EDITORS' CORNER
OPINION: Start enforcing discipline, eliminate leftist fluff and they’ll think differently
Teachers and school administrators think they’re underpaid, according to a new survey by the EdWeek Research Center.
The survey was conducted “as districts grappled with the end of federal COVID-19 aid and the Trump administration’s abrupt decisions to cut grants and contracts for teacher training, educational research, and school meals,” according to Education Week.
The left-leaning education news source notes “if teachers had their way, they’d get a 25% raise,” while administrators say a 20 percent increase is needed to make their paychecks “adequate.”
This essentially equates to jumping teacher salaries from the median of $68,000 to $85,000; those of school-based administrators would increase approximately $20,000.
Two-thirds of teachers also said their districts “should spend a ‘much larger share’ of their budget on their salaries “even if it would mean cuts in other areas.”
But … districts already spend just under 80 percent of their budgets on teacher salaries and benefits, of which 24 percent is devoted to the latter.
Interestingly, the survey notes teachers “are more likely to underestimate the total cost to their districts of their employment.”
This comes as no surprise to yours truly. During my years in education I often interjected when a peer was whining about his/her pay by noting our benefits were vastly superior to just about anyone else’s in the area.
Not to mention, the general population doesn’t want to hear teachers’ bellyaching on the topic, especially blue-collar types who’re putting in 10-hour days six or seven days a week.
Nevertheless, far-left politicians like Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey have “reintroduced” bills to establish a minimum teaching salary of $60,000, further demonstrating progressives’ proclivity to just throw money at a “problem.” (Their previous effort didn’t make it out of committee even when Democrats controlled the Senate.)
Teachers’ jobs would be a lot easier — and thus they’d be more satisfied with their salaries — if many policies enacted by leftists, especially in the realm of discipline, were rescinded.
MORE: Teachers union webinars: land acknowledgments, white privilege, gay pride flags in classes
Teachers are tired of sending kids out of class (if they’re even allowed to do so) and having them come right back after a few moments with a note that an asst. principal gave them a “stern talking to” (complete with wiseass smirks on the kids’ faces).
While asst. principals are those who largely handle discipline matters, many who may want to actually penalize misbehavior have to follow edicts from the principal and central office administrators. These higher-ups are well-versed in the latest educational “theories” (i.e. fads) and can’t wait to try them out.
To teachers’ detriment, most of these fads are bullsh**.
My former district was big on so-called “restorative practices” and other disciplinary “alternatives”; the more these were enacted, the more my colleagues wanted out of the profession.
Some ended up taking teaching positions for significantly less pay at private schools. This is because they could actually teach, as their new school didn’t tolerate student shenanigans.
Oh, and need it be to mentioned that teachers have summers off … and for every single holiday on the calendar?
Yes, sure, teaching is a tough job. But it’s been made a lot tougher because of leftists’ dominate influence in the field. Straighten out school discipline, do away with all the race/gender/SEL, etc. fluff and get back to basics — and watch teacher satisfaction, retention, and recruitment improve.
MORE: The end of ‘restorative discipline’? Parents, teachers are fed up
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: A woman expresses her skepticism; Dubrouskaya Tatsiana/Shutterstock.com
