Teacher Rally in Raleigh Today

donbosco said:
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Ah, yes, Michele Morrow, the MAGA nut and GOP candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2024. She accused public school teachers of being "groomers" and called public schools indoctrination centers, participated in the January 6 riots at the Capitol, said that President Obama should be executed on live television, has never taught in a public school, refuses to enroll her own kids in public schools, and supports Christian homeschooling over public schools. She also once said that tens of thousands of Chinese troops were in Canada just waiting to invade the USA.

Thank God she didn't win in 2024, or our state would have had a serious Ryan Walters situation (the Religious Right nut who ran OK public schools into the ground before finally being driven out of office after "Mr. Trump Bible in every classroom" was caught watching porn in his office).
 
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From a former student of mine…

…don’t be stupid…

Regarding yesterday's record-breaking rally in Raleigh, where tens of thousands of public education employees and the families who support them, marched for fair compensation and fully funding of public education.

Now let me be clear. I’m not a classroom teacher. Never have been. Nope not for me. Same as the medical field or heavy equipment mechanic- nope, not for me. But… I did work as an advocate for teachers and public ed employees and spent countless hours working on their behalf in school buildings, classrooms, media centers, central offices, as staff for their professional organizations (now ‘union’)- the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) now known as ‘Education West Virginia’. Let me tell ya, if there’s anybody outside the teaching profession who knows the day in the life of a public education employee, it’s me.

It was good to see the press coverage from across the Tarheel State, much of which is posted on this Facebook platform. The press coverage was useful as it did expose support, and sadly some stupidity, among the North Carolina citizenry- and while I don’t know the political position of some of the following stupid arguments against giving public education teachers and employees raises they deserve and fully funding public education, I can only assume that they must, at the worst case, be MAGA, and at the least case come from the conservative position of opposing the support of public education as they have for years.

The following stupid arguments come from comments posted on media coverage of the rally yesterday, followed with my rebuttals:

1. Comment: “Teachers don’t teach. The kids are on laptops, and the teachers just sit behind a desk.”

Rebuttal: This is a very stupid statement from a very stupid person. I suggest this person spend one day…one…day…as a classroom substitute. They’ll FAFO what teachers ‘don’t do’, right quick. Sit down, please.

2. Comment: “Teachers should be paid for their performance.”

Rebuttal: Another incredibly stupid statement. Are doctors and lawyers paid for their performance? What if patients die or a case is lost? Should they not be paid for their work? Sit down, please.

3. Comment: “Teachers only work 195 days per year.”

Rebuttal: A 6-hour day in the classroom equates to, at minimum, a 10-hour day on the factory floor. Plus, when teachers finally get home, their workday usually continues. Worse yet, often they work a part-time job- during the school year- precisely because they are not fairly compensated. Sit down, please.

In all likelihood, these comments came from people who just didn’t care for school to begin with. They may not have performed well. Maybe they didn’t like their teachers, who knows. So, they pass their experience on into the political arena by devaluing and demeaning public education. What a disservice they do to our children, and to our nation!

Teachers, on the other hand, know they want to be teachers ever since they made it through kindergarten. It’s in their hearts as a calling! They ‘played school’ before they could even read. Teachers must acquire rigorous degrees, licenses, and certificates at great expense. So how in the world can anyone justify not paying them a beginning salary at least equal to that of other professions?

Take a registered nurse, for example. Also, a degreed, licensed, certified professional. It’s not unheard of for them to have starting salary of at least a $75k plus a sign on bonus. We should do the same for our public educators!

Furthermore, public education professionals with advanced degrees and experience should be very well compensated. And I’m not talking about administration officials here. I’m talking about classroom professionals. And I’m talking about six-figures for them. And I have no problem at all with that. Regardless of the tax rate.

Perhaps if billionaires paid their fair share in taxes instead of being granted tax cuts for Pete's sake, we’d be able to do these things with money leftover.

Truthfully, it all boils down to RESPECT for public education.

Don’t be stupid… be smart!

Let’s all rally and push for solid starting salaries and fair compensation for today’s public education employees. Let’s treat them with the respect that they deserve!
 
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StrangePackage said:
Teachers are nothing but glorified babysitters to our right wing friends.

I suggest we agree and pay them the same way.

10$ per kid per hour, assume 20 kids in a class, for 6.5 hours a day, 180 days a year... That comes to $234,000 a year.
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In some ways the free daycare is the most valuable thing public schools provide society. Maybe we just pay them based on that where there salary would be closer to your calculations than what they currently make.

Yes, the education itself is important and a great teacher means a lot, but most kids are going to get where they are going if they put in the effort and have the grit. Those are the skills that many are currently lack.
 
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Ramrouser said:
Off the clock - should protest on their own time
Causes students to miss a da of class
Inconvenience to parents who had to find daycare or miss work.

It was just another Trump hate rally with a few “fund teacher” signs.
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The legislature's failure to pass a budget is an inconvenience to school systems who need to know where the money to fund the schools is going to come from.
 
sringwal said:
The legislature's failure to pass a budget is an inconvenience to school systems who need to know where the money to fund the schools is going to come from.
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Many school systems are cutting back on teachers and personnel because they are in a budget crunch because of the state legislature's failure to pass a budget and because the money they get from the state is insufficient to meet their needs and being increasingly diverted to vouchers and charters.
 
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