Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Slavery Wages and Common Core

I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Slave wages. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Ok, that's a bit sensational but not quite. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Teachers in my state make about $40,000 start pay to $75,000 right before retirement, but of course it varies. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Here I am, an experienced, credentialed teacher. I have a BA, MA, and three credentials. I don't recall the exact fact, but the majority of people being credentialed in California are already credentialed and are seeking further credentials and education for better job outlook, so I am not the anomaly. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

I keep trying to land a job and actually stay long enough for tenure, for no avail. I have massive, scary, overburdening student loans to pay back. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Enough about me and the fact many echo my story. On to my point. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

I have written previously of experienced, pink slipped teachers vying for a position as a teacher's aide, being that a thousand people can apply for a teaching job, they apply to anything and everything. Going from, say, a salary of $45,000, 6 years of college, and $80,000 in loan debt to praying to land a part-time, 15 hours a week job paying $11 an hour. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Remember, school generally only goes for about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 30 weeks minus the random day off for one-day holidays and furloughs. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Maybe they apply to be a substitute teacher, often a job filled with retirees and recent BA holders thinking about going back to get a teaching credential, it is now also a career filled with RIFed teachers (the first to get a sub job). Some places in my state only pay $90 a day, no benefits, and you're lucky to work the 180 days of a school year...it is more like a few days a week at best. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

I recently applied for a few jobs, and discovered aide positions and sub jobs aren't the only wage slavery for teachers. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

One job was "on call" at $19 an hour. That meant I could, at best, work a 30 hour week and at worst...not work for a week. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Another was a full time teacher at a private school, at $11 an hour. You needed credentials and a BA and experience. To send your own child to school there cost more than you'd earn. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Other jobs look great- wow! $45,000 a year! But you must have three specific credentials or sorry, we don't want you. Or, you must be fully bilingual. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

Or, sure, you can make a nice $48,000 but must work 260 days a year for 8 hours plus some nights and weekends. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

How does this all tie into common core? I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

I didn't see such wage slavery until it began to encroach a few years ago, but it was a rarity. Since we adopted common core, such wage slavery is blossoming, mostly at charter schools and private enterprises that can suck on the blood of a "failing" public school. Often, a public school will shut down and a charter pops up in its place. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

As Common Core training, curriculum, technology costs go through the roof and funds plummet, districts and schools must compensate somehow. They HAVE to buy new Common Core textbooks, train staff, provide laptops, pay for assessments, as it is the LAW. So they have to "find" money somewhere, and salary and benefits take up to 80 or 90% of the budget. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

But good luck ever decreasing salaries and benefits without hell to pay. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

So, they raise class size to, say, 38 per class so they can RIF some teachers. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

They allow charters and private enterprise to offer what seems like better programs outside of the public arena. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

They RIF "probationary" (non-tenured, new) teachers like no ones business. These teachers end up with one year job stints every few years, and the district saves money because a person near retirement costs over $70,000 and once they retire, you can fill their position for $40,000. Before tenure and a guaranteed job and salary step and column hike, you RIF them and replace then with a new $40,000 teacher...again and again. You help perpetuate the myth that we have a "critical shortage" of teachers, because the jobs for those hire-fire teachers are posted regularly (even if 1,000 apply). You perpetuate the lie so that universities put out more college grads with teaching credentials and racked up student debt.... Sallie Mae has "her" hands all over Common Core, knowing that the push for everyone to be "college bound" and for "more teachers" will line her pockets. I constantly hear the public bemoan teacher pay- it is either too much or too little. Such a debate won't be one for a simple blog post, but I have a spin-off of interest,

I foresee a day, far too soon, when a single "teacher" oversees 100, 200 students doing computer-based learning at minimum wage. Common Core is so "foolproof" and "cognitive learning based" with prescriptive lessons and self-manageable computer programs, that you don't need to "pay" for talent. You can hire recent grads, desperate for ANY money, willing to work for minimum wage on the desperate hope for the ability to "teach the love of learning". Ha.