The Virginian-Pilot
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Lawmakers heading back to Richmond for the next-to-last week of the 2010 General Assembly session encountered some roadside lobbying on the way into town.
Billboards along the major roadways blare "WE'RE BEING ROBBED" in big orange type. In smaller lettering under a photo of schoolchildren is this message: "$1 billion-plus in state education cuts will steal our children's future."
The signs are the work of the Virginia Education Association, which represents state schoolteachers. The VEA has been working hard to gin up opposition to the cuts to public education proposed, in varying degrees, by Gov. Bob McDonnell and the House and Senate money committees.
The group says the cuts will lead to the loss of 14,000 to 28,000 teaching jobs statewide.
Bill Johnson, the VEA's director of communications, said the eight billboards cost about $25,000. The group is also running online ads with a link to the VEA Web site that allows people to e-mail their concerns to the governor and lawmakers. It's money well spent, Johnson said: So far the campaign has generated 10,000 e-mails.
"The primary goal is to wake people up as to what's happening with the budget," he said. "We wanted to be in your face."
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Can we have comments worth more than 2 cents?
It's a shame that so many people are under the spell of dirty politicians who are the real ones who are ultimately responsible for the current situation. STOP BLAMING THE TEACHERS FOR THE DEEDS OF POLITICIANS! It's easier to beat up on teachers than solve problems. Let's start holding our politicians accountable for the results their decisions produce. Continuously replacing the teaching work force will do nothing but secure and INEXPERIENCED faculties in charge of our young students. Too many people who know NOTHING about schools or education believe that their Monday quarterbacking has value...the value is no more than 2 cents!
not so fast
Teachers in this area are paid well above the median per capita income. Unfortunately they have not proven they do not deserve this higher pay. Too many children graduate with skill sets well below the level they need in order to start community college without taking multiple remedial courses. The drop out rates in some of our local cities exceed %30. Testing irregularities are rampant in multiple cities in Tidewater. All we hear from teachers are complaints about students, complaints about pay, and complaints about not having real unions. We never hear complaints about the lack of quality in the curriculum. All we hear is complaints about the SOLs. The SOLs were established, long before NCLB, to address the dismal results in our schools. We never hear complaints about lousy teachers that are only making teaching more difficult for good teachers. We never hear complaints about teachers at the elementary level not educating students before passing them along for higher grade level teachers to try and fix. Teachers know who these people are in their schools, but the solidarity is with protecting all teachers and not with supporting good teachers.
Cut waste
When the school boards and school district admins cut waste, then we can consider better wages for teachers.
You guys think just because you throw the well being of our children back in our face, that we should bend-over backwards to accommodate your whims. I am a better parent for fighting these unnecessary increses, than for given in to the liberal minded programs that you have said would work for the last thirty years. (I don't see it, or at least not yet, or are you holding back until you get better wages?)
I want to give you a pay increase. But we all have to feed, house and clothe our children too. What don't you understand it is rough right now for everyone.
I am against the schools spending their monies to pay for the mandated social programs being forced on you and us.
waste
i agree there's waste... but why is it that we are only looking at education. teachers seem to be the only public servants who are being targeted in this budget. for example, don't like paying for military families to have golf courses and pools on their bases, but no one is looking at cutting that. why not?
Ask Your Child's Teacher If
Go ask your child's teacher if she cares about children and your child, then ask if she is a VEA or union member... I suggest you don't have the guts to ask face to face nor do you really want the answer.
Those teachers love those kids or they would be out of that job in a very short order. Teaching your kid is easy because he/she is smart and well behaved but it is the rest of those dumb kids that makes teachers pull their hair out... LOL Teaching kids is all about the kids best interest but a teacher (union member or not) deserves a decent wage and retirement.
Now stop crying and get back to work!
There are no dumb children,
There are no dumb children, there are children enabled by their parents to not study, apply themselves or behave themselves and that does need to be addressed. But there are teachers and administrators who are afraid to fail a child, afraid of the repercussions from (not my kid)parents and influenced school boards.
Dumb Answer
Son you have never been a teacher nor have you ever worked with kids who ar dumb... Every kid is gifted and the best in the worldexcept when you call a parent to tel them little johnny is failing or has hit some other kid. Nobody is ever dumb, finishes at the bottom of the class or is to blame for their own failures.
Try being around education for twenty five years and you will quickly understand dumb kids, dumber parents and dumb online posters.
furthermore
The name is Virginia Education Association, I would call that fraud, because as you pointed out it has nothing to do with making education better. It is special interest lobbyist group, it doesn't have to be union to lobby for special protections, unmerited pay increases, and jobs for life at the expense of taxpayers and students.
VEA
Yes they collect dues to protect teachers, all teachers, no matter how many lousy ones are in the woodpile.
My point is that citizens should not be duped into thinking the VEA cares one whit about the education students are receiving, because you are exactly correct that is not the VEAs concern.
So their whining can be dismissed right out hand as the pandering for dues paying members that it is.
Unsustainable growth
The school budget had grown by 44% (adjusted for inflation) since 2002 while new admissions only grew by 8%.
“Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interests.”
~ Frederic Bastiat