Wal-Mart and McD's are examples used for worst case scenario jobs.

I don't think that it is a stretch to say that if you are willing to work for $8/hr, there are endless possibilities available.

The Greeks learned on rock cliffs in the outdoors. Schools should be built pretty much how (or at least last time I was on one) a military base is. Basic boring designs with boring desks and boring everything. Schools shouldn't look like the Taj Mahal.

The problem is that they won't monitor teacher performance. I remember a while back, D.C. offered teachers the chance to potentially make $150k (averging 60-70k then) a year based on performance. The Union wouldn't even let it come to a vote.

Teachers do pretty damn well for themselves. Especially when they take side jobs in the summer. Plus their benefits rival those of CEOs. Really good teachers don't take the job becuase they don't want to bust their asses and do everything they can to help children achieve when they will make less than a sorry ass teacher who sleeps in class because they have seniority.

Education can't be fixed by launching more money at it.

Teachers salaries don't suck, but that's another debate... And yes, I know people who have, and still do teach... across multiple states...

They pretty much do... Those jobs churn people constantly... Call centers are similar... We expect to hire on average 8 people per week in 2012 with zero growth in business. We have unemployed people turn down our offer every day because they are looking for something different...

The only place teachers are making 60-70K is places like DC and NY due to the cost of living. Meanwhile, a first-year banking analyst, lawyer, or private military contractor in those cities is making $100-120K.

Go to a more typical city like Louisville or Indianapolis, and teachers make only like $30K

Really?

Because according to this site, average teacher's salary is $44k in Kentucky... and you better fucking believe they make more in the bigger cities...
http://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/ave...-kentucky.html

Indiana - $47k.

For 9 months work.

Starting salary might not be amazing, but there are plenty of office jobs for people right out of school that make less AND you need to work a full year to make that...

Teachers making peanuts is a fucking myth...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bpb9DymmoU

Yup I know quite a few ppl who have done it. :td:

So am I the only one who thought that the speech was purely political with 0% chance of anything actually coming from it?

Really, what i got out of the speech was the prez introducing a few programs that go against the GOP stances. This way in the upcoming election the dems can (any of them) say look at what we are trying to do for America, but the GOP is going against you and only for what their party wants.

Also, has everyone else forgotten about the budget comitee that needs to slash trillions off the federal budget by November?

OK fine, but let's compare being a teacher to the "typical" $47K/yr job...........Which one is more important? Which one has more impact on people's lives and our country's future?

And the whole "they only work 9 months" is kind of a myth too. Yeah let's show up on day 1 of school without doing any prep work...... sounds like a teacher who won't get very far in their career

our teachers are in school 1 mos after it lets out and 1 mos before it starts.

Sure, but they and their family might not be able to survive on the income from it.