Teacher Strike

[james1944]

Just curious, what do u guys think of the teacher strike? they greedy? they doing the right thing for kids? don't care?

I think they may have a valid point with bill 22 and class size and stuff, but not sure they can demand 15% pay raise with the current economic times.

 

[Ray]

That 15% raise is the only non-negotiable point in their demands. Because, you know, it's about the kids.

 

[Ned Flanders]

That 15% raise is the only non-negotiable point in their demands. Because, you know, it's about the kids.

BC teachers are the second lowest paid in Canada. You cannot pay lousy wages and expect to keep, motivate or maintain good staff, and I think teaching is sort of vaguely important to society. As well, I do not think is particularly just to say we want people motivated by their love of teaching and in return we are going to pay them real low, because it is all about the kids.

 

[storm rider]

All I can say from my point of view...with having no children and having to pay taxes that fund education....is that I am sick of hearing about teachers bitching about pay increases when they dont put in a hard days work like I do.....the most appropriate statement I can think of is...."those that can do and those than cannot teach" and this was told to me by a teacher.

On a different tangent I guess it sure sucks wet ass to get 2 months of paid vacation each year as well as all of the other paid holidays such as Spring Break and the like.....no I have no sympathy for teachers.

SR

 

[Asianwomanlover]

I find it funny how so many people, like storm rider here, will put down teachers all the time without thinking about what teachers have to put up with every day. Whenever some one says that, I just put it down to jealousy. If they have it so easy, and it is so easy to teach others, then why don't you become a teacher??? You can then get the same perks, and all that.

And that "those that can, do and those that cannot, teach" saying is a load of crap. To teach something to someone else, you have to really understand it and be able to put it in terms that they will understand. Again, some jealous dumbass came up with that saying. If it weren't for teachers, the idiot who said that would probably be homeless, unemployed, and on crack cocaine.

Most teachers I talked to would gladly forgo a raise, as long as the class size and composition was reasonable, and they have enough resources to do the job.

 

[bcneil]

I'm always amazed at the "they get summers off" argument for not thinking they should ever get a raise.

Guess what....teachers have always had summers off....using it during current negotiations seems very comical.
But I guess it can just be used till the end of time.....

year 2340, teachers want smaller classes and a raise.......but but but.......... they get summers off, so I dont think they should get a raise....:thumb:

 

[Ray]

You cannot pay lousy wages

Starting wage is 46k/year, tops out at 86k/year. Not too lousy.

I don't have an issue with teachers wanting a raise, it's just that those of us in the real world are watching the economy implode, seeing friends and coworkers get laid off, I tend to resent the taxpayer being seen as a blank check to provide raises that those paying will never see.

 

[Cock Throppled]

The fines in the government legislation are way over the top.

I agree with one government position - all teachers should be assessed to see how competent they are. But before they implement that I think they should show leadership and start with themselves. Lousy politician - maybe ones closing courthouses, schools, care homes with no plans in place - and you get lower pay and no pension. Go ahead Chrusty - I won't even ask for pay to be on that review board.

 

[romeochains]

Supply and demand. There are too many teachers for a shrinking student enrollment. Just like firefighters, it's hard to justify a 15% pay raise when there's thousands hoping for a chance to get in. The perks/benefits of teachers & firefighters are tough to beat and that's a fact. Neither is a bad life.

My personal opinion is their pay is just about where it should be. 2% raise each year for the next three is reasonable. 15% over 3 years is ridiculous in this economy.

 

[Asianwomanlover]

I agree, 2% per year is indeed reasonable. But it won't happen because of the "Me too"clause that was inserted in the union contracts that were negotiated before the teachers' negotiations were even started.

 

[Lurker 123]

On a different tangent I guess it sure sucks wet ass to get 2 months of paid vacation each year as well as all of the other paid holidays such as Spring Break and the like.....no I have no sympathy for teachers.

SR

Where did you get the information that teachers have two months of paid vacation. They don't get pay in summer. They only get pay 10 months a year!

 

[vancity_cowboy]

Where did you get the information that teachers have two months of paid vacation. They don't get pay in summer. They only get pay 10 months a year!

they have the choice of getting paid for the 10 months they teach, or getting the same amount averaged over 12 months. what they DO get is a fully indexed pension... wish i had one of those :doh:

 

[Lurker 123]

Some how before anyone attacking public school teachers, I wish you should pay a visit to some inner city schools . I have seen it. Some class rooms have 26-30 kids with 2-4 special need kids or perhaps another handful of labelled learning disabilities kids. With only one special need assistant helping the teacher, how can the teacher teach properly?

Some other schools have to provide students with breakfast and lunch because those are the only meals kids have in a day.Many kids are so poor,parents can't afford to buy food! As the school funding are so limited. I have also heard many teachers use their pocket money to buy supplies for some school kids!

Don't listen to the Liberal lies, go and pay a visit to any inner city schools .If you have a heart ,you can sign up as a volunteer for a week or so. I guarantee you will change your opinion about public school teachers!

 

[crazydude]

Teachers don't know how good they have it. Sadly, most of the general public doesn't know either. Just because teachers in other provinces are grossly overpaid, it doesn't mean teachers in BC have to be as well. Before you start crying about teachers being underpaid, research their current payscale. It's public information. Then research the average salary for a full-time worker in Vancouver. As idiotic as the Liberal government is, I hope they stand strong and hopefully they set a precedent for the rest of the country. Teachers have a "tough" job but they are rewarded more than fairly with ample pay, a great benefit and pension plan, unreasonable amounts of PAID sick days that can be BANKED, and ridiculous amounts of time off. How much time off? This is where I find the general public thinks they know but really have no idea how much. Just over 2 months off for the summer, 2 weeks March break (depending on the district), 2 weeks Christmas vacation, 4 day long weekends for stat holidays, 4 day long weekend make-believe holiday in February since there's no stat holiday that month. While most of the working population have to be at work by 8am or earlier and leave at 5pm or later, first bell starts at 8:30am and last bell is at 3:15pm with NO obligation to stay later. Even if there was 2 hours of marking each day (and I know enough teachers to know that there is NOT), that barely makes an 8 hour day (keep in mind they have a spare prep period every other day). For high school teachers, the last 2 weeks of June consist of supervising the odd provincial exam and "cleaning" their classroom. To argue that they aren't "paid" for the time off is ridiculous since we're talking about an ANNUAL SALARY. But if you really want to go that route, then we can also argue that a teacher making $70k/year is actually making an equivalent salary of over $100k.

If things are SO bad, they should find new jobs. That will be the biggest rude awakening for them. Over 90% of them will realize that with the qualifications they have, they will NEVER find another job that pays anywhere near what they are currently making... even if they work a full year like everyone else!

On the flip side, the government's stance on certain things like class sizes and limits on kids with special needs are also unreasonable. They DO need to fork out more money to make the education system better for the kids and I would gladly pay more taxes to help fund that. But paying teachers higher salaries and increasing benefits is only going to hurt the system more in the longrun. How? Well, I could go on for pages but I hate typing.

Am I jealous of teachers? Hell yeah! I wish I was teacher. I used to do a lot of teaching in the past (for no pay) so to be able to do it for a living would be amazing. Like I said, teachers here don't know how good they have it... or maybe they do but just don't want to admit it????

 

[drdave80]

All I can say from my point of view...with having no children and having to pay taxes that fund education....is that I am sick of hearing about teachers bitching about pay increases when they dont put in a hard days work like I do.....the most appropriate statement I can think of is...."those that can do and those than cannot teach" and this was told to me by a teacher.

On a different tangent I guess it sure sucks wet ass to get 2 months of paid vacation each year as well as all of the other paid holidays such as Spring Break and the like.....no I have no sympathy for teachers.

SR

Brother.. you couldnt be more wrong about how hard or how many hours teachers work. The only hours they are paid for are the "School hours", not the countless hours marking exams, preparing for classes, nevermind teachers who also coach teams at the school, or help with other extra curriculars like student council... None of that time is paid.. its all volunteer, and without teachers, there is no program... yadda yadda.... As the son of a teacher, I grew up knowing all of these things.
But your right.. that isnt hard work, dealing with 30+ kids, their parents, step parents, school administration, and still trying to have a life at home. It doesnt deserve the 15% raise when 80% of the other teachers in our country are paid more, in areas where the cost of living is lower as well.
They don't get 2 months paid vacay either bud. The school is out, but its not PAID vacation time.

Fact of the matter.. yes our economy is very fragile and the money just doesnt seem to be there. Maybe the government should have thought of that before giving themselves a big fat 18% raise last year. The other major public sector unions all also have contracts coming up for renogiation.... get set to see mass collaberated strikes people!!

 

[badbadboy]

Starting wage is 46k/year, tops out at 86k/year. Not too lousy.

I don't have an issue with teachers wanting a raise, it's just that those of us in the real world are watching the economy implode, seeing friends and coworkers get laid off, I tend to resent the taxpayer being seen as a blank check to provide raises that those paying will never see.

If they have Masters degrees, they get additional compensation on top of those wages.

AND they get two months off in the summer.

The may elect to work an additional job ie summer school or if like many of them, they have a teacher SO. It is fairly common that they go on an extended vacation.

The more I type, the less I feel that they are in that bad a position compared with the rest of us funding all these requests.

 

[crazydude]

If they have Masters degrees, they get additional compensation on top of those wages..

I'm pretty sure $86k is the top of the scale WITH a Masters. BUT...

Most teachers with a "Masters" actually have a "fabricated" Masters. Teachers can take special Masters programs so they can acquire a Masters degree PART-TIME in about 2.5 years and be eligible to get a huge bump in pay. Everyone else I know with a REAL Masters had to do graduate studies and research FULL-TIME for at least 3 years.

 

[badbadboy]

I'm pretty sure $86k is the top of the scale WITH a Masters. BUT...

Most teachers with a "Masters" actually have a "fabricated" Masters. Teachers can take special Masters programs so they can acquire a Masters degree PART-TIME in about 2.5 years and be eligible to get a huge bump in pay. Everyone else I know with a REAL Masters had to do graduate studies and research FULL-TIME for at least 3 years.

Not sure about that one. I had a neighbour who moved away in 2003 and she told me with her Masters she was paid approx $95K. She was not a VP or Principal either.

 

[mercyshooter]

All I can say is no one in here knows or admits that s/he is having a very fortunate life compared to other countries! :doh:

 

[vancity_cowboy]

Some how before anyone attacking public school teachers, I wish you should pay a visit to some inner city schools . I have seen it. Some class rooms have 26-30 kids with 2-4 special need kids or perhaps another handful of labelled learning disabilities kids. With only one special need assistant helping the teacher, how can the teacher teach properly?

Some other schools have to provide students with breakfast and lunch because those are the only meals kids have in a day.Many kids are so poor,parents can't afford to buy food! As the school funding are so limited. I have also heard many teachers use their pocket money to buy supplies for some school kids!

Don't listen to the Liberal lies, go and pay a visit to any inner city schools .If you have a heart ,you can sign up as a volunteer for a week or so. I guarantee you will change your opinion about public school teachers!

a guy teacher i know told me (his exact words) it isn't the loony larry's that bother him, it's the timmy testosterone's that cause all the problems! lol