Teachers Don't Need Money Because They Have a "Calling"

Azdak

You can't make this stuff up--remarks by a State Senator from Alabama: :

http://times-journal.com/news/article_16355b2a-4c64-11e1-a0b1-001871e3ce6c.html

The state legislator recently made remarks defending two of his positions: approval of a 62 percent increase in pay for himself and other state legislators, and keeping starting teacher salaries low.

How did he do this, you might ask?

Easy: legislators need more money, otherwise they are susceptible to bribes.

He needs to make enough that he can say no, in regards to temptation. ...

I guess that "moral foundation" he gets from his religion just isn't quite firm enough. (Why am I bringing up religion? Do read on.......)

What about the teachers?

Teachers need to make the money that they need to make. There needs to be a balance there. If you double what you're paying education, you know what's going to happen? I've heard the comment many times, ‘Well, the quality of education's going to go up.' That's never proven to happen, guys.

"It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach.

"To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?

"And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity.

"If you don't keep that in balance, you're going to attract people who are not called, who don't need to be teaching our children. So, everything has a balance."

Stuff like this tells me that evolution stopped a generation or two ago and large parts of our population are going back to being monkeys.

So, let's summarize:

Teaching is nothing more than "taking care of other people's kids".

"Real" teachers will do it anyway, so why bother to pay them.

The main test of a "good" teacher is not how much their students learn, how good test scores improve, etc--no, the real proof of a "dedicated" teacher is how willing they are to work for low wages.

Teaching children is a "calling", but serving your fellow citizens as a public servant is not.

Paying more money to teachers will make them more corrupt and attract undesireables, but paying more money to legislators makes them more honest and moral.

And this guy is DEAD, FREAKING SERIOUS. This is not the Onion, or a comedy piece on The Colbert Report.

I guess this is what happens when you name your kid "Shadrack".

I find it hard to read stories like this, to hear the unchecked stream of vile hate that is required to be taken seriously as a republican candidate, to hear statements and ideas that would have absolutely repulsed my conservative, Catholic parents and the other conservative, Catholic adults I grew up with--that now are considered "mainstream" ideas, to be uttered without shame.

adrian_indy

Using his line of reasoning we should cut the pay of doctors since we only want the ones who are into it for the "right" reasons. But that will never happen. How about cops or fireman. We could lower their pay too. And don't forget the US soldier. They're supposed to be patriotic, let's see how low we can cut their pay. Why does this crap always revolve around teachers?

Azdak

Using his line of reasoning we should cut the pay of doctors since we only want the ones who are into it for the "right" reasons. But that will never happen. How about cops or fireman. We could lower their pay too. And don't forget the US soldier. They're supposed to be patriotic, let's see how low we can cut their pay. Why does this crap always revolve around teachers?

I think the comment about "taking care of other peoples' children" says a lot. Many people still see teaching as "women's work" .

Interestingly enough, this same attitude was used when I was a high school teacher right out of college. I taught at a Catholic high school and the teachers had not had a raise in two years. When we started negotiating with the school board for our next contract, they offered a 5% raise -- for two years, in the late 1970s when inflation was around 10% per year.

When we pointed out the incongruity of their offer, we got similar responses: A) most of the teachers were women who salaries represented "second incomes" in their families, so they didn't need as much and they felt that teachers in Catholic schools should see the work as part of a "mission" and, in a sense, be willing to "donate" money to the church by working for a lower pay scale.

BrettPGH

Ffffffff that dude! What a sanctimonius prick! "It's biblical" I'd like to smash him over the head with that bible.

Whoever voted for this guy should feel shame. His comments are not only wrong they're a disgrace. Teachers teach our children, how is that not considered one of the most important and well paying jobs in society? I'm not saying teachers should be millionaires necessarily, but paying them a meager salary says to me that we don't really care about our kids or future.

And saying all this after voting to increase his own salary.. it's disgusting is what it is.

adrian_indy

Yeah, I think I have made enough points on religion and faith. But when people ask me why I get so worked up over it or why I care about others people adherence to these principles......look no further than right here. I think my breaking point is when Bush was asked if he had consulted his father about invading Iraq. His answer "I consulted a higher father!" These quacky beliefs have a profound effect on every aspect of our life from foreign policy to local government issues. The horrible thing is, I doubt this guy actually feels this was "biblical". I doubt that GWB actually thought Jesus was behind his invasion. However, I KNOW that all it takes to get a certain amount of the population behind you as a politician is

A: Wear a Flag Pin
B: Say God a lot
C: Have ideas that can fit on a bumper sticker

mikajoanow

I just threw up a little.

I would love to see any of these people who complain about teachers, go out and get their masters degree and then just be okay with making 35,000 a year. pffft

dragonbait0126

Let me preface this by saying I do NOT agree with his statements regarding how much a teacher or anyone else should be paid. I do believe that teacher's should earn higher wages than they do. That being said, the argument of "raise the teacher's salary, raise the scores" I do agree with being crazy. Teachers deserve a higher wage but not to push up test scores. They deserve it because of what they do and the fact that they are educating our future. The amount of money a teacher makes is not going to impact a student's test scores. What WILL have an impact is having a teacher who is passionate about what they do and one who does everything they can to help a child regardless of their pay. I don't care who you are or what you do. The amount of a person's paycheck should not be the primary motivating factor to do a good job. If you are only performing a job for the money then you don't truly care about it and it's only a job not a career. Find something you do truly love to do and care about. Again, I do NOT agree that teachers should receive a lower pay because of this, hell yes they deserve more pay but, if a teacher is only in it for the money then they shouldn't be a teacher and that goes for any other job/career in the world.

As for politicians receiving higher wages to help them avoid taking a bribe...can we please just kick him out of office? Obviously, his values are in the wrong order.

Azdak

Ffffffff that dude! What a sanctimonius prick! "It's biblical" I'd like to smash him over the head with that bible.

Whoever voted for this guy should feel shame. His comments are not only wrong they're a disgrace. Teachers teach our children, how is that not considered one of the most important and well paying jobs in society? I'm not saying teachers should be millionaires necessarily, but paying them a meager salary says to me that we don't really care about our kids or future.

And saying all this after voting to increase his own salary.. it's disgusting is what it is.

The problem is that not only do the people who voted for him not feel shame--they voted for him BECAUSE THEY AGREE WHOLE-HEARTEDLY WITH HIM. It's just one of many, many, many examples of how extreme the extreme right wing of the republican party has become.

Did I mention that the remarks were made at a .......you guessed it, a prayer breakfast.

I almost feel sorry for some of my sane conservative and religious friends who, for reasons of their own, find it difficult to vote for Democrats, but who are stuck in a party with these sociopaths.

Speaking of sociopaths, the same day, Rick Santorum put forth his position that drug company profits are more important than children dying because they can't afford medication.

Bahet

If he needs a 62% pay raise to not be bribed I have to wonder what he did last month. @sshat.