Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 17:20     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I'm so sorry that you're jealous of our cushy, high paying jobs in the field of education.

FWIW, my friend who's been a Fed for fewer years than I've been teaching is making almost twice my salary.

So I have no idea what you're complaining about, as I'm certain your pay isn't exactly at the low end either
.

I'm neither jealous of your job in the field of education nor complaining about my equally high paying job in the field of social work. But I do believe that a 7% raise IS unequivocally CUSHY in the current economic climate (e.g. the County and State are crying "broke"). So enjoy your raise but please stop bitching about it -- particularly to your fellow public servants who are "raise-less" (and hoping that our particular jobs -- of helping children in crisis -- aren't eliminated/diminished when the budget ax comes around).




I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises.


Actually, you're already pretty well compensated given that you only work 10 months out of the year with long breaks at Christmas and in the spring. Paid professional days for development, every holiday off, never coming into work on the weekends, never worrying about childcare on snow days, holidays or school breaks. I'm a PICU nurse and my work is every bit as worthy as what you do but I haven't seen a raise for 3 years. This year we are getting a raise, it is 1.5% and I am grateful as I understand the shrinking reimbursements that are impacting my hospital. If I want professional development - I pay out of pocket and take a day of PTO to attend.


First I will say that nurses have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. I think nurses should be paid millions. I saw how well they took care of my grandparents when they were in a nursing home and I could never, ever repay them for what they did for them. I am very grateful for the work they do.

however, to say teachers don't work over the weekends is a joke. I grade papers EVERY SINGLE Sunday for hours on end. Every friend I know has that same week off between xmas and new Years that I have (whether they work in the private or government sector and they are using some of their 30 vacation days to do it), we lost paid professional development days three years ago (unless you have funding from an outside source), I have to worry about childcare because I teach HS and y children go to ES which starts two hours after I have to be at work (and same goes for half-days, professional days, etc.) Like you, we haven't gotten a raise in three years and, like you, are gettting a small one this year.

You are just another person who has never been in a classroom and has no idea what our jobs are like. Just like I wouldn't assume to know the ins and outs of your job because I have been a patient of nurses, don't assume you know what it is like to teach because you were a student once. That is just plain ignorant.

I have never had the whole week between Christmas and New Years off. PTO during that time is very limited. We work every other Christmas and that include the eve and the day after. I don't understand the whole grading papers on Sunday. School ends in the early afternoon. What do people do for the rest of the day? I'm not being snarky, I am asking. I see the high school kids on my street coming home before 3pm. I'm not saying your job isn't hard, I know it has its moments... but all jobs do and I have been on the other side of the classroom. I not only work in the hospital but I've taught nursing for 12 years as well. I will continue teaching as my retirement job


I coach as well (really the reason I got into teaching) so after school I coach until 5:30, get home around 6:00. I do this two out of three seasons. The third season I do have time from around 4:00 until 5:30 when I get my kids and that is nice to have to run errands, get dinner started, etc.

Look, I am NOT saying teachers have it any harder than anyone else who works (I know some on the thread are but I am not one of them) - I am just trying to make a point that just because the bell rings at 2:10 doesn't mean our day is over. I think teachers work pretty hard but I also really value the leisure time I have, and I DO understand I get a lot. I just hate having to defend over and over again that we actually work and what we do is hard work. It is not all summer vacations, snow days and lazy afternoons. That is a giant misconception about teachers.

As for the police/FF comments, I can't even get into that. They HATE teachers, in fact, their unions tell them to. We are always the scapegoat when it comes to budgets (which is funny since I have never heard a teacher talk badly about a FF or PO, or really any other jobs as much as we are targets). They make us out to be the bad guy. One point I will bring up as to why we are compensated more is because of our degrees. Teachers are required to have a Masters after a certian point, you don't even need a college degree to be a fire fighter or police officer.

As for PP who is going to teach as a "retirement" job, it is great you found something you love to do so much that you plan to do it when you are retired! I hear this a lot from people in the private sector (I was an accountant before I was a teacher and an old co-worker keeps telling me he wants to teach HS history once he retires. However, teaching people who want to be there (ie. nursing students) is a lot different than teaching Algebra to a room of 14 year-olds who should have passed it by then. That is why so many teachers run screaming at the end of their 30 years )
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 17:03     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:Lots of us work on the weekends and in the evening, folks.

I am a 20 year professional in a different field and make $112K a year. So that's more than a 20 year teacher, but when you add in the benefits that teachers get, it's pretty on-par. I get 5 weeks off a year, which is a lot of the private sector but less than teachers by a couple of weeks.

I work plenty of weekends and evenings.

I think teachers should be well-paid! I just don't buy the whole "our jobs are so much harder than everyone else's" line.


You are not held accountable for 130 to 150 students each day. Let's say I'm a smart planner, and I "only" have my 60 AP language essays to grade that I collected on Thursday. I have ONE planning period to grade; the other is for collaborative planning with my colleagues (a requirement). Each essay takes 20 minutes to grade. That's 1200 minutes - or 20 hours. no lie, no exaggeration

So I can do a little at a time, but to be honest, I have children - small ones at that - who also need to be picked up from school, taken to activities, fed, you know - the whole parent thing???? We are parents after all.

So let's say I DO finish grading them that weekend. I still have to plan AP lessons for 2 classes as well as lessons for my 3 on-level 9th graders.

YOUR job is a joke, PP. I've been in other jobs; "work" consisted of reading and responding to emails and writing reports. soooo easy compared to developing lessons for 9th graders who read anywhere from a 3rd grade level to a 10th grade level . . .

So yes, it IS much harder. You have no idea. So unless you've been in my shoes (as I've been in yours), shut the hell up.[u]
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 13:42     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Lots of us work on the weekends and in the evening, folks.

I am a 20 year professional in a different field and make $112K a year. So that's more than a 20 year teacher, but when you add in the benefits that teachers get, it's pretty on-par. I get 5 weeks off a year, which is a lot of the private sector but less than teachers by a couple of weeks.

I work plenty of weekends and evenings.

I think teachers should be well-paid! I just don't buy the whole "our jobs are so much harder than everyone else's" line.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 12:20     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I'm so sorry that you're jealous of our cushy, high paying jobs in the field of education.

FWIW, my friend who's been a Fed for fewer years than I've been teaching is making almost twice my salary.

So I have no idea what you're complaining about, as I'm certain your pay isn't exactly at the low end either
.

I'm neither jealous of your job in the field of education nor complaining about my equally high paying job in the field of social work. But I do believe that a 7% raise IS unequivocally CUSHY in the current economic climate (e.g. the County and State are crying "broke"). So enjoy your raise but please stop bitching about it -- particularly to your fellow public servants who are "raise-less" (and hoping that our particular jobs -- of helping children in crisis -- aren't eliminated/diminished when the budget ax comes around).




I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises.


Actually, you're already pretty well compensated given that you only work 10 months out of the year with long breaks at Christmas and in the spring. Paid professional days for development, every holiday off, never coming into work on the weekends, never worrying about childcare on snow days, holidays or school breaks. I'm a PICU nurse and my work is every bit as worthy as what you do but I haven't seen a raise for 3 years. This year we are getting a raise, it is 1.5% and I am grateful as I understand the shrinking reimbursements that are impacting my hospital. If I want professional development - I pay out of pocket and take a day of PTO to attend.


First I will say that nurses have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. I think nurses should be paid millions. I saw how well they took care of my grandparents when they were in a nursing home and I could never, ever repay them for what they did for them. I am very grateful for the work they do.

however, to say teachers don't work over the weekends is a joke. I grade papers EVERY SINGLE Sunday for hours on end. Every friend I know has that same week off between xmas and new Years that I have (whether they work in the private or government sector and they are using some of their 30 vacation days to do it), we lost paid professional development days three years ago (unless you have funding from an outside source), I have to worry about childcare because I teach HS and y children go to ES which starts two hours after I have to be at work (and same goes for half-days, professional days, etc.) Like you, we haven't gotten a raise in three years and, like you, are gettting a small one this year.

You are just another person who has never been in a classroom and has no idea what our jobs are like. Just like I wouldn't assume to know the ins and outs of your job because I have been a patient of nurses, don't assume you know what it is like to teach because you were a student once. That is just plain ignorant.

I have never had the whole week between Christmas and New Years off. PTO during that time is very limited. We work every other Christmas and that include the eve and the day after. I don't understand the whole grading papers on Sunday. School ends in the early afternoon. What do people do for the rest of the day? I'm not being snarky, I am asking. I see the high school kids on my street coming home before 3pm. I'm not saying your job isn't hard, I know it has its moments... but all jobs do and I have been on the other side of the classroom. I not only work in the hospital but I've taught nursing for 12 years as well. I will continue teaching as my retirement job
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 11:08     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Could one of the teachers on the thread explain why their raises should far exceed those of the other municipal employees? For example, police and firefighters? All the other municipal employees?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:56     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I'm so sorry that you're jealous of our cushy, high paying jobs in the field of education.

FWIW, my friend who's been a Fed for fewer years than I've been teaching is making almost twice my salary.

So I have no idea what you're complaining about, as I'm certain your pay isn't exactly at the low end either
.

I'm neither jealous of your job in the field of education nor complaining about my equally high paying job in the field of social work. But I do believe that a 7% raise IS unequivocally CUSHY in the current economic climate (e.g. the County and State are crying "broke"). So enjoy your raise but please stop bitching about it -- particularly to your fellow public servants who are "raise-less" (and hoping that our particular jobs -- of helping children in crisis -- aren't eliminated/diminished when the budget ax comes around).




I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises.


Actually, you're already pretty well compensated given that you only work 10 months out of the year with long breaks at Christmas and in the spring. Paid professional days for development, every holiday off, never coming into work on the weekends, never worrying about childcare on snow days, holidays or school breaks. I'm a PICU nurse and my work is every bit as worthy as what you do but I haven't seen a raise for 3 years. This year we are getting a raise, it is 1.5% and I am grateful as I understand the shrinking reimbursements that are impacting my hospital. If I want professional development - I pay out of pocket and take a day of PTO to attend.


First I will say that nurses have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. I think nurses should be paid millions. I saw how well they took care of my grandparents when they were in a nursing home and I could never, ever repay them for what they did for them. I am very grateful for the work they do.

however, to say teachers don't work over the weekends is a joke. I grade papers EVERY SINGLE Sunday for hours on end. Every friend I know has that same week off between xmas and new Years that I have (whether they work in the private or government sector and they are using some of their 30 vacation days to do it), we lost paid professional development days three years ago (unless you have funding from an outside source), I have to worry about childcare because I teach HS and y children go to ES which starts two hours after I have to be at work (and same goes for half-days, professional days, etc.) Like you, we haven't gotten a raise in three years and, like you, are gettting a small one this year.

You are just another person who has never been in a classroom and has no idea what our jobs are like. Just like I wouldn't assume to know the ins and outs of your job because I have been a patient of nurses, don't assume you know what it is like to teach because you were a student once. That is just plain ignorant.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:45     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:



So true! I mean, think about what elementary school teachers working with kids from the mean streets of Potomac have to endure on a daily basis. The Tiger Moms! The BigLaw Dads! The Mercedes SUVs in the carpool line!

I do wonder how many soldiers deployed in Afghanistan average more than $70K per year. Probably not many.


Actually, dealing with these assholes is a major downer. A Tiger Mom tore me a new asshole last year because she didn't like how I disciplined her kid on my sports team. I was talked to like I was hired help. It was great.

In fact, she is probably on this thread posting how teachers don't deserve raises!
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:42     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:For the teachers on this thread: is your basic theory that, because you work hard and have a difficult and important job, you should continue to be paid more and more and more? That is simply not realistic. It seems like you are saying that you "deserve" more therefore you should get more. Well, you may deserve more, but there may just not be enough money to pay you more. Most of us bump up against realities like this in our lives all the time. It is part of being an adult. In a time of over 9% unemployment, it seems like a very unrealistic position to take. If you truly don't think teaching rewards you enough financially, then move on and go see how easy it is to retrain yourself and try to get a higher paying job. But to simply dig your heels in and pontificate that you "deserve" more money is childish and unrealistic.

As educators, you, more than most, probably are following the debt crisis in this country, the financial crisis and austerity in Greece and Europe, the downgrading of US debt and the notion that our country, states and counties are BORROWING the money to pay you. Honestly, you must know that this type of spending is unrealistic and will not keep up.



You are TOTALLY right!
You just opened my eyes! I mean, THANK YOU! Our teacher salaries are coming from China! The Federal Government is borrowing money from other countries so they can fund TEACHER SALARIES, and inflated salaries that aren't even deserved at that!

Holy crap! I am going to refuse my paychecks from now on. You are right, I certainly don't want to put this country in debt because of my job! I will work as a volunteer from now on and just live off of government assistance.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:34     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I'm so sorry that you're jealous of our cushy, high paying jobs in the field of education.

FWIW, my friend who's been a Fed for fewer years than I've been teaching is making almost twice my salary.

So I have no idea what you're complaining about, as I'm certain your pay isn't exactly at the low end either
.

I'm neither jealous of your job in the field of education nor complaining about my equally high paying job in the field of social work. But I do believe that a 7% raise IS unequivocally CUSHY in the current economic climate (e.g. the County and State are crying "broke"). So enjoy your raise but please stop bitching about it -- particularly to your fellow public servants who are "raise-less" (and hoping that our particular jobs -- of helping children in crisis -- aren't eliminated/diminished when the budget ax comes around).




I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises.


Actually, you're already pretty well compensated given that you only work 10 months out of the year with long breaks at Christmas and in the spring. Paid professional days for development, every holiday off, never coming into work on the weekends, never worrying about childcare on snow days, holidays or school breaks. I'm a PICU nurse and my work is every bit as worthy as what you do but I haven't seen a raise for 3 years. This year we are getting a raise, it is 1.5% and I am grateful as I understand the shrinking reimbursements that are impacting my hospital. If I want professional development - I pay out of pocket and take a day of PTO to attend.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:30     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises
.

Please shut-up! No one has said that teachers don't deserve a raise; so why are you being so defensive about comments that question the budgetary/fiscal wisdom of a raise (whether it's .5%, 7%, or anything else)? As a beneficiary of a raise, your particular comments come across as ungrateful/unappreciative/unsympathetic that teachers are at least getting something (I think one poster said it would be an additional $65 -- which still trumps the $0 increase that other equally deserving County employees will see in their pay). But maybe there's no raise that would sufficiently compensate you for having to deal with damaged children on a daily basis. Listening to you, it seems like the soldiers in Afghanistan have a cake-walk compared to what MCPS teachers have to endure.


So true! I mean, think about what elementary school teachers working with kids from the mean streets of Potomac have to endure on a daily basis. The Tiger Moms! The BigLaw Dads! The Mercedes SUVs in the carpool line!

I do wonder how many soldiers deployed in Afghanistan average more than $70K per year. Probably not many.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 10:26     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

For the teachers on this thread: is your basic theory that, because you work hard and have a difficult and important job, you should continue to be paid more and more and more? That is simply not realistic. It seems like you are saying that you "deserve" more therefore you should get more. Well, you may deserve more, but there may just not be enough money to pay you more. Most of us bump up against realities like this in our lives all the time. It is part of being an adult. In a time of over 9% unemployment, it seems like a very unrealistic position to take. If you truly don't think teaching rewards you enough financially, then move on and go see how easy it is to retrain yourself and try to get a higher paying job. But to simply dig your heels in and pontificate that you "deserve" more money is childish and unrealistic.

As educators, you, more than most, probably are following the debt crisis in this country, the financial crisis and austerity in Greece and Europe, the downgrading of US debt and the notion that our country, states and counties are BORROWING the money to pay you. Honestly, you must know that this type of spending is unrealistic and will not keep up.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2012 07:29     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises
.

Please shut-up! No one has said that teachers don't deserve a raise; so why are you being so defensive about comments that question the budgetary/fiscal wisdom of a raise (whether it's .5%, 7%, or anything else)? As a beneficiary of a raise, your particular comments come across as ungrateful/unappreciative/unsympathetic that teachers are at least getting something (I think one poster said it would be an additional $65 -- which still trumps the $0 increase that other equally deserving County employees will see in their pay). But maybe there's no raise that would sufficiently compensate you for having to deal with damaged children on a daily basis. Listening to you, it seems like the soldiers in Afghanistan have a cake-walk compared to what MCPS teachers have to endure.
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2012 22:07     Subject: Re:The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

Anonymous wrote:
I'm so sorry that you're jealous of our cushy, high paying jobs in the field of education.

FWIW, my friend who's been a Fed for fewer years than I've been teaching is making almost twice my salary.

So I have no idea what you're complaining about, as I'm certain your pay isn't exactly at the low end either
.

I'm neither jealous of your job in the field of education nor complaining about my equally high paying job in the field of social work. But I do believe that a 7% raise IS unequivocally CUSHY in the current economic climate (e.g. the County and State are crying "broke"). So enjoy your raise but please stop bitching about it -- particularly to your fellow public servants who are "raise-less" (and hoping that our particular jobs -- of helping children in crisis -- aren't eliminated/diminished when the budget ax comes around).




I was being sarcastic.

And keep in mind, Social Worker, that we, too, as educators, deal with damaged children on a daily basis - DAILY. Sadly, I've called CPS one too many times only to see NOTHING good result from my actions. In fact, there were several families where abuse was suspected and there were calls at every level - elementary, middle and high. And guess what? Nothing happened!

So I'll say this much - We teach, we parent, we protect. We deserve our raises.

Anonymous
Post 05/29/2012 21:26     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

When you get a raise in the last quarter of a fiscal year most of the impact is in the next fiscal year. FY14 salaries will be more than $20 million more in FY14 than FY13. Where is that money coming from?
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2012 18:58     Subject: The wisdom of rewarding Montgomery’s school employees (Washington Post)

I too have no idea where the 7% comes from. Perhaps it's the hyperbole from the union hating Washington Post.

The facts of the raise are as follows:

1. Teachers eligable for a step increase will get one starting July 1. Step increases range from 1.5% to 3%

2. Teachers who missed out on a step increase during the 2010-2011 school year (FY 2011) will receive that missed step starting in May 2013. Again, step increases range from 1.5% to 3%. This longevity increase will be for only 2 months (May and June) so the percentage increase is really 0.2% to 0.5% during this fiscal year.

3. Add up the increases in 1 and 2. What you end up with are increases ranging from 1.7% to 3.5%.

4. Teachers no longer eligable for step increases (those who have reached the top step already) are getting a 2% increase. This increase is NOT added to step 25 (the top step), so those who hit step 25 in the future will NOT see this increase.

5. The salary scale is NOT changing. No teacher is receiving a COLA. It will NOT cost the county more to fund salaries next year as those at the top will continue to retire, and will be replaced by others lower on the salary scale. All steps will cost the county EXACTLY THE SAME NEXT YEAR AS IT DOES THIS YEAR.

How the hell people think teachers are getting a 7% increase this coming fiscal year is beyond me. Are people who read this blog really that stupid, or do they only hear what they want to hear, even if it's dead wrong? Probably a little of both!