Utah Bill
Administration making changes? Yes. Administration changes. Not BAD administration changes...just aministration changes.The ones we have experienced in Idaho, Arizona, and Utah are the problems, not the problem solvers. That is one example. I too am a teacher and I worked in the Western States and know administrators and teachers in CA, AZ, OR, and Wash. I know and have heard of bad administrators. They exist. Lets move past the few horrible ones that exist and realize that they are the minority and not the rule. Most come in with solid ideas about how to adjust and they actually do care. You sound older and totally jaded. If you had nothing but bad experiences, that might be a problem...but then again, perhaps you and your wife are examples of older teachers and such that resist change?? I like you and have always respected your opinions, so don't take that as an insult. It is not. In Idaho, the Superintendent fought the parents who wanted Kindergarten, saying we "don't want to make our children like Robots". He was a jock in his younger years and wanted funds for more athletic facilities, was against advanced classes in the junior high school as well. That totally sucks and that guy should be fired and never hired again
Very few of the teachers in those and most western states have Tenure available to them, ver few NEW teachers in most western states have Tenure available to them. There are LOTS of tenured teachers thoughand very few are in a union. I would say that almost every single teacher that I know in all the states is in a union, but I was in CA as you are about to mention and I only know a few in ID and AZ. You have the experience there and it sounds like we taught in different worlds. I retract my jaded comment. You sound realistic just like I always thought. Obviously I am not editing this and just typing what I think as I read :2razz: I suspect that is an issue in many states but not so much the west (excluding the left coast state of CA, and maybe OR).
My son has been teaching for over 10 years now in AZ, 8th grade Science, and has his masters degree. He is just barely getting close to $50K per year, but take a look at his benefits. After three years teaching in CA with my Master at the high school level I was making $52K a year. Quite different. But cost of living and all of that might be a factor?The school district only offers insurance at reasonable cost to the teacher, to add his family is over $10K per year!Health insurance for teachers is a joke...but that is the government letting health care costs ream the people and teachers are just feeling it.
As for how much a 23 year old starting out NEEDS? Not muchThink about that one a bit. I have and this is a whole different story about what people THINK they need versus what they ACTUALLY need. Two parents at 30-40K each a year is PLENTY of money to start having kids and saving for their future house and education. Most wait a few years to find their spouse and then a year or so to get married and then most will wait a few years for kids anyway. Realistically, kids start appearing in the late twenties nowadays and that means that the parents had five years of $60K plus years to save and such. It is all how you look at it. My wife and I did it. We had two kids 18 months apart and it is working for usAre we telling them they have to wait until they have 10 years on the job to marry, have children? Do we apply the same logic to those young people in other professions?