Since the House's version of the budget fully funded the program, the future of Career Ladder will likely become a contentious issue in budget negotiations over the next four weeks of the legislative session.
The difference between the cuts here and for other programs is that the teachers have already done the work and simply will not be paid for it. With the emphasis on Race to the Top and the still-in-place No Child Left Behind, it will be interesting to see how school districts will deal with the loss of the tutoring programs and student academic organizations that are funded through Career Ladder.
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Rep. Icet and Senator Nodler issued a warning during budget hearings last April to the Department to inform districts before anyone committed to the program and followed it up with a letter in June reminding them of the need to inform teachers. If teachers committed to this they need to ask DESE, why they sat on the warning until July. The legislature gave this warning before anyone committed any spending for this purpose. Senator Nodler reminded educators several times that there was no appropriation for current year Career Ladder program. As I recall you and the Joplin Globe both made comments that encouraged teachers and schools to ignore Nodler's warning because you were pretty confident the Legislature could find the money. It seems Nodler understood the state's financial problems better than you did.
In our district, teachers were warned, but assured that things looked reasonably OK for funding for this year. Teachers were told to do what they thought best, without a clear outcome. The District promised to pay their portion, regardless of the decision of the State. We'll see...
Most teachers are altruistic by nature and did the extra work for career ladder knowing they may not receive payment. As a teacher, I knew this, but hoped the state would realize how hard we work for such a small paycheck. After 25 years and a doctorate, the highest pay-scale a majority of teachers can make is 60K. Almost every teacher I know has at least a master's degree and we make around 35K to 40K after 20 years. Usually,teachers are married to educated people, so the two income household makes for a reasonably comfortable life. However, if a teacher has to live on his/her own salary, it is hand to mouth and even worse if the teacher is a single parent. Anyone that knows a teacher realizes that a good teacher is never really finished with work. We go to school in the summer(usually at our own expense) and contribute to various programs at our schools that never go on break. Every teacher is on at least one committee and usually more all the time. These committees are not social clubs, they exist to help kids learn and excel.
Education should never be on the chopping block. How do you get people to realize that the future of our children speaks loudly to our future as senior citizens.
For anyone that says, "You get 3 months vacation each year." To you I respond, "That's comp time for the 60 hour weeks I put in every school year." I realize I chose this profession and I am glad I did. I know the good, the bad, and the ugly of this field. Still, that does not mean we should be punished for careless spending of our government. I agree with with anonymous, give me a red pen and I can find a bunch of waste pretty quickly and I will not be under someones' thumb fearful to cut the pork.
As a teacher of 22 years, I have depended on Career Ladder for a portion of my salary for many years. Just because someone warns me the money might not be there, I cannot take the chance and stop doing all the things that I count for my Career Ladder hours. If I had not done the hours and they did find the money I would definitely have not received the money. I did the work, because I couldn't afford not to. This is going to hurt teachers and students. Many of the extra time teacher put in are helping students in co-curricular activities such as speech, drama, academic teams, and tutoring. This is a sad day for Missouri education. We are taking many steps in the wrong direction. When will education be given the value it deserves in our state?
I don't think anyone wants to cut the funding, they just don't have the money revenues are down nearly 40% from two years ago. You can't spend what you don't have.
What burns my butt is the fact that most all school districts can run busses to all type events, mostly football, and think nothing of it. Until such time as they cut out this unnecessary wasting of gasoline/diesel fuel, I don't feel sorry for them. We have all cut our driving habits back, let the schools do the same.
Hey, I do much "extra work" and I never get anything like a career ladder payoff....and I sure don't make the same as even a first year teacher..quit whining for a little while. You'll get used to having to work hard for your salary...the rest of us do...I'd love to have some career ladder money - just once!
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