Fun Fact: 6% of Scientists are Republican

[Ashendant]

Who needs Republicans? I don't.

No, but according to Democracy, a lot of people do.

Which form of democracy needs a Republican party?

My country is republic... doesn't seem to pull american republic crap trough

[Tiberius]

Which form of democracy needs a Republican party?

I never said democracy needed them, I said the people in the democracy who vote for them evidently want them.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

There are no democratic states in the Athenian style, and who would want one? Not this little black duck. No country is actually governed by the will of the majority and cannot be under a restrictive two party system.

Forms also differ in some basic ways.

EG: Parliamentary democracy found in say the UK,Canada and Australasia emphasises equality. The US Republican system,emphasises individual freedom.These are significant differences.

[Dotard]

I can't agree on that because I've been in school to become a teacher and teachers do NOT enter public school for the money. If anything, the teachers in good standing should be paid more than they are.

I disagree based upon the interactions I've had with those in the profession.

Sure, I'd support merit based pay increases. But they would have to do something meritorious to receive it. Just showing up for work 205 days out of 365 wouldn't qualify.

[Minimalist]

Just for the fuck of it I checked starting salaries for teachers in So Carolina and Arizona. Both came in at just over $30,000 requring a 4 year degree and you must continue on to get a Master's on that princely sum.

Perhaps you think they are grossly overpaid?

I wonder why anyone in their right fucking mind would even think of going into teaching. Especially with all the other bullshit that goes along with the "job." Perhaps that is why most new teachers leave the job within 5 years?

[TheDarkestOfAngels]

I disagree based upon the interactions I've had with those in the profession.

Sure, I'd support merit based pay increases. But they would have to do something meritorious to receive it. Just showing up for work 205 days out of 365 wouldn't qualify.

I'm sure there are plenty of teachers that shouldn't be be teaching.
I've seen and I still hear about teachers like that all time time.

But it'd help to get good, quality teachers by making sure that the people who are capable and qualified actually want to teach and not choose a job that pays better for the equivelent amount of education. It should be competative and not something people only do because it makes them feel good inside to teach people things.
It's easy for teachers to burn out years later in their life given the enormous responsibility, far more enormous stress, and a pay rate that most people with a 4-year degree would laugh at.
Only working 205 days out of the year doesn't help in terms of overall pay either - many teachers have to struggle to figure out what they're going to do for all that time they're not at work.

This is not a healthy paradigm for one of the most necessary and important professions in a healthy industrialized socieity.

Money, of course, isn't the only part of this problem, but it is a very important aspect of it.

[Dotard]

Both came in at just over $30,000 .....
Perhaps you think they are grossly overpaid?

Yes I do, based on the actual work and hours spent on what they do.

About $600 a week and you don't have to show up for 14 of them. That's closer to $800 a week. Oh wait, then there is all the school holidays to consider like Presidents Day, Columbus day and a bunch more that you are not required to work. Factor those in and you are close enough to $1000 a week for the actual hours worked. Oh wait then there is the consideration of their work days average 6 hours. (8 to 3 with an hour lunch break) Shit, at $1000 a week for about 30 hours is approx. 34 bucks an hour.

You may disagree and think that is a pentance but from by perspective that is grossly overpaid for the services performed. The average wage here in America is approx. $16.50 an hour. Currently just a starting position gets you more than 2x's the national average.

Grossly overpaid.

Now take all the bennys into consideration. The free health club memberships, the state paid medical insurance, the retirement packages, etc. etc. etc.

I'd say the bottom line approaches more like $45-$50 an hour. Yeah, grossly overpaid.

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It's easy for teachers to burn out years later in their life given the enormous responsibility, far more enormous stress, and a pay rate that most people with a 4-year degree would laugh at.

I wonder if those laughing folks are putting in 40 hour weeks 50 weeks of the year. Enormous stress?? Oh yeah, working 6 hour days for 38 weeks a year is just murder huh?

... many teachers have to struggle to figure out what they're going to do for all that time they're not at work.

Oh cry me a fucking river. Such a struggle and stress filled life trying to figure out what to do with all that paid time off of work. OH BOY! Do they have support groups for dealing with such life threating struggles?

(insert eyeroll emoticon here)

[TheDarkestOfAngels]

I wonder if those laughing folks are putting in 40 hour weeks 50 weeks of the year. Enormous stress?? Oh yeah, working 6 hour days for 38 weeks a year is just murder huh?

You... do realize most teachers actually do more work than their on-job workhours, right?

Oh cry me a fucking river. Such a struggle and stress filled life trying to figure out what to do with all that paid time off of work. OH BOY! Do they have support groups for dealing with such life threating struggles?

You... do realize most teachers don't get paid for the time they're not teaching, right?

So... yeah, four years of college education to get paid for, as you say, 6 hour days for 38 week a year.
Where most of the work you have to deal with must be done outside of regular school hours so you can trudge to work less than most people with regular 9 to 5 jobs to teach a group of snotty unappreciative children so they can earn more money working at a factory as a high school or college dropout.

Maybe we should pass a law to get them a weekly punch to the face for their trouble.

[Violet]

I never said democracy needed them, I said the people in the democracy who vote for them evidently want them.

Or it could be evidence that they want the other choices to not be elected.

Oh yeah, working 6 hour days for 38 weeks a year is just murder huh?

Largely correct... but they also have the time sink of grading papers and setting up for classes to consider. Time spent and stress added then depends on difficulty of the subject matter and amount of homework that one must give out.

Dealing with children, teenagers, and/or students those shortish days is certainly not fun.

---

Maybe we should pass a law to get them a weekly punch to the face for their trouble.

It's an idea! ^_^

Some of my teachers throughout school certainly could have used one

The teachers that were actually effective and enjoyed the job should be spared, if only because i like (or at least respect) them

[Minimalist]

Dote, do you understand that you cannot eat or pay your rent with "time off?" YOu make it sound like fun and games but the bottom line is that these people are only getting paid whatever their districts pay them. Other degrees offer better starting salaries and considerably more job security. Teachers, particularly new teachers, are constantly watching the effect of budget cuts and wondering if they will have a job next year.

Plus they still must continue their education which, in case you do not know, is not cheap.

A study not too long ago noted that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years. I guess you think that's fine instead of being a national disgrace?

The teacher is an important cog....although maybe not quite as important as having students who actually want to learn instead of play video games or text message with their friends all day. In any case, the problem is far too complex to justify saying.." they don't work all year so wtf are they complaining about." Things are rarely as simplistic as you are trying to make them.