3/26/08

Plain Dealer Letters

Letter writer Kelly Smargiassi posed yet another misguided and degrading opinion about educators (”Teachers can afford to renew licenses,” March 13).

This only further supports my theory of what’s really wrong with schools today: It isn’t about money or testing, it’s about respect.

Education in America is no longer a core value, nor are its teachers looked at with respect as in other countries.

Students and parents berate educators if they don’t get the grades, promotions or awards they want, or if we dare to discipline them for abhorrent behavior.

We can’t assign homework because it interferes with outside activities.

We cannot hold kids accountable, and we certainly cannot have high expectations for them.

I don’t have time to cry over my $200 license fee, the $19,000 for my required master’s degree or the other multitudes of mandates placed on Ohio educators. I am too busy crying about our future.

Scott A. Soeder, Aurora

Kelly Smargiassi opines about how underworked and overpaid Ohio’s teachers are, wistfully longing for the good old days when teachers were underpaid.

Even though I am one of those indolent educators who can be found at the pool, sipping margaritas under the summer sun, (when I am not paying thousands of dollars for licensure courses), I believe that Smargiassi has a valid point. It is almost obscene that some of us have such lucrative contracts, while being little more than glorified baby sitters.

Therefore, I believe we should be paid no more than the going rate.

I think $6 an hour per child would be more than fair. Some baby sitters charge more than that - especially those who change diapers and bring their own DVDs.

Instead of being paid year round for nothing, we should earn money only while we are on the job.

The only problem with this solution is we would be averaging around $150,000 a year.

Steven Doman

Walton Hills

To the letter writer who thinks educators making $50,000 or more per year are not underpaid: The majority of teachers who make $50,000 or more have earned a master’s degree, plus additional graduate credit hours and/or have been teaching for 20 to 30 years. Given the level of education and number of years of service, they are underpaid.

If a teacher puts in 10 hours per week of unpaid overtime - and most of us put in far more - then the summer vacation is simply comp time. Of course, many educators spend time during the summer taking courses at their own expense and planning for the next year.

Regarding the editorial on moving school personnel around to increase achievement at failing schools: Any educator will tell you that the main indicator for a child’s success in school is parental involvement. I am not saying that teachers and principals have no impact. I just know from experience that parents who stay involved, and truly discipline when necessary, make all the difference in the world.

Kristin Paskey

Cortland