NC educators leaving the state

[begreen]

That is often dependent on area demographics. If you are in a poor area then of course a parent is going to want a better option for their child's education. Most parents have this choice, but you've left out an important variable, cost. At what cost would they choose this option?

The other reason for opting the private choice unfortunately in some areas is racially or religiously motivated. Race and class have a lot to do with private choices.

 

[begreen]

Frontline did a good program on this topic. It's a complex problem, often regional and the answers are not simple. The Frontline article is here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/vouchers/howbad/crisis.html

 

[Seasoned Oak]

One teacher in the article complains of making 20K less than california. Not surprising at all. Im sure the cost of living in the same house in NC is 20K less (or more)than california. Also the 2 teachers with the 6 jobs and cant make their payments? Payments on what? Article does not say.Teachers i my small town are not going anywhere. They live in the best houses ,drive the best cars, make the most money and get their generous yearly raises without fail since i was little.
All while the rest of the town that looks like theres a depression going on,struggles with the yearly increase in property taxes. So bash away at me people for this post ,cuz all teachers are NOT suffering.

 

[begreen]

Yes, as they noted there is a huge difference sometimes in school systems just 10 or 20 miles apart. It depends in large part on what the parents choose and can afford to pay. Our real estate taxes just took a big jump for a new high school. That is not going to happen for a lot of inner city schools.

 

[DBNH22]

One teacher in the article complains of making 20K less than california. Not surprising at all. Im sure the cost of living in the same house in NC is 20K less (or more)than california. Also the 2 teacher with the 6 jobs and cant make their payments? Payments on what? Article does not say.Teachers i my small town are not going anywhere. They live in the best houses ,drive the best cars, make the most money and get their generous yearly raises without fail since i was little.
All while the rest of the town that looks like theres a depression going on,struggles with the yearly increase in property taxes. So bash away at me people for this post ,cuz all teachers are NOT suffering.

Teachers often have annual automatic raises written into their union contracts. Like other public employees they also often make much smaller contributions to their benefits packages than most private sector employees. Then they have the nerve to turn around and cry poorhouse half the time. i guess someof them just don't realize how insulting it is to the parents that pay their salaries through property taxes. You know the parents that don't have tenure, a union that makes it next to impossible for them to get fired no matter what they do, or automatic annual raises.

 

[DBNH22]

Frontline did a good program on this topic. It's a complex problem, often regional and the answers are not simple. The Frontline article is here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/vouchers/howbad/crisis.html

The suburbs vs inner cities are night and day not just in the school system but in pretty much every other aspect of life. But to say that because our suburban public schools are so much better than our inner city public schools really says nothing at all with regard to comparing public schools to private schools. How many times have any of us heard a parent happy or excited about the chance to send their kids to public schools instead of private school when both options were available? I'd venture to say that none of us has every experienced that. On the other hand I'm sure we all know a few families who've scrimped and did whatever they could so that little Johnny or Jane could go to that expensive private school two towns over rather than the local public school. On the whole private school are viewed as better because they are better. Does that surprise anyone when we examine how the public schools and private schools operate? Private schools rely primarily on tuition and philanthropy to stay in business. They must provide a service that the parents believe is worth paying good money for or they will cease to exist. Public schools on the other hand are funded by the coercive power of government. they don't really have to meet any expactations to expect to continue to receive funding. It's always been there and always will be. There's no financial motivation to be better.

 

[begreen]

Teachers often have annual automatic raises written into their union contracts.

Is this a general case in your area? Not so in WA state.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I often hear the unions here compare their salaries to those in philly and big city schools as a justification for yearly raises. Thats apples to oranges IMO.
The cost of living and the quality of life are much different in big city schools. Although they often make that argument,i dont see anyone pulling up stakes and moving to philly. In fact we have a lot of former philly residents moving here.

 

[begreen]

How many times have any of us heard a parent happy or excited about the chance to send their kids to public schools instead of private school when both options were available?

We were happy to have our kids going to our local schools, it is in part why we moved here. If private, who is paying the tuition and how many parents don't choose this option because they can't afford it?

Financial motivation is not what makes a great teacher. If that was so we would have terrible teachers here.

 

[begreen]

The cost of living and the quality of life are much different in big city schools. Although they often make that argument,i dont see anyone pulling up stakes and moving to philly. In fact we have a lot of former philly residents moving here.

My nephew moved to Philly from Boston last year. So far he loves it.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Private school teachers around here make a small fraction of those in public school. In fact that where many with a teaching degree wind up if they dont happen to have a relative on the school board and dont want to leave the area.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

4 of my best customers are teachers. They're the ones spending the money when no one else had any. Lots of money on wants not needs.
Sorry the teachers in the story can't make ends meet, they're obviously living beyond their means. Happens to people in all walks of life who don't have a basic understanding of income vs. expenses. Will probably happen to them again.

 

[begreen]

I suspect that northeast teachers are better paid on average. Our local teacher's salaries look more like the national average for private schools. Most of the teachers I know have their spouse working too. They live ok on two incomes, but not better than us. Teachers are human beings, not saints. BTW, wasn't it considered by some a patriotic duty to consume just a decade ago? I don't subscribe to that pov but do remember this being the mantra.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Ironically we are cutting the size of the police force due to budget cuts
in this area while crime rises, while it seems our school board doesnt operate on the same planet. The school budget is always a couple million more each year in amid declining enrollment in a small town and the school still has 15 administrators.

 

[DBNH22]

Ironically we are cutting the size of the police force due to budget cuts
in this area while crime rises, while it seems our school board doesnt operate on the same planet. The school budget is always a couple million more each year in amid declining enrollment in a small town and the school still has 15 administrators.

That's probably because every year they're screaming that they need more money by playing on people's emotions. "it's for the kids." Honestly who wants to look like the jackass saying no to a bunch of kids. The truth is that those of us in the private sector have been forced to do more with less but the government never has to.

 

[begreen]

Again a blanket generalization. Our teachers took a pay cut as state revenues decline during the last recession.

 

[DBNH22]

Again a blanket generalization. Our teachers took a pay cut as state revenues decline during the last recession.

did they take it willingly or were they forced to take it kicking and screaming the whole way?

 

[Jags]

did they take it willingly or were they forced to take it kicking and screaming the whole way?

Who willingly takes a pay cut?

 

[DBNH22]

Who willingly takes a pay cut?

Good point but at least when you're in the private sector your employer is paying your salary and not the taxpayers.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

did they take it willingly or were they forced to take it kicking and screaming the whole way?

A pay cut would never pass muster around here.

 

[begreen]

did they take it willingly or were they forced to take it kicking and screaming the whole way?

The cuts were large and across the board. There was some complaint from the teachers, but nothing major. It was a pretty dire situation for a couple years.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Again a blanket generalization. Our teachers took a pay cut as state revenues decline during the last recession.

That would not happen around here. It is only the size of the increase that is up for discussion. I guess it depends on the school board makeup.
Ours is mostly retired teachers and teachers spouses. The fox is guarding the hen house.

 

[begreen]

WA state teachers are state employees. Their salaries are not determined by local school boards. Interestingly it is rare to have more than one or two teachers at any time on our local school board.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I do think its a very honorable profession. Its the best gig around here,if you can get it. But at some point budget realities and the local economies must play a part in salaries. That is if they insist on making the local economies foot the bill.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

WA state teachers are state employees. Their salaries are not determined by local school boards. Interestingly it is rare to have more than one or two teachers at any time on our local school board.

I think thats a better formula. Our state hands down a lot of regulation and even salary recommendations but expects the locals to pay for it all. If the state wants to dictate everything, thats fine with me but let them pay for it.