Former Granby teacher examines attacks on Wisconsin teachers

Former Granby Junior High teacher C. L. Tanner examines the attack on Wisconsin teachers in this op-ed article:

I've seen on the news about the things happening in Wisconsin in regard to the governor trying to save money. His plan for the state employees to pay more toward their health care and retirement and to end collective bargaining has a large number of people very upset. Not only in his state but in many other states as well. I see that the unions have agreed to paying more toward health care and retirement, but not to end collective bargaining.

The governor's plan to end collective bargaining only applies to some state employees but not to others. Local police, firemen and state troopers will retain their collective bargaining powers. Not so with school teachers. The school teachers make up 57% (218,585) of state employees in Wisconsin. The figures I found that the plan would cut the average teacher making $48,700.00 a year (ranked 24th in the nation) would have their wages cut 15% or $7,300.00 a year. That is a sizable pay cut. From my own teaching experience, during the first 10 years that I taught I earned my masters degree, and at the end of those ten years my salary equaled what I was making as a maintenance mechanic for the La-Z-Boy chair company which I left to teach.

People would argue that the police, firemen and state troopers jobs are extremely important and they are. Does this mean the teacher's jobs are less important? One thing everyone must remember, while the cost of education is high, there is one thing that cost more, IGNORANCE