Do teachers "really" have it that bad???

[Poke78]

they were under the old retirement plan, now they would have to work to the age of 62.5.

Actually there are now three levels relating to receiving "full retirement": Rule of 80 (became a member of the Teacher Retirement System before 1991), Rule of 90 (after 1991) and Rule of 90 Modified (after some point in the 2000s). The numbers relate to when you could retire with a combination of age and years of service. The Modified rule is the one with the specified age requirement. Most Rule of 80 people will be gone in the next decade but regular Rule of 90 will apply for quite a while.

No matter what "Rule" you're under, the basic defined benefit is 2% of salary times years of service. There are special rules relating to how many years of salary are averaged to get the figure for multiplying by 2%. For a classroom teacher on the standard schedule with a graduate degree, let's use $45,000 as the average. With 30 years of service, the multiplier becomes .60 (.02 * 30) so the defined benefit is $27,000/year ($45K * .60).

 

[Pokinfun]

Actually there are now three levels relating to receiving "full retirement": Rule of 80 (became a member of the Teacher Retirement System before 1991), Rule of 90 (after 1991) and Rule of 90 Modified (after some point in the 2000s). The numbers relate to when you could retire with a combination of age and years of service. The Modified rule is the one with the specified age requirement. Most Rule of 80 people will be gone in the next decade but regular Rule of 90 will apply for quite a while.

No matter what "Rule" you're under, the basic defined benefit is 2% of salary times years of service. There are special rules relating to how many years of salary are averaged to get the figure for multiplying by 2%. For a classroom teacher on the standard schedule with a graduate degree, let's use $45,000 as the average. With 30 years of service, the multiplier becomes .60 (.02 * 30) so the defined benefit is $27,000/year ($45K * .60).

Thanks, I already knew how to calculate my retirement. I was merely saying that the retirement system has changed.

 

[Pokinfun]

Here are some observations from a 30 year educator in Oklahoma, take it for what is worth.

Keep in mind, I knew full well what I was getting into and was cognizant of the limitations that came with the career. Nearly every teacher will tell you that the important things about their jobs are the intrinsic ones. The ability to affect lives and impact future generations is a powerful motivator for the educators that do it for the right reasons. An individual who teaches for anything else, monetary reasons or otherwise, will be one of those who hates their jobs, hates kids, and hates everyone around them. I've seen my fair share of those through the years.

Economics: In 1987 when I started my first year, $16,060 was my beginning salary. Adjusted for inflation rates, that is equivalent to $34,569.15 in 2017 dollars. Current salary puts me at approximately $6,000.00 above the adjusted number so I have managed around $200/year incremental increase over my starting salary in the past 30 years. It didn't move the needle on the money improvement gauge, but like I said before, I knew what I was signing up for. I don't ***** or complain. I, like many others, work extra jobs to fill in the gaps.

State of Education: Do you think that there was a great debate about the quality and funding of education 80 years ago? Nope! I'll tell you why, and it's a matter of local vs. central control. It used to be that WE, parents and teachers of a given community were responsible for educating our own kids. WE determined what was relevant and important to our kids. WE were invested in seeing success. WE valued what was successful because it was personal to us on a local level. We had our own standards.
It isn't that way now. Education is top-down and upside-down. The state takes precedent over the local, and the government takes precedent over the state. Tons of money is wasted from a far away downhill slide of bureaucratic crap made up by people who could care less about a kid that lives 2 houses down from you and I. It creates an atmosphere where no one wants to be accountable and everything is done to artificial "standards". Too many educators these days are just chasing test scores, to validate some politicians notion of success. Throwing more money into the way it is now, and you can bet your ass it's going into the money eating machine without ever seeing the other side, not into teaching.

Here is my own personal philosophy on teaching, and it doesn't come from the government, it doesn't come from the state, and it doesn't require loads of money. It comes from ME, a vested member in my community. The same community that educated me when I was a young one and the one I'm responsible to now.

Teaching is a simple thing, it's pure in its nature form. Turning a kid on to learn whatever interests them, doesn't matter what, is the key. Getting them to see value in learning new things, taking an interest in their own future, infecting them with the joy of possibilities. It's my hope that each one of them finds their own path and desires to make something of themselves.

Unfortunately, the government (state and federal) has in usual fashion complicated the entire process. As we all know, nothing controlled by government is ever done efficiently, productively, or economically.

Historically, you are incorrect.

 

[saddlebum]

There are problems with this that most people outside education don't understand and that's OK because you're not in it so you wouldn't know. However, with private school, students can be accepted for enrollment or rejected. They can choose who enrolls in their schools and who they reject. Also, parents with special needs students would not find much help in private school education because they do not usually have special education programs and don't want them either. A lot of people also don't understand that parents of special education students in public schools can be given a voucher towards private schools if they are unsatisfied with public school. It's called the HB 1744 or Lindsey Nicole Henry Act. Problem with that bill, as seen by some parents I know who have actually used the voucher is that it only covers a very small portion of private school tuition. Like it or not, public schools provide something no private school ever will; they can't discriminate based on race, socioeconomic background, education level, parent involvement, ability to pay for anything, adverse behavior and any mental or physical disability.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

If there is money to be made the free market will provide.

 

[Poke78]

Thanks, I already knew how to calculate my retirement. I was merely saying that the retirement system has changed.

The person you were responding to was operating from anecdotal information from his observation of family members. Your reply was factual but lacked context. So, in this case, I only quoted your post to maintain context while what I wrote was for the broader group following the discussion.

I don't keep track of everybody's job here. If I did, I probably wouldn't have bothered to quote your comment. No intent to state the obvious for you.

 

[JD8]

While I don't disagree on the .gov vs private industry as a rule. I'm still waiting for some numbers and logistics of how this would be possible. Or was this all coulda, shoulda, woulda?

 

[dlbleak]

According to our collective bargaining agreement,we can retire at 55 if we meet the 80 and out requirement.

 

[Pokinfun]

The person you were responding to was operating from anecdotal information from his observation of family members. Your reply was factual but lacked context. So, in this case, I only quoted your post to maintain context while what I wrote was for the broader group following the discussion.

I don't keep track of everybody's job here. If I did, I probably wouldn't have bothered to quote your comment. No intent to state the obvious for you.

I should not post after 10 PM, sorry about that.

 

[Dave70968]

Not to derail this discussion, but I do have one question to throw out to the wolves: Is anyone familiar with a school system either near or far (out of state obviously) that is well-recognized for doing an excellent job educating students, adequately providing for teachers, etc.? I'd be curious to hear about what has been proven to work and why.

Centerville High School, class of '99. What would you like to know?

 

[Okie4570]

Centerville High School, class of '99. What would you like to know?

Wow, I just figured you were self-taught....lol kidding of course.