system: You are Ruth Leblanc, a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Educator message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to Charles Beams about "Quote w/o comment".

They wrote:
>women just didn't get paid as much as men.  Further, I suspect that
>the 10-month work year contributes to an image problem teachers
>suffer from.
CB>RL>Think of what the average plumber can make an hour - we
>RL>could make a fortune at those rates!
CB>Yeah, but plumbers actually work for you for a share of your money
>and the customer can actually see what has been done at the end of a
>day.  <G>  What teachers do costs EVERYONE for something we do to
>someone else - either their children or the neighbors' children, and
>there's not much to show for our efforts at the end of a day.
CB>I think that a lot of the attacks on taxes and the schools that
>we're facing today are rooted in a newly emerging selfishness among
>our population.  Few people want to spend their money to educate
>someone else's kid.  This shortsighted attitude might save the
>taxpayer money in the short run, but the lack of an educated
>workforce will damage the economic fortunes of our nations for a
>long time to come.
CB>RL>I don't see them comparing our wages to that of doctors'
>RL>do you? Of course in the U.S.  your doctors are not paid by the state
>RL>that might make a difference in thinking.
CB>No, not many people draw a comparison between teachers' salaries and
>doctors' salaries, but then, I'm not sure they should.  Whereas the
>teacher need complete only 5 years of education, doctors often spend
>9 years or more.
CB>RL>What kind of wages do teachers get over there - where you are?
CB>Starrting salary is about $33,000 and our schedule tops out at about
>$62,000.  In some districts that are wealthier, salaries can
>approach $75,000 (U.S.).
CB>RL>If figures seem high remember that we have a much lower dollar than you
>RL>do and an extremely high cost of living index. You would be horrified
>RL>I told you what we have to pay for some things here in Metro Toronto -
>RL>and in most places in Ontario or even Canada.
CB>Yeah, but you've got a very nice city there.  I drove up to see
>Phantom of the Opera last spring and enjoyed my brief stay (2 nights).
CB>I hope to get back again - you're only about a 4-hour drive from me
>- shorter if I didn't have to drive around the lake <G>.
CB>Chuck Beams
>Fidonet - 1:2608/70
>cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
CB>___
>* UniQWK #5290* My other computer's a... er... well, it's a piece of junk
CB>--- Maximus 2.01wb
> * Origin: The Hidey-Hole BBS, Pennellville, NY (315)668-8929 (1:2608/70)
CB>

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assistant: Hi Charles,
Here's an old message of yours that I thought I might comment on...you
were discussing with me the difference between white and blue collar
workers, and why teachers get associated with unions rather than
professional white collar workers.
It really makes me mad when I hear things like this. Teachers get such
great vacations and short workdays, etc. According to them we are
overpaid and underworked.
How many of us are in school close to an hour before the students come
in and stay for as long or even longer afterwards? How much time do we
spend on weekends marking and programming, etc. Howabout those long
holidays? As if we never have to do any professional development at
these times let alone time to plan for the next year and time in the
classroom getting things just right for the first days of school.
Then there's the stress of it all - some deal with this more than others
according to the grade level they teach at, the number of children in
the classroom, the type of child - ESL...special needs, etc...and the
type of personality they have (teacher and students).
Maybe we should suggest that we work 12 months of the year - minus
vacation time of course (2 weeks to start of course and more for
experience as in other "businesses"). Of course we would only work 9-5
and get paid double for "overtime". Then of course we would either need
assistants to mark papers for us or more "prep" time to do it and other
such things.  What do you think - sounds pretty good to me.....  ;)
                        -Ruth
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vival kit should include a sense of humor!