If you are wondering why education is going down the tubes…(long post)

[lucybabymamma]

Sorry for the long post, but I have to share my experience because I really do not think people are understanding the situation in schools right now and how dire the next elections are.

Here is our story:
My husband and I both have master’s degrees and both felt called to use them in schools – him as a high school counselor, me as an elementary school teacher. When we decided that I would be a SAHM, we tried living on one income for over a year on his salary. While we knew there would be sacrifices, we thought we could make it….That was before his school district was unable to pass a $20 a year tax increase the last two elections.

This is NOT a low socio-economic district – it is an upper-middle class school district.

Now, he has been on a pay freeze for over 5 years while our insurance costs have more than doubled. The difference between his salary and the salary at a nearby school district (same experience, etc) is over $20, 000 PER YEAR. There are three more bills on the ballot this election (two for his district and one for the state) and those look unlikely to pass, too, which in that case -- he will be out of a job.
I don’t think the parents in our district actually realize that that there have been 5 years of “unseen” cuts because this is the first year they are paying for school buses and all athletics. But at this point, class sizes are up to 50 students at the high school level and 40 children at the elementary school. My husband actually had a meeting with a concerned parent because her son did not have a Biology book to study at home. Yes, my husband had to say, there are NO books to take home for studying.

Did I mention this is NOT a low socio-economic district – it is an upper-middle class school district?

Amid all this, there is talk of paying teachers based on performance. You mean, you are already not paying them for cost of living, you are nearly doubling their class size while reducing any/all resources, then are expecting performance to improve? Or, maybe you just don’t want to actually end up paying teachers? And, although we would welcome ANY pay increase, these "raises" would not take place until nearly three years from now and ONLY if the next elections are favorable.

Okay, sorry for the long post, but here is my main point:

This isn’t an unusual situation. The other districts in the area are just a few years, or AN ELECTION, away from the same thing happening to them.

And, this is NOT a low socio-economic district – it is an upper-middle class school district -- and it could soon be yours.

If you live in a district that has bills on the ballot for more money –
think very, very HARD before voting no.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Very frustrating in our district too! But very similar to my families cost increases in private sector (small business owner). I don;t think my DH has taken an increase in 8 years. Curious as to why you think pay should not be tied to performance, however?

[m448]

My sister was a teacher in Florida before moving up here where they were trying to tie performance to pay. Best case scenario a teacher's pay is dependent on the performance of 30 individuals with varying abilities, background and potential. At worst, teachers begin teaching to the test EVEN MORE than before. As a parent (I'm a homeschooler) I would be very leary of linking those two.

[ahisma]

I agree completely. My DH is a teacher and has taken massive pay cuts through salary decreases and increased health care costs. In the past two years he has lost over $12,000 in annual salary. We actually had to consider pulling DS2 from preschool this year because we didn't know if we could afford it. Right now we are struggling to find money for an OT eval that we can't get covered by our insurance. Great, huh? A teacher can't afford to provide for his kids' educational needs.

Meanwhile, his class sizes are increasing. He teaches English - the amount of time that it takes to grade essays from six overloaded classes is mindboggling. People seem to think that he does that at school? Nope, he's *teaching* at school. Grading and prepping is all at home. If he does have extra time during the day it's spent doing something like trying to round up a desk for yet another student in an already packed classroom.

He's in an urban school, but DD is in an upper middle class school - ranked #3 in the state. She is missing textbooks for many classes. We print copious amounts of materials at home because the school can't afford to. Frankly, we can barely afford it either. We live in what is probably the least expensive house in the district, because we know the value of her education. Oh, and we print materials for DH's class at home too, AND buy many needed supplies that otherwise would just not be available.

Yet, we have heated sidewalks and a city arborist. Nice to see the priorities, eh?

[lucybabymamma]

Very frustrating in our district too! But very similar to my families cost increases in private sector (small business owner). I don;t think my DH has taken an increase in 8 years. Curious as to why you think pay should not be tied to performance, however?

Do you think it's fair to offer "raises" (really just cost of living increases) for student performance when class size is double what it should be, teachers have no resources to do their jobs and there are no books for students to study from?
It would be like taking away a fireman's uniform, taking away all his backup, turning on the water hose only at half power and then only paying him if he finds a way to put out the fire. Oh, and all of that should be okay with him because his job is FUN.

[ahisma]

Very frustrating in our district too! But very similar to my families cost increases in private sector (small business owner). I don;t think my DH has taken an increase in 8 years. Curious as to why you think pay should not be tied to performance, however?

Actually, many teachers have effectively taken a pay cut.

As far as the performance pay, personally I have some real concerns with the quantification methods used. My DH teaches a population that is very transient. Many kids do not remain in the same school district. He is, IMO, a driven and excellent teacher. He is highly educated, well regarded, and truly connects with the students. He pushes them to succeed. For some of those students, that success may be that, in 11th grade, they finally attempt to read a novel for the first time. 11th grade.

Under a merit pay situation, what teachers will consider teaching in his district? Do those students deserve highly qualified teachers too? Oh, and don't forget the "perks" like having students arrested right out of the classroom, breaking up gang fights in the hallway, and having shots fired at the football game. Not sure what kind of teachers will sign up for that gig, knowing that it comes with a massive pay cut to an already pittance of a salary.

[wendmatt]

Its a dreadful situation that makes me sick to my stomach. I'm going to college to become a teacher right now and I wonder if I am making a big mistake....but I love being in the classroom, so if I can get a job after all the $4 billion cuts here in TX, I'll be happy. I 'm heartsick that people are sitting by and allowing all these cuts to education, these children are the future of the country. Rick Perry refuses to increase a single cent on taxes and would rather every school lost it's librarian aide so children no longer have free rein to go and check out books, they can go once a week, some schools have to share a librarian so the library is closed half of the time. Teachers work bloody hard and get repaid like you said. Paying on performance is a sure way to increase an already fraught situation, no one will want the underachievers in their class, the great teachers that work with the needy children will not want to do that in case they get paid according to their children's test scores. UGH, wake up politicians, our children need good schools.

[citymama]

OP, thank you to you and your DH for the important work you do. Incredibly incredibly valuable and yet so under-valued and appreciated. I wish we as a society valued and paid our teachers more.

[JTsMom]

ITA with the above, but you also can have the flip side, where performance must come up a certain %. Pretty hard to do if you're students are already at the top, right? You can see that reflected in the grading system some states use. Why should teachers stay at the good schools in that case? Either way, performance pay is a bad idea.

[lucybabymamma]

ITA with the above, but you also can have the flip side, where performance must come up a certain %. Pretty hard to do if you're students are already at the top, right? You can see that reflected in the grading system some states use. Why should teachers stay at the good schools in that case? Either way, performance pay is a bad idea.

True! And if your child is a high performer amid lower performers in a class of 40 you can be sure they will not be receiving much attention/support.