Florida teachers heading to the bottom of the pay scale. Someone tell Pat Buchanan.

[madfloridian]

I hear he got away with saying on MSNBC that teachers average $100,000. No, not true, never in this state. Not even close. Nowhere near it.

Now thanks to years of right wing extremist Republican rule, Florida teachers are heading to the bottom of the scale.

Florida Teacher Pay Heads to the Bottom

Florida teachers are on their way to becoming among the worst-paid in the nation.

For the 2009-10 school year, average teacher salaries in Florida fell to No. 37 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and estimates for 2010-11 show them falling to No. 47, according to a national report released this week.

Florida's average teacher salary last year was $46,708. The national average was $55,202.

The unfavorable ranking comes as state lawmakers prepare to make sweeping changes to how teachers are hired, fired, paid and evaluated. They may also require teachers to chip in up to 5 percent of their pay towards their pensions.

Add to that the pay scale of WI teachers. It does not go anywhere NEAR 100,000.

Wisconsin Teacher Salary

Starting Salary: $25,222
Average Salary: $46,390

I think there is a lack of respect in this country for the teaching profession. I think it has gotten worse the last two years.

That's a shame.

Adding two links to previous posts here on Buchanan's words. Who do I contact at MSNBC. I don't watch during the day and only a couple of hours at night.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=455181&mesg_id=455181

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=455068&mesg_id=455068

[YvonneCa]

Trying, Madflo, but he...

...doesn't listen to me. :7

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=455181&mesg_id=455181

[madfloridian]

2. I added your link and another to the OP. This is ridiculous.

He just flat out lied.

[YvonneCa]

5. I know. It's their spin and they....

...are going to keep spinning unless we fight back. YOU are always VALIANT in this effort. Thank you. :grouphug:

P.S. Did you see the music video?

[madfloridian]

1. Here's more about Buchanan's words. And average WI salary.

Wisconsin Teacher Salary

Starting Salary: $25,222
Average Salary: $46,390

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=455068&mesg_id=455068

[Angry Dragon]

3. I wish I had enough money to hire attorneys to sue these

people for all the lies they tell
Destroy them and take all the money they get for lying.

[OHdem10]

4. If you have some teachers earning 100 K, is it because they

have been in the school a long time and have accumulated
a higher salary because of raises. Also in larger Cities
such as NY, the cost of living is so much higher so salaries
are adjusted. This is far from the norm or average teacher.

[YvonneCa]

6. If that's a question, please...

...check out this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=455181&mesg_id=455181

[LiberalEsto]

7. probably they also coach or run other activities

and have masters degrees.

[madfloridian]

9. They use a trick. They take top administrator salaries and average them in.

[immoderate]

10. I used to teach in NYC.

If anyone was making 100K in the classroom, they would have had a lot of time in, and a PhD with Oak Leaf Clusters. But some of the best I knew were recruited by Nassau County schools, where some of the towns are very upscale. One very talented science teacher I knew, a Peace Corp vet, with 4 years in, and a PhD, moved into an $80K position. I'm sure he was over $100K shortly.

NYC teachers don't do as well as teachers in the rich suburbs.

--imm

[fedupinBushcountry]

8. My son is a teacher in Virginia

he has been teaching for 10 years and makes around $45,000 and that is only because he makes extra for coaching Varsity Softball and does the model UN. He has not had a raise in 3 years and here in Virginia there is NO collective bargaining. Pat Buchanan and the rest of the Republican teacher haters can go to hell.

[YvonneCa]

14. ...

... :hug: Bless you, fedup.

[fedupinBushcountry]

21. Talked to him last night

he said they are talking about giving them $500 to shut them up. What is also worrisome is that they also blame Obama for not standing up for them and always boasting charter schools. They say they will only vote for a candidate that really cares about teachers no matter which party. He is thinking about quitting teaching because it's just not worth all the stress anymore. It really hurts watching him talk about it, he graduated summa cum laude, teaches AP History and Honors History and is now talking about selling pharmaceuticals because he can make twice as much.

Also from my daughter who teaches in NYC, they are talking about cutting teachers with less then 5 years experience, what the hell are they thinking????? I just hope they both get through this and keep on doing what they love so much, teaching.

[YvonneCa]

22. It must be pretty stressful watching both of your...

...teacher 'children' go through this.

The current education climate is horrible. For them, as teachers, the stress can be almost unbearable. It's not the kids, or curriculum or demands of the job...IMO...that creates the stress. It's the politics, both within a district and the fact that the disparaging remarks are out there nationally all over the media. It's very disrespectful, ignorant and unappreciative of what teachers do. The job becomes more difficult because kids are smart...they hear the disrespect. If, on top of that, you are working with an unsupportive administration, the stress can make you sick.

As you know, I support the President's policies on most things...even his goals for education. But I, like some of the educators you mention, think scapegoating of teachers for things not in their control is wrong. From the beginning, I have thought it was a mistake on Obama's part to go down that road and that it would hurt him and Democrats longterm. I still think so...which is why I can't give up trying to change minds here. :)

I retired in 2008 because of the stress...seems my district was on the 'cutting edge' of the changes, including disrespecting teachers. :) I do hope it gets better soon. I always liked to encourage young people to enter teaching (my oldest did, and left already). I think we HAVE to make teaching a profession that VALUES it's teachers, like your kids, and let's them know how proud we all are of what they do.

Tell them this retired California teacher gets it...and I give them SO much credit and respect for hanging in there. :grouphug:

[w8liftinglady]

18. sounds just like my partner in texas

He is tenured and only receives extra pay for teaching bilingual and behavior-challenged children
51K
tenured.

[1monster]

11. My son graduated from high school last June (2010). When he started

Kindergarten, teachers in this country were on food stamps. Current saleries:

LEVEL (yrs.) BACHELORS MASTERS PhD.
0 38000 40650 42650
19 53700 56550 58750

Associate teachers (must have current teaching certifics) start at $26,000 per year. These teacher often do the same prep work as regular teacher and are paid $12,000 less per year. They cover as many as four different subjects daily.

Over 200 teaching positions were cut in the year before the Obama Stimulant plan, which saved the district from more active cuts. The state legislature just enacted more budget cuts for school funding and plan on more. The district is arguing for higher school taxes in order to keep the district from going completely broke.

As a substitute who works nearly every day school is in session, I can only make about 12,000 per year. And as funding is cut more and more, my job will probably be on the block. That will mean that when a teacher is ill, other teachers will have to cover for his/her classes. Ready for classes of 50 to 75 or a 100 in classes when teachers are ill? There isn't going to be much teaching or learning going on during those days.

[eleny]

12. Alex W on MSNBC asked him to clarify after she got so much flack from viewers and he still lied!

PB then said that the salary was $60k and the benefits are $40k. He still made it come out to his $100k figure. But like you pointed out - these guys play tricks factoring in other salaries.

[madfloridian]

13. Who the hell has 40K in benefits???

I never did. Thanks for clarifying but you are right....he is still just lying.

[Hannah Bell]

25. social security is routinely counted as a "benefit" in those calculations. for starters.

also unemployment taxes.

anything the employer pays they count as a "benefit" -- though that's not most people's understanding.

[YvonneCa]

15. They rid the data to support whatever they...

...need to prove. Hence, the problem with data. I once had a statistics professor who always made the case that one can use statistics (and the data gathered to create them) to support anything. It's all in the presentation.

Thanks for the update.

[YvonneCa]

16. Look..Doctor signing notes...

...here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=456019&mesg_id=456019

:)

[madfloridian]

17. Kick from page 4

[YvonneCa]

24. WOW! That's a lot of Valentine...

...hearts! Most deseerved, too. :) And thanks for the kick.

[onethatcares]

19. and here our kids to are educated by people

that take money out of their own pockets in order to buy materials for classes. Meanwhile, we throw millions of dollars away in Afganistan pretending we want those folks to be educated and free.

the U.S.of A. is one sick country.

[madfloridian]

20. There is no respect for teachers now even among Democrats.

It's sad.

[Hannah Bell]

23. kr