Hey guys. I know it’s been a month since I last wrote… and that last time, you might not have cared to read the whole book review of Shantaram. Eh, well, I understand. But it’s my blog and I’ll write what I want to. :)
Here’s another maybe-no-one-else-cares post, just for you:
I am not normally one to get into politics and unions and stuff, but this time it’s personal. Our governor here in Tennessee, Bill Haslam, is following in the footsteps of Wisconsin’s governor and trying to take away unions’ collective bargaining rights, including those of teachers’ unions. I am not actually a union member myself (dues are too expensive and I haven’t felt the need for it yet), but it burns me up that one political party that happens to have a majority in the state I live in can just decide to take away our rights to bargain for reasonable working conditions and health care benefits.
If you haven’t noticed, guys, we teachers are trying our darndest to educate your children. Oh wait — never mind, I forgot that you can afford the $10,000+ yearly tuition to send your kids to Montgomery Bell Academy or Harpeth Hall.
It’s not that we want tenure to keep our cushy jobs and benefits without having to work hard. I have tenure myself, and I know for a fact I am working harder this year than the three years I worked without tenure! I don’t know a single teacher that lazy. Even if that teacher does exist, who has ever described a job that requires at least a bachelor’s degree and a professional license, yet whose salary caps out at $66,676 with a doctorate and 25 years of experience as CUSHY? Heck, I’ll even post the link to our salary schedule for you to peruse. Do you know any other jobs that pay this little for people who have two masters degrees? If you do, tell them we teachers feel their pain.
(MNPS) Teacher Salary Schedule
In this video, Jon Stewart puts it as only he can…
Jon Stewart Exposes the Lavish Lifestyle of the American Public School Teacher
You know, I honestly don’t care if they make tenure requirements harder — but let’s first be fair about how teachers are going to be evaluated. If the failures of kids whom I’ve never seen before in my life, whose parents never took the time to read to them at home, and whose goal it is just to make everyone around them miserable, fall upon me just because they walk the halls of the school where I teach, you’d better believe I’m going to be on the steps of the Capitol building protesting.
Gov. Bill Haslam Teacher Tenure Bill Headed for Senate Vote
Here’s a blog that I think kind of sums up a lot of us teachers’ true feelings (warning – it’s kind of caustic and bitter):
Ok, well, I’m done blabbing for the day. Even though I could go on and on, no one likes a whiner. And hey, at least I have a job… right?! At least for now I do. :)
Thank you! Well said! I have been a fan of Jon Stewart since the Daily show started and he has really hit the nail on the head.
Those are some good thoughts, I wonder if this debate will end up as a South Park episode? I wonder which side they would take? If it’s any comfort, if one political party with the majority can take away bargaining rights, another may be able to give it back. Union dues are tax deductible, by the way, and so far I’ve been able to get mine back. As a non-tenured teacher, will say that I wonder what Tennessee hopes to learn about me in 5 years that they will not learn in 3? A way to drive me out of the profession? In their dreams.