quote:
Originally posted by teyates:
I for one do not think that a teacher should be providing ANY of the supplies for his or her room. Parents already get a list of things whcih they are supposed to provide (ie, hand sanitizer, tissue, etc), and my wife and I have always provided those items and anything else they have asked for. If they are being forced to buy them, they should be reimbursed. Of course when I was in school the only thing a teacher really needed to teach was a chalkboard, chalk and an eraser. The books were provided by the state and we turned them in at the end of the year.
On the other hand, these teachers are well paid for their efforts, have a secure tenured position in most cases, and have a guaranteed retirement if they work the required amount of time. How many people in the state of Alabama can say they have those types of jobs? Yet those people that cannot even say that are being asked to not only provide for those who do, but also asked to pay taxes on retirement funds which they saved and paid into. State employees (teachers, administrators, etc) and retired railroad workers in the state of Alabama do not even pay taxes on retirement, have some of the lowest co-pays on cadillac insurance plans available, get a ton of state recognized holidays, and in most cases have a guaranteed tenured position. There is not a lot of sympathy for their cause to the average Alabamian, and their mantra of "raise taxes to fund it" is not going to go over to well with the vast majority of people in this state who actually realize how well these teachers have it made.
I fully agree with you that teachers should not have to pay for classroom supplies out of their own pocket. On the other hand, I cannot imagine what they would need. As you stated, all I can remember a teacher needing was some chalk (probably erasable marker now), a note pad, and maybe a roll of toilet paper for some kid that got a runny nose.
However, I would take issue on the rest of your thoughts.
IMHO, it seems to me that the good benefits are there to make up for the low pay. It's a trade-off. Either pay a teacher a very good salary, and have fewer benefits, or pay them low and give good benefits .
Opposed to what appears to be poplar opinion, Alabama is NOT a separate planet. Teachers have to opportunity to take their skills to Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, as well as pick up and move across country. Al is in competition for good teachers, and the salary and fringes should be at least as good, or better than the competition.
When I was a kid, I could look across the classroom and see my competition in the job market, but by the time I got out of college, I found that I was competing with people from an entire region. Nowdays, it seems our kids are competing on a global scale. I believe states are not unlike that, they must compete for good quality teachers at least on a national level, and if we fall short in Al, we will not always be rewarded with the better teaching skills.