someone mentioned sweatshops: if they were underpaid, they wouldnt work there. but they have to work there.
What? No one has to work anywhere. A sweatshop is a slang term with a negative connotation. A sweatshop is just like any other business - The bottom line is, if you think the pay is too little to work in a "sweatshop" or to be a teacher, then don't do either. However, if you want to work their, it's your choice. I can't stand it when people decide on other's behalf what is "enough" money or what standard someone else should live under.
teachers choose to teach in spite of the low pay. they go in knowing that the pay is low, but theyll still do it. why? because they want to help someone. that is more valuable than pay. its not just about the pay. it's not all hard facts, there are other aspects.
First of all, that's not true. I have personally had two teachers. One teacher taught for salary and couldn't wait to retire, the other had a millionaire husband and taught b/c she just liked to teach. But that's irrelevant, even what you say is true... you make a good point that you don't even realize. Whether or not it's about the pay or not, it's the person's decision. If they want to be a teacher for whatever reason, then that's fine. But you cannot start dictating that someone is getting paid too much or too little, it's their decision.
"enough" i would say is enough to pay rent and have some left over and not have to worry about living check to check. "enough" to pay lots of attention to the kids instead of worrying about car payments.
Ok, now this is by far the silliest thing you have said. I asked you to give me an objective way of measuring how much money teachers are paid. (I offered you supply/demand... an objective standard that is determined by the employee and employer, a mutual agreement, an exchange between the customer/employer with money/salary for a service/work/teachings done by a teacher, a method that is not only proven, it is used every time you go out to purchase goods and services).
Instead you gave me a subjective, hypothetical, emotional appeal that provides nothing more than a possible plot summary for a remake of "8 Mile"
Your statement concludes that, "Teachers live from check to check. And they also need some [a subjective quantity $1?, $100?, $50,000?] money left over. You also conclude that, "Those that worry about car payments [in this case Teachers] cannot pay attention to their kids."
So in other words, you give us no standard for determing salary. You do, however, give us a humorously convincing argument for why you shouldn't be a teacher.
in regards to the above bold, i'd like to think that teachers are more than just a occupation. it is more than just a job. i know that is wishy-washy, but there is no quantitative way to put it. i know that the US is all about money, but really, there is something special about teachers.
This serves no puprose in what we're discussing, but thanks for your opinion on what you think of teachers.
Xenon14, how old are you and what do you do for a living? do you have any kids? i'm not trying to flame or anything, but i just want to know where you are coming from.
I'm 21. I'm a full time student, and I currently internning in the city (NY)... I live in NJ. My compensation is Zero $/hour and it costs me $20 a day to commute to the city. So don't tell me that teachers aren't getting paid enough. No one forced me to work for free (and w/ the commute it comes out that I pay to work). No one is picketing outside my office saying I'm in a sweatshop busting my balls for no pay. And I wouldn't expect you or anyone else to do so. I chose to work there for free, and I'm glad I did.
You wanted to know where I'm coming from... I actually hail from Russia. I came to the States when I was 7. Where I was from, Pay was decided by government not by employer/employee agreements. What the government thought you should get paid, you got paid. Had my parents stayed in Russia, I would've never in my life been able to afford a car or any luxury most teachers take for granted. In fact, my parents came to the states with $600 in their pockets (the most amount of money you could take with you at that time). And now my parents are pretty well off; house, cars, paying for my and my sister's college tuitions, etc.