Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Are teachers saints or shit? (by anon)


In the wake of the Wisconsin recall elections, this post was coming. 

I’m very sad.

It is plainly clear that most of the people of Wisconsin think that teachers are pieces of shit.  Scott Walker and his Republican congress made the biggest cuts to education in Wisconsin’s state history.  They made cuts totaling $1.11 billion dollars.  That was billion.  Here’s a Politifact link in case you don’t believe me: click me.  Walker also ended collective bargaining for teachers so that they no longer have the means to negotiate with their employers for fair wages and work expectations.  Walker also decreased teacher salaries by making them pay more for healthcare and contribute to their pensions; you must think of that as a decrease in salary since that directly impacts the teacher’s take-home pay.

All of that is not new news.  It is news that everyone knows (more or less).  But from all I’ve heard from Wisconsin Republicans, they think that teachers are living high on the hog, they have to start living in the real world, they need to stop crying like babies, they need to take their licks like everyone else, they need to stop taking vacations to protest, and they’re not so special so they better shut up and pay up.  In short, they believe that teachers are cry-baby shitheads.  I’m all for fairness of pay and for more equal distributions of resources, but there has been a marked shift in respect for teachers.  When people voted for Walker, they were basically saying that the teacher’s job isn’t that important, that we shouldn’t give so much to education.  And for them, that is “moving us forward!”

Dead wrong.  That moves us backwards.  ONLY backwards.  There is no forward thinking anywhere there.  You see, TEACHERS ARE THE ONES EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN!!!!!  Yes, all their children who are supposed to grow up as money-making capitalists, scientists, engineers, managers, bankers, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, writers, insurance agents, accountants…(you get the picture)…the only way they can get there and get there successfully is through the teachers (kindergarten through college) who will teach them those skills as well as many other skills that help them live fuller, meaningful lives.  Without quality education and teachers, their children will not be in any of those professions.  They would be dumbasses texting their dumbass friends.  Therefore, TEACHERS ARE VERY VERY IMPORTANT.

The only way for success is for the people of Wisconsin to invest in the education of their children.  The future of our state depends on that investment (actually our whole country depends on bigger investments in education).  But if the state continues to divest itself from education, our educational system will suffer permanent effects (and many are saying that is now happening with all the cuts).  With less aid and resources, we will not attract the best (or even better) teachers.  They will go elsewhere.  If class sizes are increased to accommodate teachers leaving and increased enrollments to generate more revenue, teachers will have less quality interaction with their students.  Those are the trade-offs. 

I, of course, value the role of the teacher.  I think everyone should.  Whether you agree with me or not, my guess is that without your teachers you wouldn’t have been able to read this far in this post.  And that’s my point.  Teachers are indispensable.  Unfortunately, the current climate of Wisconsin and most of its people say very different. 

That’s why I’m sad.


9 comments:

  1. Well they want us to be idiots. Everyone at the top wants everyone else to be idiots so they can run everything themselves and turn everyone into slaves. They'll use television to tell us what to think and how to vote. They'll make it so there are no good qualified teachers for our children. They'll make it so it's too expensive and not worth the money to go to college. They'll make us mindless citizens who don't really need an education because we'll always just be told what to do, and we'll be comfy cozy with plenty to distract us from the real world and what's going on. That's what it's all about. That's what this whole country is about. And Wisconsin IS moving forward, leading the rest of the states in this disgusting decline. Ugh. Only Jesus could save us now.

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  2. Oh wait, Jesus already saved us. Guess we got nothing to worry about, then. Walker will burn in hell, and us who stand rightly in the face of evil will ascend to a glorious eternity of bliss and harmony. Thank God.

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  3. The idea that teachers are selfish money-grubbers who are living the high life is complete, 100%, pure, non-watered-down, unadulterated horseshit.

    It sickens me how Walker's media has created this new image of hate and disgust for teachers in Wisconsin. Walker attacked teachers, they fought back, and in turn they were absolutely destroyed by the powers that be. I know more than one person whose lives have been destroyed because of this unwarranted vitriol, and it's truly depressing.

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  4. Scott Walker truly is a selfish man, not to mention incompetent. Anyone remember his "68"-page economic plan? The only reason this asshole is still in office is because of the Koch brothers.

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  5. Republicans (the powerful individuals in the party) wish to dismantle the public education system so that they are able to privatize education, the one aspect that they claim allows the unprivileged people of the country to better themselves and "Pull themselves up by their bootstraps." This would put the nail in the coffin for the poor, in a sense, sealing their possibilities away. It's a sad reality when a state's population fails to think for themselves and realize such a plan. All those underprivileged individuals who voted for Walker failing to see their own ignorance and in turn worsening their own personal life situations.... This entire episode should be added to The Problem of Evil. "If God exists why would he allow such ignorance to occur and ruin the lives of so many people?!"

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  6. If Scott Walker had his way, he'd privatize the entire goddamn government - not just education. The guy's insane.

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  7. So how many of you cry babies joined the demonstrations at the Capitol? How many of you worked with the campaign? How many of you knocked on doors during the recall election? How many of you took time from guzzling beer and smoking joints to vote? Now you cry babies blog like you are so concerned about politics. So in the fall, get off your asses and participate, work with the candidates of your choice.

    I stand with Scott Walker

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    1. On my free time, I worked on a campaign, I knocked on doors, I got signatures, and I voted in the primary and the recall elections. I don't get drunk or get high (is that general impression of professors?).

      Scott Walker is not concerned about the education of our youth. I cannot stand with that kind of ignorance. No one should.

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  8. I am not a Republican. I don't agree with Scott Walker on most issues. I did not vote for him in the recall. I am engaged to a teacher. I will not belittle any teacher or at any level and wish they were appreciated more.

    That being said, the majority of a population/voters won fair and square the first time. A lot of money was wasted to prove the same thing.

    I would punch Scott Walker in the face over shaking his hand if I met him. The people have spoken so he deserves his chance (not that the people haven't been wrong before). This isn't a lifelong sentence. People have a right to be upset-they also have the right to realize that the system worked for the majority.

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