I have one question to ask you? Have you ever taught, and how many years? Until you have been there done that you really cannot make that kind of judgement. My father was a teacher for 32 years, he believe that teachers had to be a cut above the rest of the public. Yes he was a member of a union, and a conservative as I am. Both my sister and I are public school teachers. I have tech. degree, she graduated with honors from college. Our school district get about $6000 per student, well below what the school district in large cities get. By the way I live in Stockton, CA.

I teach Autocad classes, CAD. So I should use an Autocad program when it first came out back in the 80s? Autocad update there programs every year. I have no problem using a program that is 5-6 years old. Beyond that there are too many differences. A classroom site Lic. cost around $15,000 dollars. Money that my school does not have. I retire in 6 years, I'll be betting that I will be using the same program that I am today 6 years from now. The program that I have now is 2 years old. It isn't cheap to run my program. One other thing the kids are learning a skill that 99% of adults do not know how to do.

School administrators have an almost unlimited amount of funding? Are you kidding me. I teach at a school with 2000 students. We had 5 VP, we are down to 3. That means each VP is responsible for around 650 students each, plus another 50 staff each. We had 8 counselors, we're down to 4 counselors. Each counselor is responsible for around 500 students each. This mean they have to make sure the students are on track to graduate. I have to buy my own supplies for my classroom. I pay $600.00 per month for health insur. Haven't seen a raise in almost 8 years. Have Master's and tech degree. Been teaching for 25 years, make around $75,000/year work an average of 8 hours per day. No pay summer vacation.

First of all teachers in Calif. do pay for a percentage of the their paycheck toward their retirement. Second, Teachers who have worked as teachers for their entire career do not draw SSI, because they do not pay into SSI. I pay $600.00 per month for my health insurance. I have not seen a raise in almost 8 years. Been teaching for 25 years. I have a Masters and 120 units over my master. I have tech degree, Industrial Tech-Construction. Education is like a three legged stool. Parents, Students, and Teachers. Too often parents and students are not pulling their weight. Yes, as in any profession their are bad teachers. Yes, they should be dealt with. Parents and students need to be held accountable as well as teachers.

Hate to tell you, no retire teacher in California is receiving $100,000/year. Administrators yes, teachers no. the average teacher makes about $50,000/ year. They do not pay into SSI. Therefore when they retire they cannot collect SSI. The only way a teacher can collect SSI is if they have enough quarters in SSI. Even then they only get about 75% of what they would have gotten. After 30 years a teacher in Calif. will receive about 70% of their regular pay. Also teachers do not get paid summer vacations. Money is taken from their pay check every month to pay for the summers they are off.

The worst that happen to education was when the Dept. of Education was created. How can Washington tell some school district on the west coast what should be taught? THE STATES, cannot know the needs of each district. Give them a block grant, tell them to spend it on what they need.

Get the education professionals out of education. Good idea. Then let get the medical professonals out of of medical profession. I have had instructors in college who were experts in their field, but couldn't get their knowledge accross to the students. I do agree that teacher at the secondary level (high school level) as to know their subject, but they also have to be able to teach it so students understand. Also secondary teachers do not have time to teach feel good stuff. They have to stick to the subject being taught. Yes, I'm a 25 year teacher, I teach Autocad and Revit (design program). The best title for a educational book that I have seen "Those Who CAN teach"

What do you do with the kids who refuse to do their homework? Or when parents decide to take their failing child out during the school year so they can take two vacation. Do not put all the blame on the public school teacher. Yes, there are bad public school teachers, just as there are bad doctors, lawyers, etc. Teachers are paid for 180 days, they do not get paid vacations. Money from there paycheck is taken out to over the 180 days.

We are the only country in the industrialize world where students go to school 180 days a year. In most countries students attend school 8 hrs a day 220 days a year. In CA teachers have a pacing guide that they have to follow for the core subjects. They do not have time to teach all the fluff. Some states are cutting back on the number of days that students go to school. This is not the fault of the unions. Teachers in other countries are given far more respect than teachers in this country. Please don't say its because the ones in the US are dumber.

Just so you know, I live in Stockton. Agree unions are part of the problem but the city had a retirement that was"pay as you go" the money was not set aside for retirement like it should have been. Also Stockton made some really poor descisions. The marina, arena, a resturant, all lost large sums of money.

I have a aunt who is a nun. They are also paid very little. She gets less than $200.00 a month, free room and board.