I don't mean to sound sycophantic, but teachers are good people. Whether it's teaching or spewing out aural alchemy that a loose-lipped Lithuanian overhears, teachers add value to society. Along those lines, I don't like to hear about teachers losing their jobs (and certainly ones that I know) due to budget cuts. If there's one thing people across the political spectrum should agree on, it's that education cuts create a large and violent whirlpool -- one might say, a maelstrom -- of concern over the quality of schooling our future generations might be getting.
Here in Illinois, our sometimes cunty governor, Patrick Quinn (no doubt a ginger or two in his family) has proposed $1.3 billion in education cuts, which would result in class sizes of up to 37. As you might imagine, this has gone over like a queef at high mass.
Rather than be obsequious to the Governor's plan, go to NO TO 37 at http://www.noto37.org/s2/districtform.php, from which you can easily contact your state legislators (and the Governor) and protest cuts to school funding.
The parents who started NO TO 37 must have been prescient because it has gained a huge following and is one of the first public e-mail campaigns to actually receive some serious attention. According to one article, it has already resulted in 90,000 e-mails. It's more popular than Mothra.
Don't be a dicknose. Contact your legislators and let them know that education is important. And while you're at it, send this link (http://www.noto37.org/s2/districtform.php) to others or post the link on your Facebook accounts.
As for me, I'm getting tired. I think I'll retire to my sarcophagus.
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4 comments:
The one thing that never gets cut when "education cuts" make the rounds are the salaries of upper administrators.
The salaries of school superintendants are plainly obscene--some in Long Island, NY make nearly 300K per year--and guess what? When they retire, they continue to be paid...$300K per year. No matter how short the period was they actually made that salary. They could be superintendant for a year, at 300K, after making no more than 120 their entire career in lower positions, and when they retire? 300K pension.
To stop cutting teachers NOW, you need to attack pension benefits, because they're funded by the taxpayer. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but what does a government do when the pension fund runs out? Raises taxes, because the pension is mandatory at law.
Of course, private sector workers don't get mandatory pensions--unless you used to work for GM, in which case you get a government bailout to fund your pension system.
Very true, Anonymous. In fact, Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman is getting flak (and rightfully so) for buying a $900,000 home and raising his salary by $26,000 when cuts are obviously being made elsewhere.
In my hometown in Michigan young teachers are getting cut (making class sizes increase) while the administrators maintain their pensions, and older teachers get pay raises.
Most of these young teachers only get paid 50K or so anyway (not counting their benefits of course)--while former school board officials and administrators maintain pensions of nearly 200K per year.
The math isn't difficult: one rich guy's pension in perpetuity, or keeping four young teachers on the job?
If this were the 1800s we'd tar and feather these guys.
then there's this outrage.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/li_school_pension_kvd4jwL2SHbXJ3kPlzJSJO
yes. school superintendant has a $314K pension. PENSION! not even working!!
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