Memo to Pat Campbell: Teachers don't like the pay? Tough. They can go do something else.

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Good God.

Will the incessant whining and sniveling from public employees generally and teachers specifically over their pay and benefits EVER end?

I read Pat Campbell's comments on the democratian article over getting rid of teachers, and I thought I was going to hurl.

Here's a clue: we continue to have a shrinking ability to pay those prima donnas who work for government at all levels, while we have an increasing number of those people to support.

I urge ALL teachers, BEFORE THEY BECOME TEACHERS, to look at how much they are paid for their part time, 183 day a year job.

Because at the end of the day, if you were paid minimum wage and agreed to take the job at that amount of pay?

Then you really have nothing to bitch about.

Campbell tells us:

Yes, the state does require college classes and certifications which all cost the teachers time and money both of which are in short supply for them. That is pretty hard to do on a beginning salary of $34,048 which doesn't include insurance for a young family (approximately $700/mo). Senators without degrees or certifications currently make $42,106 (up from $36,311 in 2007) plus $90/day per Diem while in session.

Studies have show that the extra classes and certifications do not translate well into better classroom outcomes. Perhaps, the two senators could explore saving teachers the expense of extra college classes, advanced degrees, certifications, and the borrowing costs associated with this current system. There might be a chance to come to a compromise and have a win/win for all concerned including the students.

The current proposal doesn't seem to have much going for it as it addresses only parts of major educational issues. (It obviously appeals to editors and folks who like simple solutions to complex problems.) You can blame the poor acceptance on WEA, but why not try to work with WEA to do an overhaul?

This IS the same Pat Campbell who twice tried, and failed (Once as a Republican, once as a democrat), to become that which he now speaks of, namely, a state representative.... right?  And he DOES understand that legislators put in more time during session then teachers do all year, right?  Or that starting teachers are paid more per hour then many police officers or firefighters?

Starting teacher's base pay?

Using Campbell's figures: 7 hours per work day, times 183: 1281 hours.

1281 hours divided into 34,048 dollars per year (which vastly understates the amount of money teachers are really paid, since that figure is ONLY what the state pays, and does not reflect much more pay received at the district level) equals $25.58 per hour.

Multiply that by 7... the number of hours, charitably speaking, these people work per day and how much are they paid per day they actually work?

$186.05 per day... times 5, the number of days in the week?

$930 for each work week.

Not including district pay and benefits.

Campbell talks about per diem for legislators as if they should be the only public employees to work away from their homes for months at a time without some form of re-reimbursement.  Unlike teachers, legislators don't get extra pay for showing up.  They're not paid more if they represent a Seattle district then they would if they represented, say, Amboy.

He leaves out the extra pay that teachers get by district, or the pay they get for showing up a couple of times a quarter after schoiol for events and such.

In fact, he's very selective about discussing how tough the teachers allegedly have it.

I take a different view.

I believe that any employee who knows what a job pays before they take it and what the requirements are to keep it have absolutely no complaint coming.

I really can't emphasize this enough:  if you don't like the pay for the damned job, or the conditions required for employment... then don't take the job.

And if you take the job, and you wake up one morning and discover that you're underpaid, overworked and put upon?

Then quit.  There will be dozens of teachers along to take your job at less pay.  You won't be missed.

And as for Campbell's bizarre idea about "working with the WEA?"

That's right up there with working with the Nazi's during WW2 or working with the Taliban/al Qaida  to overhaul militant islam.

In other words, nonsense.  The WEA has such a long history of lies, deceit and extortion that the only way to "work" with them would be after the organization had completed an extended stay in prison, and even then, only if they were on probation.
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