I am a big supported of educators who help to build and shape the next generation. The problem: they don't do a very good job of it. Even if they were the saviors of the next generation, that does not elevate them beyond the realities of a reduced budget.

Everyone is dealing with some cut backs and hardships to some degree. We are all in this together. The perks of government employees can not be allowed to drain the blood from the rest of the nation.

Pension? What is that?

Teachers can deal with no raise just as easily as anyone else. As role models and shapers of soon to be adults, they can use this as one more learning experience to convey to their students.

The lessons: How to manage money; balance a budget; keep track of bills; live at your means. These are matters they really ought to teach. Most people figure this out on their own, but it is clearly evident, many people it seems never got around to figuring it out at all. The result... many of the economic problems we are facing today.

The world has been in much worse situations. We will be in much worse situations again. Deal with it world.

I think something that really needs to be considered here is whether they're not doing a good job because schools can't attract good teachers (or any teachers at all) because teacher salaries are low to begin with, before budget cuts or salary freezes or whatever. Granted, people who choose to go into this profession know beforehand what kind of salary to expect, and in the face of recession or depression or whatever we're calling it this week, they should expect to make sacrifices like everyone else... but this is more about school budgets rather than salaries. I really can't help but think, even without having read a thorough outline of the budget, that there must be many other places where the fat can be trimmed before the schools are touched.

I grew up in suburban NYC, and I can tell you that in my entire public school career, I never witnessed any reckless spending or fancy new construction or anything like that. It's those average middle-class schools, and the schools in lower class and underprivileged neighborhoods, that will suffer with budget cuts. Teachers already beg parents to send in extra supplies because the school budget isn't enough to cover everything they need. Besides, k... (show all)

ids are getting stupider and stupider; maybe pulling more money out of the public school system isn't the best decision.

School budgets are a problem, in the most part, due to the negotiations between our local, elected Board of Education and the teacher's Union. Most BOE members are regular citizens sitting across the bargaining table from professional union negotiators - not a good thing for taxpayers. Many BOE members are sympathetic to the teaching profession - as broken as it is - also not good for taxpayers.
N J's governor is working to empower our local Bd. of Ed. members to negotiate for changes that could improve the quality of our teachers and our taxes. Merit-based raises, salary freezes in times of trouble, teacher contributions to health insurance and pensions (creating budget disasters nation-wide) and a year long work schedule that will bring the archaic teaching profession into the real world of today's workforce...just like the rest of us.
Since we can't vote for specific budget line items like salary freezes, we can vote for strong, smart, taxpayer friendly BOE members. We CAN vote 'no' on capital improvements like fancy new cafeterias. We CAN vote 'no' on the annual budget - they always ask for a little extra - send it back and ask them to sharpen their pencils... just like the rest of us. And we CAN vote for governors like Christie...