OOOO...I am fighting mad.
So I was reading the paper tonight and I a came across the Out and About section. This is the section where they ask people in the community a question and then put their response in the paper. Well the question tonight is:
Portage teachers this month overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that offered 1/2 percent pay raise. The 1/2 percent raise would have replaced the incremental "step" wage increases teachers typically get for working in the district a given number of years. Portage teachers have gone without across-the-board raised for two straight years because their salaries were tied to state revenue. But in 2002-03, they had the second highest salaries in southwest Michigan, averaging $56,820, about $2000 above the state salary. Were the teachers right to reject the tentative contract agreement?
Here is a response from this "kind gentleman"
"I don't agree with them turning down the contract. They should be like all the rest of us and go back to work. They have the summer off, we don't. We've all had our raises cut, we've all had our benefits cut. Go to work, quit your crying, and teach our kids. It's the truth - I'm a manager in a company; I live and breathe this stuff everyday. We had our benefits cut; we pay for our insurance. Our union is the same way; they pay their insurance. We got bought out by a new company or (else) we were going to be done. Everybody has to swallow the bitter pill - everybody does. Why do they think they are different? Quit your crying, go back to work. This is America - this is how it is."
So, being that I am doing my student teaching at this very moment I am quite offended by this statement. First off, I am a little disappointed in the Kalamazoo Gazette for putting the average salary in the paper. A lot of hte teachers in Portage have been teaching for many years. They have a Master's Degree plus 30 extra hours on top of that. Of course they are going to be paid more. Do you know what my starting salary would be if I worked in Portage...about $29,000 - $31,000. That is quite a difference. Anyways, on to the guy in the paper...I dare him to spend a full day in my class...I will make sure that Kobe is there the entire day so he can have the full experience. Does he realize that lots of teachers work over the summer? Obviously not because he said teachers get the whole summer off. Not true. I want to punch this guy in the face...this just ruined my night.
Sorry, I just had to get his off my chest.
Portage teachers this month overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that offered 1/2 percent pay raise. The 1/2 percent raise would have replaced the incremental "step" wage increases teachers typically get for working in the district a given number of years. Portage teachers have gone without across-the-board raised for two straight years because their salaries were tied to state revenue. But in 2002-03, they had the second highest salaries in southwest Michigan, averaging $56,820, about $2000 above the state salary. Were the teachers right to reject the tentative contract agreement?
Here is a response from this "kind gentleman"
"I don't agree with them turning down the contract. They should be like all the rest of us and go back to work. They have the summer off, we don't. We've all had our raises cut, we've all had our benefits cut. Go to work, quit your crying, and teach our kids. It's the truth - I'm a manager in a company; I live and breathe this stuff everyday. We had our benefits cut; we pay for our insurance. Our union is the same way; they pay their insurance. We got bought out by a new company or (else) we were going to be done. Everybody has to swallow the bitter pill - everybody does. Why do they think they are different? Quit your crying, go back to work. This is America - this is how it is."
So, being that I am doing my student teaching at this very moment I am quite offended by this statement. First off, I am a little disappointed in the Kalamazoo Gazette for putting the average salary in the paper. A lot of hte teachers in Portage have been teaching for many years. They have a Master's Degree plus 30 extra hours on top of that. Of course they are going to be paid more. Do you know what my starting salary would be if I worked in Portage...about $29,000 - $31,000. That is quite a difference. Anyways, on to the guy in the paper...I dare him to spend a full day in my class...I will make sure that Kobe is there the entire day so he can have the full experience. Does he realize that lots of teachers work over the summer? Obviously not because he said teachers get the whole summer off. Not true. I want to punch this guy in the face...this just ruined my night.
Sorry, I just had to get his off my chest.