Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Chicago Teachers Strike
Knowing that our one and only Adam Williams was once a part of the educational system in Chicago I thought he could provide some keen insight into what I think is an absolutely absurd situation!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/12/us-usa-chicago-schools-idUSBRE8870DL20120912
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5 comments:
Adam was part of the data entry, roofing, social services and funny industries, but I am not sure that Adam was part of the educational system in Chicago
Why are teacher's in Chicago demonstrating?
The average teacher in Chicago makes $70K+ and get Summers, Thanksgiving,Christmas and Spring Break off.
Memphis
I'm still expecting Adams opinion though, if he has one - ha ya right
I was a social worker at a Chicago group home for "Kids in Crisis." Basically I taught a lot of south and west side teens and ex-gangstas with terrible family lives how to be functioning human beings (even though I was hardly one myself). Pretty cool job really.
Had to work a lot with Chicago Public Schools and private schools in the city, so I was sort of connected, but not directly employed by the education system, no.
I think this strike has more to do with education as a profession than anything else. Public school education as a career has a low salary ceiling. You start at 40-45k range and receive slow pay increments over course of career. You get summers and holidays, but you can never get rich, despite your kids getting the best test scores in the county, or whatever accolades you can attribute to your expertise.
In Memphis, I saw that any f'ing reject and sleazebag in the world can work at a public school. Sad shit really. Teachers borrowing money from kids, sleeping with students, showing up at work about 60% of time. Kids deprived of education and role models bc there are not enough good/smart people in the world willing to be teachers. All of you all are smart, and NONE of you are teachers.
I used to think about you guys and people from college and think "they should be teachers, they'd be better than these f'ing sacks of roach excrement," but the truth is, most people that excel at something else, DO something else. The adage of "those who cannot do, teach" does have some merit. Lots of college business professors are probably below average businessmen. If they were great, they likely wouldn't be teaching.
As for why this strike is taking place, this is from Bloomberg (NOT dying news agency Reuters, which Lee unfortunately linked) "The union originally sought a 29 percent raise over 24 months while the board proposed 2 percent annual increases under a four-year contract. The district boosted the offer to a 16 percent raise over the four years and can’t give more, said Board President David Vitale.
A 16% raise over the next four years? Who WOULDNT take that? Particularly Chicago Public School teachers, which B-Dub mentioned (and I fact-checked for accuracy), are the highest paid public educators in the country.
So why are they striking? Im really not sure. Seems petty. If you are disappointed with your pay and a 4% annual raise over the next four years, then maybe you should have selected a different profession. But if you are a public school teacher, the likely truth is that not many other professions are that interested in you. :)
Chicago has history of strikes after new mayor's are elected as well:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/emanuel-no-boss-daley-as-teachers-school-him-with-strike.html
Sam Soapbox
Also, what does Soapbox really mean?
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