The Value Of Teachers

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Teachers are crucial in this day and age. However, I know they have their battles like low pay, discipline issues, parent issues, and many more that most of us are unaware of which is sad. I also understand why my friends either homeschool their children or send their children to private schools for those reasons listed above that is happening. 

Do teachers need more money? Yes, I totally agree that they do, but raising taxes or a wheel tax isn't the solution. Why not look at some of the salaries that some at the HCDE are being paid? Why not look at the jobs that the HCDE are holding and determine if all of the jobs  are  truly necessary? Couldn't some jobs be combined? Then take the savings from there and apply it to the budget for the teachers.

The comment has been made that the schools are losing teachers due to other counties paying more and so teachers are jumping ship and it is because of pay. While there may be some truth to that statement I don't believe that is the whole reason.  Discipline plays a big part into the quality of education and instruction teachers can give to those who want to learn.  If you take away the right from teachers to discipline then they have lost control.

How do you fix it? First stop coddling these kids. If they don't do the work they get a zero. Plain and simple. Principals stand up to these parents and tell them in order to move forward the work has to be done. We aren't doing any justice to the kids if we allow them to sail through just because parents complain.  This may be the only place that they feel that someone cares for them and if we turn our backs on them and not truly teach them that they have choices, why teach?  Good choices=good things; bad choices=discipline. Plain and Simple.

So do teachers need a raise? Yes.  Should it come from higher taxes or a wheel tax? No.  There are other ways to get the money for these raises requested.  Where? Again look at the salaries and jobs at the HCDE offices. I am sure there are ways to trim there.

It was stated that the County commission denied the budget which in turn denied this request of a raise.  It isn't that commissioners aren't wanting to pay teachers more, it is that there was a tax increase requesting more money to justify the raise.  The school system has money. What are they doing with it should be the question that the teachers should be asking, not pointing fingers and saying that it is the commissioner's fault for not passing the budget that included money for a raise.

If these other counties and places that teachers are going to because of higher pay and not staying in Hamilton County, maybe look at those school systems and see what they are doing right because they must be so they can pay teachers more. 

I am thankful for my county commissioners who voted no for the increase in property taxes and a wheel tax.  The bottom line is this teachers need more pay agreed, but raising taxes is not where it needs to come from. Start at the corporate level here, the HCDE level, and trim there before going to the people and asking them to take on more taxes.

Amy Smith

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