Thursday, February 2, 2012
Legislature It's Groundhog Day! GOP Messing with Teachers Again
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Rep. Charles Sargent—a Franklin insurance agent—insisted his bill isn't targeting teachers for punishment. It merely adds them to the long list of professionals whose state-issued licenses are at risk for student loan delinquency, he said. The bill passed with 70 votes despite the pleas of Democrats.
Rep. Mike Turner, D-Nashville: “It’s like we’re piling on teachers again. We already have a system to collect these fees. They can take them to court and get judgments against them right now. If we take somebody’s license away from them, we put them out of work.”
Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga: “I certainly do know and can appreciate the underlying intent of this particular piece of legislation. But you and I know that what it will do is impose extreme hardship on individuals. We know the kind of economy we’re in. If we deny people the right to work, then they cannot pay loans. It’s just that simple.”
House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley: “It doesn’t send a good message right at this stage of the game, it appears to me.”
Comments (13)
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Why are banks worthy of this kind of protection, and not schools?
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Well, that's sure to help the looming Tennessee teacher shortage.
Several federal agencies have these same rules. Arrangements or agreeing to
certain withholdings to pay back student loans is also a requirement for even
being hired by several states and federal agencies. Taxpayers are already
dragged into many forgiveness features on many student loans under rather
liberal conditions. The teacher shortage is mainly only in the competent pool!
What is wrong with accountability,if they are teaching ,then they are drawing a paycheck-so they should pay back their loans.I personally don't want an economics teacher who won't pay her own bills to teach kids about how to handle finances.
Is is not basic that if you borrow money you have to pay it back? How is requiring repayment of a debt "messing" with someone? If you are working as a teacher is there any reason why you should not be repaying your student loans?
According to the Nashville Scene and State Democrats, Republicans are picking on teachers by requiring them to repay their student loans. I think everyone should repay their debts if they are able. If former students are not working they can get deferments of their debt. If they are working then repaying student loans is one of those bills that have to be paid. I still think teachers should also be good role models. Deadbeat teachers who won't repay borrowed money are not good role models and should not be teaching. Yank their certificate!
^^^ I think some people are convinced that we pay our teachers enough. I wonder if they've ever asked a teacher if that's a valid assumption?
Something tells me "no" -- that this is just more armchair quarterbacking by people who do a lot of assuming by nature.
@ Don't ask-----Lets see teachers make about 50--75,000 on average year. Count all holidays( they get alot) and three months off each summer.Yep I would say they get paid good, compared to other fields that work year round and don't have the holidays teachers do.
What data do you have to support your statement that teachers make on average 50-75 thousand a year? That is certainly not the case in Tennessee. A teacher just out of college makes about 35 thousand a year in Nashville, and that's one of the highest paid systems in TN. Also, that time off in the summer is often used for training.
My brother has taught high school algebra for the past 15 years in Metro, Tony. He makes 42K pre-tax despite having tenure and experience. He's forced to support his family primarily from his participation in the Air National Guard; his teachers' salary and benefits are not sufficient for him, his wife (who has significant health problems), and his 3 kids. The slow salary growth, constant frustration with standardized testing, and poor benefits is forcing him to likely quit after this year.
Despite what you think, many Metro teachers do in fact work year round, whether inside Metro for summer school, in training, back in college, in administrative roles, or as private tutors -- or they have secondary jobs (many of which they also do during the school year to make ends meet). The fact that you assume that teachers have it easy makes me think you don't know any. Your loss.
Starting teacher salary for a Metro teacher with an advanced degree is 35K; a teacher with a bachelor's degree just out of college _can_ start at 35K if there is enough demand for their subject, but most start at around 28K. Private schools pay far more, but, of course, there are fewer of those jobs out there.
Conversely, our legislators here in Tennessee are considered "part time", but get $171 per legislative day (netting no less than $8500 in session per member) plus an additional $1000 per month for "office allowance" in addition to a "base salary" of about $20K. That works out to around $40K per legislator, who perform about 50 days of full time duty and then have the rest of the year to work any other job they damn well please.
And you say teachers are "lucky" part-timers. Sheesh.
In Kansas, as little as three years ago and maybe still, there was such a teacher shortage that school districts in the state recruited teachers from the Philippines. That has nothing to do with us but I thought it a nutty-weird situation/solution at the time. Hmmm... a memory veil is lifting and I also seem to recall that the teachers were science and math teachers which would further illustrates our own failings.
In rural counties, such as Gibson County, starting salary is approximately 27,000.00 for a first year teacher. 2nd and 3rd year get 1% pay raise. Do the math. 3 months, in your dreams. The teacher starts back 1 to 2 weeks before students. If you think their day ends at 3, think again; nor does it start at 8. Become a substitute teacher, or better yet visit a school and see what these "deadbeats" deal with daily. Try supporting a family on 27,000.00 a year with no public assistance. Oh yes, don't forget all the required fees and insurance premiums(not life and health) that are taken out. These politicians need to work as a teacher for a year and let these part-time teachers have their salary and job for a year. We might finally have an educated political system in Tennessee.
There are no systems in Tennessee in which teachers have three months off in the summer. Most school years conclude at the end of May (unless they have to make up snow days), and most teacher are back at work the first week in August. A few systems even start back at the end of July.
Tennessee teachers used to work a 9 month contract. Now, they all work a 10 month contract (unless they have a job, like a principalship, which is an eleven or twelve month contract), and that has been the case for the last 15-20 years or so. While it also is possible that teachers supplement their salaries by working summer school or an extended contract, this work is not compensated at the teachers' regular salary level. They receive a set stipend for the extra work.
