do the job for a week. The vast majority of you wouldn't last.

Teachers do you get behind other professions that aren't making their fair share? How about all of the other non-teacher government employees? We never even hear about their pay freezes. Teacher pay needs to be looked at, but there are greater needs now within FCPS. They system needs more schools, many buildings are deteriorating, class sizes are growing, and there are children with many many needs, and teachers with not enough hours in the day to handle all of them. Can't you see teacher salaries as one item of a big picture of funding and not THE ONLY reason for providing more funding for schools?

No one said teacher salaries were the only reason schools need funding. Stop being simplistic. Read the budget or Garza's letter and you'll see that she addresses class sizes, ESOL, etc. But the fact that a rich county like this can't afford to pay it's teachers at the level of other area schools is ridiculous -- particularly given the gargantuan class sizes we're expecting them to handle.

Again, it appears the only thing that will work is a noticeable deterioration of the school system and it's reputation. When people's houses start losing value because know one wants to come here to have their kids jammed into classes like sardines and taught by overworked, underpaid teachers, perhaps then Fairfax County residents will wise up. Until then I have very little sympathy for all the whining and demanding from parents in this area. Everyone wants their children to be challenged and taught at their level and learning Chinese in elementary school, but God forbid anyone is asked to chip in for it. You don't get cadillac schools or teachers for peanuts.

Again, it appears the only thing that will work is a noticeable deterioration of the school system and it's reputation. When people's houses start losing value because know one wants to come here to have their kids jammed into classes like sardines and taught by overworked, underpaid teachers, perhaps then Fairfax County residents will wise up. Until then I have very little sympathy for all the whining and demanding from parents in this area. Everyone wants their children to be challenged and taught at their level and learning Chinese in elementary school, but God forbid anyone is asked to chip in for it. You don't get cadillac schools or teachers for peanuts.





Hopefully, you are not an English teacher.

No one said teacher salaries were the only reason schools need funding. Stop being simplistic. Read the budget or Garza's letter and you'll see that she addresses class sizes, ESOL, etc. But the fact that a rich county like this can't afford to pay it's teachers at the level of other area schools is ridiculous -- particularly given the gargantuan class sizes we're expecting them to handle.

Again, it appears the only thing that will work is a noticeable deterioration of the school system and it's reputation. When people's houses start losing value because know one wants to come here to have their kids jammed into classes like sardines and taught by overworked, underpaid teachers, perhaps then Fairfax County residents will wise up. Until then I have very little sympathy for all the whining and demanding from parents in this area. Everyone wants their children to be challenged and taught at their level and learning Chinese in elementary school, but God forbid anyone is asked to chip in for it. You don't get cadillac schools or teachers for peanuts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then start offering Chinese in ES! Oh wait, full day Mondays was made with the promise of FLES. Just not at our ES. I'll pay up when FCPS shows up and makes the changes that were previously promised!

FCPS can't afford those changes because of other rising costs, including a sharp increase in ESOL students and the costs of meeting their needs which is mandated by law. FCPS has been talking about language for years, but we are never going to get it with current funding. Period. You have to serve basic needs before your get into everyone's wish list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taxes need to go up in Virginia. That is the short answer.

They are too high already.

Anonymous wrote:Taxes need to go up in Virginia. That is the short answer.

Anonymous wrote:Then start offering Chinese in ES! Oh wait, full day Mondays was made with the promise of FLES. Just not at our ES. I'll pay up when FCPS shows up and makes the changes that were previously promised!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

average salary is 62K divided by 1552 hours (194 days) = 318/day divided by 8 hours = 40/hour. Actually more because teachers get personal days, as well. So, again, teachers why are you complaining? In a traditional office job this would be 80K/year. 40/hour is a decent wage even without COL!!!!

You realize that starting salary is not 62K, right? Starting salary is more like 48 K (14K less). You also realize that teachers pay into the VRS and a local retirement system as well as having deductions for other benefits. If a teacher has a student loan to pay back and is trying to live in Fairfax County, this is not a king's ransom. We're talking about a person who has a college degree here. Many people who do blue collar work make more than 48K. If a teacher works summer school, they might make 3-4K more. This is not big money. Teachers are not getting rich.

Nor are any teachers I know working only 8 hour days. Most do planning after school or on weekends when they're not grading papers or tests.

I would love some of these people who think teachers have it made try to do the job for a week. The vast majority of you wouldn't last.

Teachers do you get behind other professions that aren't making their fair share? How about all of the other non-teacher government employees? We never even hear about their pay freezes. Teacher pay needs to be looked at, but there are greater needs now within FCPS. They system needs more schools, many buildings are deteriorating, class sizes are growing, and there are children with many many needs, and teachers with not enough hours in the day to handle all of them. Can't you see teacher salaries as one item of a big picture of funding and not THE ONLY reason for providing more funding for schools?

Teachers do you get behind other professions that aren't making their fair share? How about all of the other non-teacher government employees? We never even hear about their pay freezes. Teacher pay needs to be looked at, but there are greater needs now within FCPS. They system needs more schools, many buildings are deteriorating, class sizes are growing, and there are children with many many needs, and teachers with not enough hours in the day to handle all of them. Can't you see teacher salaries as one item of a big picture of funding and not THE ONLY reason for providing more funding for schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

average salary is 62K divided by 1552 hours (194 days) = 318/day divided by 8 hours = 40/hour. Actually more because teachers get personal days, as well. So, again, teachers why are you complaining? In a traditional office job this would be 80K/year. 40/hour is a decent wage even without COL!!!!

You realize that starting salary is not 62K, right? Starting salary is more like 48 K (14K less). You also realize that teachers pay into the VRS and a local retirement system as well as having deductions for other benefits. If a teacher has a student loan to pay back and is trying to live in Fairfax County, this is not a king's ransom. We're talking about a person who has a college degree here. Many people who do blue collar work make more than 48K. If a teacher works summer school, they might make 3-4K more. This is not big money. Teachers are not getting rich.

Nor are any teachers I know working only 8 hour days. Most do planning after school or on weekends when they're not grading papers or tests.

I would love some of these people who think teachers have it made try to do the job for a week. The vast majority of you wouldn't last.

Anonymous wrote:

You realize that starting salary is not 62K, right? Starting salary is more like 48 K (14K less). You also realize that teachers pay into the VRS and a local retirement system as well as having deductions for other benefits. If a teacher has a student loan to pay back and is trying to live in Fairfax County, this is not a king's ransom. We're talking about a person who has a college degree here. Many people who do blue collar work make more than 48K. If a teacher works summer school, they might make 3-4K more. This is not big money. Teachers are not getting rich.

Anonymous wrote:

You realize that starting salary is not 62K, right? Starting salary is more like 48 K (14K less). You also realize that teachers pay into the VRS and a local retirement system as well as having deductions for other benefits. If a teacher has a student loan to pay back and is trying to live in Fairfax County, this is not a king's ransom. We're talking about a person who has a college degree here. Many people who do blue collar work make more than 48K. If a teacher works summer school, they might make 3-4K more. This is not big money. Teachers are not getting rich.