Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Lavish Life of Teachers

Jon Stewart challenges the criticism of the benefits that public employees have - compensation packages that "Papa Bear" Bill O'Reilly calls "lavish."




I am generally satisfied with my compensation after twenty years of teaching and seventy-five graduate hours past my Master's degree in English. However, I don't even use my employer-sponsored health coverage for my family because it is so expensive. Instead, I have catastrophic policy for my wife and children for which I pay all expenses - including no co-pay office visits and prescriptions - out of pocket up to a $7,000 deductible.

Clearly, like many veteran teachers, I live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. But, lavish? Give me a break, Bill.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I assume you saw the 60 Minutes piece on the charter in NYC paying 125K. Thoughts?

mmazenko said...

I saw the piece as well - wouldn't turn that kind of cash down. However, the concessions that the school makes to offer that seem unnecessary and potentially more detrimental. Many successful schools around NYC are achieving better results without eliminating the support staff that school has nixed. And the idea of a jack of all trades master of none doesn't make for good pedagogy.

Additionally, the criticism of "tenure" was a bit much, though if anyone has a ridiculous labor contract, it's NYC. They make all districts look bad. And the principal's evidence about his job status was weak, as he argues he needs four or five years to bring about change, but he cans a teacher after just one.

Overall, the story - and the school - is a lot of unnecessary hype that brings nothing to the conversation about reform