Who among us does not want to save someones job if possible and that includes vital jobs such as teachers. The key is not the goal, it is the way of achieving that goal.
Many members of Congress will take the path of sending more money to the states to sustain the current status and to assure ongoing support by teacher unions.
A more reasonable approach is to renegotiate teacher contracts to the point the appropriate number of jobs are saved. For example, in the town where I live teachers are getting a 3.8% raise and for the first time are paying a portion of their health care equal to 1.5% of pay. At the Fortune 500 company where I was employed there are no raises in 2010 and the 401(k) match is suspended for both union and non union workers (to save jobs).
Why are such measures reasonable and common in the private sector and unthinkable in the public sector? One reason is POLITICS and that is the essence of the problem driving America to mediocrity.
At a time of economic stress and very low inflation a 3.8% raise is outrageous, contract or no contract. Contributing toward health benefits at a level a fraction of the amount paid by similar pay level jobs in the private sector is equally unreasonable.
Something must change. Accountability must start from the bottom up.
Tweet from Speaker Pelosi
@SpeakerPelosi: “I will be calling the House back into session early next week to save teachers’ jobs and help seniors & children
Dare anyone ask why it is necessary to “save” teachers jobs (as opposed to why it costs so much to run schools or why many teachers have negotiated unaffordable contracts)?
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It is interesting that now, in times of serious economic difficulties, there is so much attention toward teacher jobs and their pay and their benefits. When the economy out there in the corporate world is good, the teacher job is not scrutinized. They are certainly not envied for their job itself nor the pay and certainly not for the expectations of making a better “widget” no matter what type of widget walks through that classroom door.
But now when times are tough, teachers’ jobs are compared to the corporate sector. Suddenly those 3% raises and the pension and the job choice that equals never being a millionaire, or even rich….looks pretty good. I wouldn’t say that a 3.8% raise is “outrageous”. I would say that now—it is worthy of envy—a few years ago? Not so much.
P.S. I’m not a teacher.
P.P. S. I do agree that employees should pay for some of their benefits, but I can tell you that many states don’t have teacher unions and those teachers (public) do pay for much of their benefits. And the teachers I know are not paying into Social Security.
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