Comments about ‘Utah Legislature: Jordan teachers rally for ed funds at Capitol’

Rally, strike, write letters, protest all you want but our state legislators don't care. They created this mess and they will not say it has any flaws. I've never seen our state legislature take responsibility for Utah's woes. THey blame everyone else and never admit to having made any mistakes. Clearly they are right- since they make all the laws.

Brighton High is NOT in the Jordan School district. But that teacher is part of the union so he must support, I guess.

The state legislators created such a mess, yet they won't tax cigarettes or do anything that will help students. Vote them out!

Have you ever heard of, or practiced self reliance? I don't know anyone who hasn't been crunched by the current economy (which was brought on by the Federal, not State legislators). Teachers and school administrators are not somehow immune from reality. Times wouldn't be so tough if your school system became truly competitive and eliminated the waste, including the overpaid "do-litte" administrators.

If you don't like what's happening, then go somewhere else. Vote with your feet. Budget cuts are part of working for government.

What if every government employee that wanted more funding went up to the capital with their clients?
DCFS, mental health, DSPD, aging, Youth Corrections, Adult corrections, police, fire department ect...
Everyone is suffering from cutbacks and loss of jobs in their departements.
Everyone is talking on the work of 2-3 people to stay employed.
Everyone spends long hours, many of which are unpaid.
But somehow the schools think they are exempt?

These teachers want their money, they don't care who it comes from, where it is 'plundered' from, or how it is obtained ... they just want it & want it NOW!

My job is cut back, my entertainment is gone, no more direct TV & they want me to pony-up more money!

Like I have to say to my children, NO! We have no more money! ... now go enjoy your 'Ketchup Packet' tomato soup.

The simple solution would be to increase the income tax rate. Thus, those who are truly hurting would not be affected. No income = no tax.

No one goes into education because they want money. My wife has a masters degree in education, and almost any other career choice requiring a masters degree would earn her significantly more money. But just because a person chooses to go into education should not require the person to take a vow of poverty. "The laborer is worthy of his hire."

Teachers choose to be teachers because they want to teach. Our kids want to learn. It is up the legislature to make it happen.

Every single one of the groups you mentioned have been up to the Capitol at different times during this session. I have seen and heard many from those groups testify before committees about why their budgets should not be cut.

Unfortunately, there is not a never-ending supply of money. BUT, the Legislature only cares about the squeaky wheels. If you don't spend time at the Capitol, they don't think that you care. If you can donate to their campaign or gift them Jazz tickets, they listen even better!

Yes, everybody is cutting back - it's the sign of the times - but we're talking about cutting back on the best chance for our children's future. Teacher's aren't greedy. Teachers will put up with so much BS in order to teach. It's a calling.


Teacher

(Sharon Harper Sampson)

I bet you've tied a million shoes
and dried a million tears
and given out a million hugs
as a teacher, through the years.

In my child's life, the role you've played
has been a priceless part
and your must know the special place
You hold in my child's heart

What bugs me is that the teachers somehow think their problems are worse than anyone else's. Hey, I work for free every week just to keep my job. I don't get time off. Even when I am on vacation I am tethered to a cell phone so that they can reach me if they need me. I have no sympathy for the teachers. Instead I call for Jordan School District to be responsible with my taxes. NO MORE TAXES!

The Dan Jones and Jordan District surveys both said that patrons were willing to pay a modest tax increase if it went to the schools. Dear NO, I'm sure you do have problems, and I'm sorry for that. But that doesn't mean that our state's public schools shouldn't try to be the best they can be.

I'll gladly pay more taxes for the schools.

Just like most Utahns. We want good schools for our kids. We agree we will pay more.

Now the legislature just needs to do what the people want instead of lining their pockets with charter schools money while destroying public ed.

listen to this:

"My job is cut back, my entertainment is gone, no more direct TV & they want me to pony-up more money!"

What this teacher wants to know is what is entertainment? What is direct TV?

But we cannot afford any new taxes.

I am confident that Mr. Barton's "20 free hours per week" was arrived at in creative fashion. What does he mean, 20 hours outside the 5-6 classroom hours per day? No doubt most teachers entered the profession wanting to make the world a better place. Little doubt that many of them work the extended hours most other "working stiffs" do.

The commentators whose sole contribution is to rail against administrators need better data. Good administrators add value--lots of value. Saying that most (or even many) are useless is stupid. It would be nice to know, however, how the ratio of administrators to classroom teachers in Jordan compares to other districts.

"What bugs me is that the teachers somehow think their problems are worse than anyone else's. Hey, I work for free every week just to keep my job. I don't get time off. Even when I am on vacation I am tethered to a cell phone so that they can reach me if they need me. I have no sympathy for the teachers. Instead I call for Jordan School District to be responsible with my taxes. NO MORE TAXES!"

You work for free every week? Really, then how do you pay your bills or much less pay for a vacation? Since both of those require money that you apparently don't get.

And you know what I'm teacher and I pay taxes just like everyone else. What does my salary come from? Taxes, both Federal and State taxes, so guess what Mister I am actually working for free! You try putting in a 70 hour week and getting paid peanuts. And those supposed summer vacations we get? I spend mine planning out new and interesting things to teach my students.

My wife is a teacher in JSD and yes 20 hours a week is in addition to the 6 classroom hours a day. I'm not quite sure what you are getting at. All good teachers and new teachers spend copious amounts of time outside the classroom preparing for the next day and correcting papers. I guess if you used the same old lesson plans year after year, you wouldn't need to put in as many unpaid hours, but the curriculum changes are so frequent from the district, that changes are constantly having to be made.

The real losers in this whole situation are the kids who will no longer receive any personal attention as class sizes will now go up from 4-6 students per class. It doesn't sound like much, but when you are already teaching 25 fourth graders, that additional number is huge.

Remember JSD patrons, you get what you pay for and you will get exactly what you asked for. The largest class sizes and lowest spending in the country mean fewer supplies, fewer teachers, and less attention to those children who need it.

All of you saying that the teachers need to get over it, you should be ashamed. Teachers are WAY underpayed as it is for what they do. They are teaching our future, their jobs are probably way more important than half of your guys'. We need to support public schools. Utah is ranked at the bottom for how much we spend per student. It's ridiculous, get over paying a little more and support not only our teachers but the kids who will be running this country someday

I will gladly pay more taxes, going directly to education.

What the JSD probably needs is a few cuts (not at the school level...keep all teachers and assistants/staff), plus a tax increase. The JSD needs a little of both. $10 per month more per household for a $200K house - that is significant money and would present a hardship on some households. I feel for those households. But the alternative is worse. If we create a perception (or a reality) that the schools are somehow worse or lesser-than, then the upper quality start to move out of the JSD, and new move-ins will think twice and/or buy housing in the Canyons school district. Right now, the JSD is a top-quality district and we need to keep what we have.

Money issues were made worse because of the split. The split is irreversible. Move on.

The only way to do that, even if HB295 passes, is to (1) make modest cuts at the district level, and (2) raise taxes. Throwing out teachers is like throwing out the seed corn. We will be better off if we go without something else, thus, let's tax.