I am not the enemy: A Wisconsin teacher considers Walker's budget

[Earth_First]

Dear Friends,

I don't normally like to talk about my private life, but today I'm going to, because I want people to understand why Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal is truly an attack on working-class Americans.

I am a second-year teacher. I work in a rural school district in Wisconsin. Many of my students come from poor families. Some of them live in the trailer park near our school or down the street in the subsidized apartments. A significant percentage get free or reduced lunch. This winter, we provided snow pants and coats to children whose families couldn't afford them.

The people who live here are hard workers and proud. But they can't afford the cost of educating their children. My school district has relied extensively on state aid to fund the schools. Unfortunately, the state has dramatically reduced the amount of funding it gives to schools like mine. As a result, our district has faced huge deficits. Last year, the district laid off teachers, which forced it to increase class sizes and reduce special ed services. This year, we are looking at more staff reductions and a salary freeze.

And now we come to Walker. His proposal to have public workers pay more than 5% of their salary into the state pension and another 12% in health care costs will not save my district any money. Our schools superintendent rather bluntly told us that the state was going to keep the money to cover its own deficit, not provide more state aid to schools. So the working families who send their children to us will still see increased class sizes and fewer educational opportunities, despite these "savings."

Our school could also begin to lose its highly trained, professional teachers, because they will no longer be able to afford to stay in education with the salary and benefits cut Walker is rushing through the state Legislature.

My district has never required us to pay anything into the pension or for health care. We took those benefits in exchange for a lower salary. People accuse state workers of having cushy jobs, with exorbitant benefits, job security and fantastic salaries. So while admitting this makes me uncomfortable, I'm going to do it so you can see just how ridiculous that accusation is: My salary as a second-year teacher, with a Bachelor's degree and one class short of a Master's degree, is....$36,000.

Most of my friends in the private sector had starting salaries of much more than that. I know people who have less education than I do, who made $50,000-$60,000 in their first year.

It will take me about 15 years on the salary scale before I make that kind of money.

Walker's proposal would cost me about $400 a month. Frankly, I won't be able to survive. Because not only do I have the usual debt -- mortgage, car payments -- I owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. Getting a Master's degree is actually kind of pricey, but I assume you want a highly educated teacher in the classroom, right?

I'm not sure how Walker thinks reducing the salaries of thousands of workers like me is going to save the economy. With that kind of wage reduction, I won't be able to buy new clothes, go to movies, go out to eat, go to happy hour, buy Christmas presents, buy birthday presents, get haircuts or buy pet food. I won't be able to replace my 20-year-old furnace or my 20-year-old kitchen cabinets. I already gave up cable and I drive a used car with more than 140,000 miles on it. So it's clear I won't be buying any iPods or iPhones or anything else shiny any time soon.

Hell, with that kind of cut, I won't be buying food or gas, either.

I suppose I could get a second job to supplement my reduced income. But let me clear up a few misconceptions about teachers: I'm not a babysitter. I don't color all day. I don't get to leave at 2:00 every afternoon. I don't sit on the beach all summer.

I get to school by 7:45 a.m. and I work until 4:30 or 5:00. At least one night a week, I stay later than 5. I'm supposed to get a half hour of "duty free" lunch every day, but I usually spend that time helping students or prepping for a lesson. There are some days when I don't eat lunch at all.

I won't get into how hard it is to find five minutes to go to the bathroom when you have a classroom of 20 kids who demand your constant attention.

By the time I make it home, I am so exhausted, I usually drop on the couch and fall asleep by 9 p.m. I can't even stay awake to watch the news to see what Walker is going to do to us next. Getting a second job? It would probably kill me.

And I already spend my summer working. In my district, many families send their children to summer school. It's free daycare. I don't mind. I'd rather my students spent their summer reading books and playing math games, than sitting zoned out in front of the TV or computer for two months.

So now I have to make a choice. Do I stay in education and try to make it on $5,000 a year less? Or do I leave and try to find one of those cushy private sector jobs, where you have to pay for health care, but at least you get a decent salary?

Um, are there even any private sector jobs left?

I don't want to leave my students. Because the truth is, teaching kids is a fantastic job. This past week, I taught a four-year-old how to spell his name. I taught another child how to sound out words, so he could start reading a Dr. Seuss book on his own. And I took my class to the planetarium, where they got to gaze in awe at the planets, moon and stars. The universe, they decided, was a pretty special place. Watching them, for a little while I felt it was.

I hope you will join me in a candlelight vigil on Tuesday and Wednesday on the steps of the Capitol. Like thousands of other teachers, I am a dedicated and hard-working public employee, so I won't make it there until after the school day ends. I don't want to miss a single day away from my students.

Because who knows? One of them might grow up to be governor one day. No doubt they'd do a better job of it.

-Vikki Kratz

on edit: in full disclosure, I did not write this personally...

[midnight]

1. Thank you so much.

[Hannah Bell]

2. kr. hoping the turnout in wisconsin is massive & militant.

[HereSince1628]

9. I am hoping it is NOT militant

Assertive, yes. In the face of our elected officials, yes. Organized, yes.

Militant? Not so much at this point.

Better to let the militant shit be done by Walker's goons in the state and capitol police and the national guard. We are citizens. We don't need to be militant. Let the pushing and shoving be done by the goons whose actions will embarrass the Governor and the State.

[Earth_First]

10. Be swift and firm, yet peaceful and the world is OURS to create. n/t

[Hannah Bell]

11. your definition of "militant" must be different from mine.

mine is something other than the usual union canned show "protest in a box".

by militant, i mean committed, educated on the issue, and not willing to stand down after one ritualistic event.

[HereSince1628]

12. Mine is more like this

1. Fighting or warring.
2. Having a combative character; aggressive, especially in the service of a cause: a militant political activist.

Being militant in this sense justifies Walker's intimidation. I don't want to do that.

I want him to order his goons to act first. I was around in 68 for Grant Park. I much prefer the political image of Walker ordering tear gas against toilet brushers, than I do giving him ANY justification for violent confrontation.

We need to call Walker's bluff with a peaceful civil action and give him all the rope he needs to show his irrational temper.

1500-2000 people lined up peacefully on the Capitol Square sidewalks waiting to speak to their state representative is just fine with me for this round. That should make the news in every city in Wisconsin.

[abq e streeter]

3. same here---thanks for sharing that

[ewagner]

4. Well said...

and you exposed the other ugly truth about Walker's proposal.

The increase in your contribution to the retirement fund as well as the increase in your contribution to your health insurance will not give the local school district more money. The money saved will go to reduce the state deficit and the aides to local government will be reduced by your contributions.

It's a game of "three-card-monty" and the game is stacked against Wisconsin's working families.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. That brought tears to my eyes.

[HereSince1628]

6. I'm going to be in Madison tomorrow.

For you this may be directly about your contract. I'm not a state of Wisconsin employee, I am a veteran. I simply refuse to accept my state government using threats of National Guard intervention to intimidate fellow citizens of Wisconsin with uniforms and shows of weapons used in the streets of Bahgdad and Kandahar.

It may be cold here in the winter, but this is Wisconsin, not North Korea. Scott Walker isn't going to be allowed to act like Kim Jong Il without overcoming some very vocal public resistance.

Negotiation of compensation and benefits is recognized by the UN as a Human Right. Walker's administration must treat ALL state employees the same, including those whose Unions supported his campaign. His BS exemption for police who supported his campaign is a violation of equal treatment, and suggests he thinks of Wisconsin as he would a third world Phalangist government run by a Junta.

[Lefta Dissenter]

13. I couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm self- (and under-) employed, therefore I'm not a member of any union or other labor organization. I'm SO upset about what Walker is doing to the people and to the reputation and future of our state. I sent my emails and made phone calls this morning. I'll be downtown Tues and Wed.

I DO NOT LIKE FEELING ASHAMED OF MY STATE!!!

[Viking12]

21. Thank You HereSince1628, Lefta Dissenter and any/all other non-state employees for your support!

It is greatly appreciated.:toast: :grouphug:

[Tatiana]

33. Bless you.

:hug:

[prairierose]

7. Thank you for that needed dose of reality...

I have never been able to figure out why people think teaching is such a cushy job. I think that everyone who makes these comments should have to work with a teacher for a week. Then more people might see that it is not a cushy job. It is a damned hard job. Yes, it can be rewarding but it is hard work. And in reality, teachers do not make very much money.

I am so tired of this demonizing of teachers.

[snacker]

8. WOW... n/t

[Lefta Dissenter]

14. furthermore,

k&r to the OP, too.

[hfojvt]

15. $5,000 less? She does not seem to be very good at math.

BTW, I have a master's degree and make about $18,000 a year on 1,250 hours. (I guess if I was full time I would make $28,500 - if I could get another full time job. I have only applied for four since I switched to part-time.) Last year I paid $3,825.10 for health insurance, $181.96 for dental, and $714.04 for pension. (That's 21%, 1%, and 4%).

My health insurance was $8,014 and the governor is proposing that teachers pay 12% of that cost (I pay 50% as a part-time worker, full time workers pay about $20 a month for the buy-up, more if they have families).

However, supposedly teachers are now paying 5% of their health insurance costs, and the proposal would increase that to 12%. So even if health insurance currently costs $15,000 a year a teacher will only be paying $1,050 more in premiums. And 5.8% of her salary to pension is only $2,088.

So she would only be paying $3,100 more.

Nobody wants a 10% salary cut, but it is better than lay-offs. And I personally find it ridiculous and offensive for a $36,000 a year worker to claim they are just scraping by. Won't be able to buy food if her salary is cut to $33,000.

Come on. How do I buy food then?

That might make sense if she has $400 a month in student loan payments. But even that only takes her down to $31,000 which is hardly poverty level, even for a single person. And if she marries another teacher they will be making over $70,000 a year. Which puts them in the top 30% for household income.

[Lifelong Protester]

16. Ah yes, and so the fight to the bottom begins

let's start picking each other apart, like dogs fighting for the scraps left from the table that are accidentally dropped our way.

Her math may not come out right as you do not seem to understand that she is paying 12% of her health insurance cost, not an additional 12% of her salary.

But nevermind. As long as we at the bottom are doing nothing but fighting each other, that keeps us diverted from the real crimes being done by the elite.

[Earth_First]

17. Did you happen to notice that this teacher provides items for her less fortunate students?

That she and her colleagues have used their own salaries to provide items such as jackets and gloves to students that come from families who are worse off economically?

You also ignore the amount of out of pocket expenses that teachers are often reaching for to provide for their classrooms due to budget cuts.

But sure, keep addressing the fact they succeed in having us fight each other rather than focusing our energy on fighting them...

[hfojvt]

19. she said "we provided"

not specifying who the 'we' is in this case. Last Tuesday, I, with the rest of the Kiwanis club, helped pack backpacks for school children. They are provided with meals for the weekend. However, the food comes from America's Second Harvest and perhaps federal money. So the coats in the story may have come from somebody else too, like St. Vincent de Paul.

And here is the thing about "fighting them". She is in the bottom 75% and I am in the bottom 50%. Look at the pie from 2006

http://www.koch2congress.com/5.html

Bottom 50% - 12.5%
next 25% - 19.3%
next 15% - 20.8%
next 5% - 10.7%
next 4% - 14.6%
top 1% - 22.1%

Yes, the top 1% are getting ridiculous amounts of money, but the slice going to the 50th-90th percentile is big as well. It is 40.1%. Much bigger than the 12.5% going to the bottom 50%. Even in the more ideal world of 1986 it was 48.2% for them and 16.7% for us.

I remain unconvinced that fighting for the slice going to people in the 50-90 range somehow helps people in the bottom 50%. Especially not when state and local taxes are regressive. And somehow those people in the 50th-90th percentile will often fight against their taxes going up - even by a little bit.

[yourout]

23. Welcome to my ignore list......its been a long time since I added anyone.

[hfojvt]

26. too bad

you can sometimes learn things, even from people you disagree with
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/142
but the poor are used to being ignored

[eilen]

30. I think that $31,000 is close enough to the poverty

level for a person working a fulltime + professional level job with high student loan payments. I don't think people should have to consider marriage in order to able to eat. You don't know if she already is married with an unemployed spouse. The question is, why would anyone with a good education, talent and initiative bother working as a teacher in a high risk school in Wisconsin for that amount of pay? It's a vocation, not a vow of poverty. I hardly think that the 10% of her salary is what is causing the state deficits. This asshole Walker is a despot. If you really believe his position is valid, I think you are out of step with Democratic values.

[smoogatz]

31. Crabs in a bucket.

How is it "offensive" for someone earning $36k to claim they're "just scraping by?" Do you pay a mortgage on your $18k? Property tax? Gas/electric? Car payments? Student loans? Childcare? Do you really fail to understand that if this teacher's taking a hit, you're next? I don't know the details of your employment, but in Wisconsin ALL LTEs (limited term employees, i.e. part-timers who work for the state) will LOSE their health insurance under Walker's Budget Despair bill. You can parse the math here all you want, but Walker thinks you're a parasite and a political enemy and he plans to punish you. Just wait 'til the budget comes out with BIG cuts to assistance for local education (Wisconsin's #1 budget expenditure). Enjoy that part-time job of yours while you can.

[Rainbowreflect]

18. Thank you from the daughter of two teachers.

[Starry Messenger]

20. k&r

[Blue Owl]

22. K&R

Fuck Governor Walker and the teabag he rode in on.

[Lifelong Protester]

24. Too funny!

:rofl:

[Lefta Dissenter]

25. HA,

I'm kicking again just for Blue Owl's statement. I'm tired of trying to be diplomatic!

(not that what you said wasn't perfectly lovely) :blush:

[Omaha Steve]

27. K&R!

[undeterred]

28. There is a lot going on in Wisconsin today.

Hundreds of people were protesting at the Capitol in Madison. Big rallies planned for tomorrow. Some high school students in Stoughton staged a walkout to sign a petition against the governors actions- all planned and carried out by the students. This is a very big deal.

[michaz]

29. My husband was a teacher in NYS for 32 years.

Some people will never understand all that a teacher does. They think that they sit at a desk for 8 hours a day and do very little. They don't have a clue all the extra hours that are spent grading tests, preparing tests, reading term papers, extra hours spent with all the kids that need extra help, listening to kids with problems at home,arriving at school well before the students do and staying at least an hour after they go home and on and on. And while doing most of this, the teacher is going back to school to get their Master's because the state says you have to have it to keep your certification. Teachers work their butts off for their students, the majority of them really care. They take great pride in watching their students graduate. Oh, and did I mention, they deal with some pretty nasty and ridiculous parents at times too?

[smoogatz]

32. It's pure political payback.

Walker's trying to bust the public employees unions and punish his political enemies. At the same time he's handing out patronage jobs, tax breaks and other goodies to his supporters. He offers a false choice when he says it's either these draconian cuts to public employee take-home pay or massive layoffs and/or cuts to Medicaid. He lies when he says he's only calling for shared sacrifice. Will the wealthiest Wisconsin residents be required to pony up an additional 12% in increased taxes? Of course not.