Teachers strikes

[Discrim]

there's such a strike taking place right now in the chicago area.  mainly, like most strikes, these teachers want better treatment and a reasonable raise.  the chicago stations been talkin about this for the last month, and it finally happened today.

when was the last teachers' strike in your area(as far back as you can remember), were you directly affected (i.e. you are/were a teacher or student), details if you remember any.  just want your opinion on this.  also, here in wisconsin it's illegal for teachers to go on strike.  yep, you read right.  is there another state with a similar law, and what's your thought on a law preventing those of a certain occupation from going on strike?

[pagan696]

i'm not too old (32), but i can't recall any teacher strike in the NC area in recent years. my wife's a teacher and it's a tough job, one i don't feel i would want to do.

it's worse when local and state taxpayer money goes toward high dollar athletics and facilities (team owners, stadiums, etc.) when so many of the valuable resources every community needs goes underfunded. this goes for police, fire/medic, infrastructure (power/water/roads) and yes, our educators.

NC is a "right to work" state so you don't have to be a part of a union to work, but some professions do have such a strong union presence, not being a part of their union can be difficult to endure.

i hope everyone in your area gets a solid discussion going on what and why things need changing, without too much delay for the school year. kids today do not seem to understand how valuable a quality education is. there are too many outside distractions and "get rich quick" hopes that never come to fruition. even in my area there are lots of college educated people that have a very difficult time finding jobs (any jobs, not just the good, fun, easy, high paying jobs).

[Notch Novelty]

Let's talk about anything else......how about the Grey Cup

I like Montreal to win over Edmonton, 37-32

[thornadott]

just last year my teachers struck in lexington. i was a Sophmore so i missed a day. and my moms a teacher

[jkrdevil]

When I was in the 3rd grade (I'm now in the 11th), the teachers were going to strike, but they didn't. Instead they wore these buttons that said working without a contract.

I was so mad that there wasn't a strike, I hated the 3rd grade. The wierd thing is it seems that the 3rd grade was harder than what high school is now. Luckily in High School I've gotten teachers who hate to teach.

[Discrim]

the teachers in my schools, especially high school, seem like they wanted to go on strike, but there's a local law preventing this.  i said earlier that it was a state law, but i'm not sure.  anyway, the only teachers who can go on strike are those at private schools...but why would they want to?  so there ain't been a teacher strike here since the late 70's.

[CC97]

In the 10th grade there was a 3-week strike in my school system just before exams.  The strike ended at 9am one day, and we were back in class at noon.  I had a hard time recovering from that strike, and it caused me to end my lifelong streak of passing with honours.

In the 11th grade the start of school was delayed 3-weeks due to, you guessed it, a teachers strike.  Two in less than a year.  After this strike the teachers union said teachers could only do work on school time, and while at school, thus no field trips, and no sports teams (noone to coach).   Because of the strike, they took a week off of our christmas holidays, and 2 weeks off of our summer holidays.   I failed math that year... 2 years after winning my school's math award.

I lost that math credit, so I couldn't take certain courses in grade 12 (although I once again got honours).  Because I missed the grade 12 courses I couldn't get into grade 13 (which was a grade only for future university students), so I couldn't get into a university.

I went from honours every year to not allowed to enter a university in just two years.  Teacher strikes are fun  

After I graduated grade 12, I lost a year because I tried to get into grade 13 to no avail, then lost another year finding out I couldn't get into university.  I finally got into a local college, without any problems, to take their web developer program, and am now in the final year of that, well on my way to graduating.

So, lesson kids... teacher strikes potentially cost me 2-years worth of wages...  assuming I made $55,000 a year, I lost over $100k; as well as a chance of playing any high school sports.

[KCScout76]

There's not law but our collective bargaining does not allow us to strike!  I can't recall any in the KC area - I have been a teacher for 12 years.  They didn't strike back in the 1970s - of course I went to Catholic schools and I'm surprised they did'nt strike as poor as they were paid.  FYI - I make  just over $35,000 and get $7,800 for my three coaching duties. :cool:

[sc49erfan15]

My dream job is a graphic designer or football coach...but I could definitely see myself being a teacher. Kind of a fallback job, I love history and think I could teach it well. Plus, I could double as a football/basketball coach, which would be cool. The pay isn't really the best (getting better though)...I despise small children, so it will probably be the equal of an atomic bomb when I tell the folks I have interest in being a teacher (definitely at middle/high school level though)...I think that could be my calling.

[jkrdevil]

Chris, that just SUCKS.

I'm glad something like that hasn't happened where I live. (Although there's no 13th grade). Plus we only get 1 week off from Christmas Break (I mean Winter Break). So that would make that worse.

[Saintsfan]

As a teacher I am in sympathy with chris. If you are gonna strike as a teacher find a way of doing  it that doesn't affect the kids too much!

[zer0dotcom]

I've been through that strike in Durham Region and it blew ass. I respect the teacher's right to strike and pitch for more respect and such ( i am trying to become a teacher, so i better understand) but at the same time, the ones who get the short, plopty end of the stick are the students. You aren't exactly winning your main audience over when you take away all the things that make school enjoyable. I hope i never have to go through that in my career

[JQK]

Public School teaches blow... let them stay on strike, fu*king :censored:s... If they were worth a damn i'd say give them what they need, but they are all fu*king worthless....

(As you may be able to tell, i have issues with public school teachers...)

[Mac the Knife]

My personal opinion is that teachers are entitled to whatever they can possibly get, and yes, even if it means my taxes are going to go up.  And no, I'm not a teacher nor related in any way I know to one.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that you get what you pay for.  America's education system sucks precisely because we pay teachers far too little, equip them poorly, and expect them to provide little more than government-subsidized day care for our kids.

Make teachers work year round like the rest of us, but start paying them a starting salary of $100K a year (hell, even $50K) and see the quality of the people you get applying for (and getting) those jobs go way, way up.  Cough up the money to buy that updated textbook, or better still get rid of them altogether and replace 'em with computers.  Cough up the dough to update that map to replace the one with the Soviet Union on it.

Our kids will be better educated as a result, we'll get value for our money, and the teaching profession will return to what it should be - an honorable way to make a decent living.

[DEAD!]

Here are some of my thoughts:

I guess the teacher's pay depends on where you live. I agree with Mad Mac that teachers, especailly in certain areas of the US should be getting more money ($50K sounds about right) considering that some university professors make $100k to start.

Teachers do have the right to strike, but they should NOT do it because of salaries.

I sympathize with CC. Being from Mississauga, going to high school in the late 90's I know all too well about the teacher's strikes. We didn't know when and how long the strikes were going to be. The thing that makes me so angry is that the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund is HUGE. They own shares in numerous companies worth BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!!!! THe Teachers Pension Fund owns the majority shares Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment (Leafs, Raptors, ACC) I will NEVER pay to see a Leafs game as long as those teachers own the team. Go Roadrunners!