Teacher pay raises

[cowman]

I put this on the other thread I started and I am going to put it here:

I will tell you this, I did not look at salaries in 1975 when I wanted to coach. Started at a base pay rate of $8600 per year and $50 per month for driving a bus with 80 screaming kids every morning and $1500 coaching stipend. My 3rd and last year to coach/teach at a salary of the bus/stipend and that salary with another coach keeping count of the time we were at school, at a game or whatever that had to do with our kids, WE averaged .52 cents per hour for that year!

I left after 3 years for the private sector and got back into the teaching field as a Teaching Assistant/Para Professional in Dec of 2102. got my Elementary Certificate in the summer of 2015, could not even get an interview being 63/64, got my Special Ed certification in the summer of 2016 and got hired as the SEBSS teacher at Ramirez Elementary in Lubbock. Taught there until last year when I was transferred to Wester Elementary to start a new program at the school for ED kids. Next year will be my last, but I would still like a raise.

AND, I still challenge anyone to come and stand and work in my shoes for a week and tell me we have enough pay for what we do. I challenge you!!!!!!!!! My salary is slightly over $45,000 per year, but as most teachers have said, I spend a lot of money out of my own pocket for these kids.

So, you left teaching for the private sector because of ****ty pay and you came back to teaching and now complaining of the ****ty pay?

[TN_boy]

The wife has 2 Masters, just finished one in Administration.
She has been teaching for 14 years. Was Teacher of the Year for her high school and Austin ISD several years ago. The Superintendent here knows her by name.

My salary, as a high school graduate, is still $10k/yr more than hers.
It increases 5-10%/year with 5-10k stock options/yr that should be worth $1-3 in 5 years.

I've told her many times to track her hours for a year and write a book.
She stays at school until 9 or 10 with theater students and comes home to get on the computer until 1 or 2am 5 days a week.

[Chris Boger]

Problem is that teachers are not payed on a performance based scale. Plain and simple. NO raises for the deadwood and more money for the ones that earn it. Oh wait.. that’s too simple.

[CoachS]

I haven't read the whole thread and I'm probably not going to so if this has already been pointed out I apologize.

So the question is, would I support a tax increase to cover a raise for teachers.

My point is that you get a tax increase dang near every year. The property tax percentage may stay the same but your property values increase and so the amount you are paying in taxes increases. Follow me? So the problem is that school districts don't keep up with those annual teacher raises closely enough to where you keep up with the cost of living. More dollars come in as a result of property values increasing but that money is not budgeted towards actually keeping the salary scale caught up to the rising cost of living. So then every 20 years or so the state has to step in and make a bigger adjustment. This isn't the first time for this.

So, should property tax rates increase to cover a raise for teachers? No. They should not. Should annual raises given to teachers keep up with the cost of living so we don't end up where we are now? Yes, absolutely. Small incremental adjustments are much easier to swallow. I think over the last 20 years if teacher raises had gone up at the same rate as property values and therefore taxes collected we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Couldn't agree more! Property values go up because of people moving here from out of state (California and Illinois to name a few) driving up the comps!

[CoachS]

Here is a start do away with the state standardized test that are a huge expense. They don't mean anything anyway.

[SmTx]

Problem is that teachers are not payed on a performance based scale. Plain and simple. NO raises for the deadwood and more money for the ones that earn it. Oh wait.. that’s too simple.

"Paid"

Please tell us how to educate Texas, sir.

[Jerry H]

I thought the lottery was going to teacher pay raises. My wife has taught for 35 years. She loves the kids, and loves her job, but pay is too low, and insurance is too high.

That's what they told us when they were trying to pass the lottery.

I am not in favor of raising property taxes for any reason.

[rut-ro]

No need to raise property taxes to fund teachers. My wife is a teacher and I am against it. We make decent money and live within our means. The problem is with the wasteful admin. My cousin teaches at Klein and loves his job Makes good money. However, they have 21 assistance principals on campus. There is no need for that. Also, just because they make more does not mean they will be better teachers or the kids will learn more.

[jcamp]

No need to raise property taxes to fund teachers. My wife is a teacher and I am against it. We make decent money and live within our means. The problem is with the wasteful admin. My cousin teaches at Klein and loves his job Makes good money. However, they have 21 assistance principals on campus. There is no need for that. Also, just because they make more does not mean they will be better teachers or the kids will learn more.

We feel the same. My wife and i are teachers and i coach but we don’t feel like we make a bad living at all.. do everything we want, save a ton of money.. we’re about to close on 19 acres, etc... we never feel strapped for money. I know it’s not 100k for each of us a year. However, i also don’t feel like it’s a bad living by any means.


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[DRT]

There are some very enlightening replies on this thread.
Bureaucrats and career politicians lining their pockets is what causes shortages in funds. There is an adequate tax base to fund what we need but greed and waste are the issues. Standardized tests reflect that.
Teachers deserve regular raises. They don't get promotions, they don't have levels to aspire to. Just more work, more criticism and less parental support.
Basing pay raises on performance is ignorant. Depending on demographics and school support structure a teacher can work relentlessly and still come up short. Not every child can or will excel in school.
Is the proposal good? Not in my opinion but a structured promise of annual 3% to 5% COLA raises is fair.

Gary

[tps7742]

No to raising taxes for teacher raises at this time. In my particular county when they start appraising properties equally then I am ok with it.

[jcamp]

There are some very enlightening replies on this thread.
Bureaucrats and career politicians lining their pockets is what causes shortages in funds. There is an adequate tax base to fund what we need but greed and waste are the issues. Standardized tests reflect that.
Teachers deserve regular raises. They don't get promotions, they don't have levels to aspire to. Just more work, more criticism and less parental support.
Basing pay raises on performance is ignorant. Depending on demographics and school support structure a teacher can work relentlessly and still come up short. Not every child can or will excel in school.
Is the proposal good? Not in my opinion but a structured promise of annual 3% to 5% COLA raises is fair.

Gary

Terrific post


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[CaptainDave]

Put me on the side of no more tax dollars until these districts can be held accountable for wasteful spending. The current tax base is adequate to support teachers and raises if the funds were allocated and used properly.

School boards reflect much of what is wrong with government and bureaucracies in general. Bunch of people elected into powerful positions that don't have a clue as to how to run a business, balance a budget, negotiate deals and be fiscally responsible. You know, those important things that private sector companies and owners must do or go out of business. Only thing these school districts do when they misappropriate funds is ask the tax payers for more. Heck, they often use scare tactics to get what they want...threaten to cut teachers, security, etc.

[Burnadell]

Put me on the side of no more tax dollars until these districts can be held accountable for wasteful spending. The current tax base is adequate to support teachers and raises if the funds were allocated and used properly.

School boards reflect much of what is wrong with government and bureaucracies in general. Bunch of people elected into powerful positions that don't have a clue as to how to run a business, balance a budget, negotiate deals and be fiscally responsible. You know, those important things that private sector companies and owners must do or go out of business. Only thing these school districts do when they misappropriate funds is ask the tax payers for more. Heck, they often use scare tactics to get what they want...threaten to cut teachers, security, etc.

Have you run to get elected to your school board so you can try to change things and make a difference?

[91cavgt]

I drive a school bus and have been at my current ISD for just over 5 years now. My route is inner city kids that range from 4 years old to 18. I work 5 1/2 hours each day and after deductions, my take home pay is only $670. Yep, $670 a month take home pay. Would any of you drive a 77 passenger bus for 5 1/2 hours a day with your back to these kids the entire time for $670 a month?


Luckily for me, I don’t drive a school bus for the money. I worked my butt off for 20 years so I’m in a financial position where I don’t have to work anymore. My job is a school bus driver because I have a heart to serve while being a good Christian roll model for these kids. The only problem is people like me are hard to find. There are several people where I work that their bus driving income is there only source of income. Due to the low pay, it is incredibly difficult to get people to drive a school bus. That is why EVERYWHERE you go you see signs saying “Now hiring school bus drivers”.


So what kind of person do you want driving your kids to school?