Irene's Weblog

This is what the kids in my eighth grade Algebra class are like this year. They all agreed as well.

More Fry memes here.

Today was the first day back to work.  It was such a great day that I actually had one person wave to me, one person said hello and welcome back, and one person talked to me.  The rest ignored me, as usual.  I had a fourth person ask how my summer went, but, when they heard it sucked and my grandma passed away, asked when she passed away.  Immediately after asking when my grandma passed away, this person walked away from the conversation.  Seriously.

This year is going to suck.  I need to win the lottery or something because I don’t think I can take another 30 years of working here.

This year was quite tough, particularly the second semester. The students just didn’t seem to want to be there and I wanted to kick a lot of them every day. It wasn’t just me. It was happening in the entire district. So, there is always a graduation thingy for the 8th graders on the last day. This year, there was a talent show, something I didn’t want to go to, but had to because it’s my job.

I was going to write a scathing review of the talent show, but I’m tired, so I’ll keep it short. I hate poetry readings and I hate dancing. Every portion, therefore, that included either one sucked.

I also had the unfortunate luck to be standing next to the female janitor. She ran her mouth the entire time the ceremonies and talent show were going on. If you’re going to be that disrespectful, leave the fucking gym already.

The video presentation was better than last year, but there was something wrong with the transitions between photos on several of the pictures. Still, it was nice to see most of the kids in the video instead of the clusterfuck from last year that was a showcase of 10-12 of the same kids over and over.

One thing that I didn’t like was that there was no recognition, other than on paper, about the seventh graders who took the ACT test through the Duke University Talent Identification Program. There were four students who qualified for the program and one who made it to the Grand Nationals. These kids should be recognized for the great achievement they made, but, unfortunately, we live in a time where sports players are deemed more important. I don’t care. These kids are going places in life while the sports stars will just get fat and old and no one will care what they’re doing.

They’re begging for crumbs from the table. Despite the fact that Nebraska’s education performance, as well as teacher pay, is abysmal, the Gering teachers eagerly clamored for the crumbs that were offered to them.

“It’s (contract negotiation) a planning process, it’s stressful,” Hague said. “As a district Gering is doing great stuff and teachers are the front line. We want people to be adequately compensated.”

Until you put your money where your mouth is, it’s all rhetorical bullshit.

“They approved $850 to be added to the base of $30,000 for a total of $30,850,”

If teachers only worked 40 hours per week, this works out to be a $0.44 per hour raise for new hires. Apparently, this is adequately compensated. I’ve had bigger raises working in fast food.

Nebraska is last in the nation – 50th – in the percent of state revenue supporting public schools. Nationally, 47 percent of the funding for public schools comes from state government revenues while Nebraska state government provides 31.4 percent.

Nebraska teachers rank 42nd nationally in average salary at $44,957, lagging the national average by more than $9,375. Just three years ago, Nebraska was ranked 38th.

In Nebraska, teachers make 21 percent less in weekly wages than their four-year college graduate colleagues, and more than $6,000 less on an annual basis.

Teacher pay continues to drop, yet, at least teachers in Gering, continue to accept the lower pay or move on to better paying teaching jobs. If this continues, you will see a further reduction in quality teachers in Gering and those that are just “happy to have a job” will take those positions.

The average starting salary ($29,067) for Nebraska teachers in 2008-09 ranked sixth when compared to average starting salaries paid in contiguous states. Nebraska trailed Wyoming ($40,658), Iowa ($35,508), Kansas ($32,094), Colorado ($30,799), South Dakota ($29,987), and ranked ahead of only Missouri ($28,960).

You are not going to lure high quality teachers to a position that pays far less than the national average. Those that are teaching in Nebraska will end up moving to districts in other states that pay more and have the same relative quality of life statistics. It’s not that hard to recognize.

The problem, however, is that many in the state are happy to see the teachers leave. They don’t care if class size increases and they don’t care what educational programs are reduced or flat out eliminated.

If you want to do something before it’s too late, Think Smart Nebraska has made the job of writing to your elected officials an easy task. You can write a letter or sign a petition. But you must act now, before it’s too late.

It’s a fact that the Gering teachers union isn’t going to stand up and make a fuss. The teachers in the district demonstrated that by approving the latest budget. While not all the teachers voted for it, there were enough that compromised that shows they won’t stand up for what matters. Next year, when the budget takes until April to be settled, you can be assured that the Gering teachers will, again, let everyone walk all over them and accept the measly crumbs that are tossed their way.