In a brief discussion of income inequality on the blog, I pointed out that it was unfair that a handful of people live in luxury while large numbers of people worry about paying their rent. It is not healthy for our democracy to have such vast inequality. Read the book “The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger.”
In response, the following comment was posted by reader ECE Educator:
I’m one of those people who can’t pay my rent. I added up my lifetime earnings as an educator over the past 40+ years at non-unionized schools and it turns out that I made HALF of what the government says the average worker with a high school diploma earns in their lifetime. I have three college degrees and my average annual salary is below minimum wage.
That occurred because I’m an Early Childhood Education specialist and since we do not have free programs for all birth – 5 year olds in this country, I went where the jobs were and taught primarily in private child care centers, where the pay is low and most teachers receive no benefits. Consequently, my Social Security is unlivable. My experience is not unusual. I fear this is the model that privatizers most relish and would love to emulate. Please do what you can to prevent that. Since I am now three months behind in my rent and can’t possibly pay it, I’m going to become homeless this month. There could be many more teachers like me out there.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Absolutely agree !
LikeLike
When I look at the numbers U. S. is average. But this does not seem to relate to a nation’s wealth. Maybe scores are not so meaningful after all.
LikeLike
posted on wrong page–sorry
LikeLike
Today Jeb Bush announced that Americans need to work harder and longer, despite the fact we are among the most productive people on the planet. It should be noted that his brother, George, took a total of 407 vacation days during his two terms. http://www.factcheck.org/2014/08/presidential-vacations/
LikeLike
Remember teachers, do not vote for Jeb. He thinks we should work harder and longer. Then he tried to spin that to say he meant that part time workers are the ones that should do that—as though they have control over how many hours they are allowed to work.
Word to the wise. Scott Walker is also a no-no for teachers. He likened destroying the unions and firing us as fighting terrorism.
Bobby Jindal is out too. He completely ruined Louisiana’s schools with privatization—but of course only in the poor areas. He also essentially said anyone could teach and hired a lot of TFAs and a Superintendent who was one.
Trump is a laugh. He would probably check any teacher who is Latina and make her prove she was born in America before he deported her and her students.
I don’t think any presidential candidate could win without a substantial vote from teachers and their families but we will need to stick together and ask one question. Would he or she be good or bad for teachers and schools and thus for children. Be good to us and you will also be good to the kids. It is just that simple.
LikeLike
I am watching Bernie Sanders closely at this point.
LikeLike
Yes, Scott Walker today signed a budget that eliminated Wisconsin’s longstanding “living wage” law, eliminated the guarantee that workers get 1 day off a week (welcome to 7 day work weeks!), and other anti-worker provisions.
Trump is leading in the polls right now because of his overt racism and xenophobia. It appeals to the party’s core, apparently.
I don’t think we can count on any of the rest to be teacher-friendly or public school supporters with the exception of Bernie Sanders, maybe and Jill Stein for sure.
Hard choices are coming but then we’ve been in this situation since the 1980s.
LikeLike
twinkie1cat:
You wrote “Remember teachers, do not vote for Jeb…” and then you went on about the rest of the main Republican contenders. Do you realize there is more to vote for than just Republicans? (I’m not posing that question in a snarky way, it just makes me wonder…and I don’t understand why you would write that). Please clarify.
LikeLike
This an obsene outcome for anyone in a nation that has the most billionaires in the world, total in 2015 according to Forbes magazine is 537.
LikeLike
Your post breaks my heart. We as educators give everything to our profession, but we still need money for living expenses and life in general! The deformers want to take over our profession because they can use public funds to make a profit. I have no solutions, but I want you to know that I feel your pain. I’ve given everything too, and by the grace of God I just dodged a major health scare. I’ve promised my husband and two children that I will better take care of myself so I can emerge from this exhausting broken “no longer a profession” job as a stronger person. Honestly, all the posts I read where the self righteous people are trying to keep the young people out of teaching is a big joke to me. I’m protective of these bright young people. My husband and I would never allow our two children to ever go into teaching…………and I hate to see these young people dedicate their lives to a broken down profession which will leave you battered with low self esteem and yes, poor. I wish you the best and will pray for you. You are not alone. Please know that.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
LikeLike
Although I sympathize with this apparently dedicated teacher there was no one holding a gun to her/his head to stay there. Can you not work now even though retired?? If you want equality of outcomes for all people then you need to go live in a Socialist/Communist country where this philosophy had only done nothing but destroy the middle class and create a class of elites and serfs. So if this is what you want then it is my hope we never see it in America. Although, I believe the progressives are quickly moving us in that direction. There was a time in my life when I worked 2 full time jobs and when I finally got a better job that would enable me to give up one of the full time jobs I work extremely long hours and made sure I became an indispensable part of the business. I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way even when at times I was scared to death. It is true that not all Americans will be rich, not all will be poor and not all will be middle class. That is America. Again, if we move toward equality of outcomes we will find ourselves living under Socialism which is only a precursor to Communism.
LikeLike
That’s a perfect example of the selfish “I was lucky and got mine so screw everyone else!” philosophy that is destroying our country.
You claim progressives and socialists “create a class of elites and serfs”. What world do you live in? The economic policies that were put in place by Ronald Reagan and furthered by Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, and Obama have all but destroyed the middle class in this country.
A generation and more of stagnant wages.
Wealth being funneled to the top .01% to the point that the bonuses paid on Wall Street at the end of last year exceeded the amount of money held by the other 90% of the nation.
And here’s a clue, Kendra. You are not everyman or everywoman and your experiences are not the experiences of every person living in this country. I myself have worked 5 jobs at a time.
We all played by the rules that we didn’t make regarding the teaching professions and we have had the financial rug pulled out from under us.
I truly hope that you never have to face any of the problems that this teacher has shared with us because you clearly couldn’t handle it with the total lack of empathy and solipsism you demonstrate.
She is miles above you in worth and what she has contributed to the commonweal, something you sneer at in your selfishness.
You are exactly why the United States of America is crumbling into a failed state along the lines of ancient Rome.
Shame on you!
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Chris.
Conservatives love to play the blame game with the poor, as if poverty is always a result of personal choices and never has anything to do with the socio-economic conditions that have devastated our middle class and created a highly stratified society comprised of very few elites and many serfs. Such apologists for the 1% continue to promote the false notion that we live in a meritocracy, even when it’s demonstrated how that no longer exists. In their world, when college graduates who’ve worked a lifetime in a field that requires a college education earn only half of what the average person with just a high school diploma earns, the problem has to be the workers, not our society nor an education industry which exploits it’s predominantly female workforce. They won’t even consider the circumstances, let alone aim to fix this, because they have fallen for the FoxNews type propaganda and believe the nonsense that striving for equality means socialism and will lead to communism. That’s not how it has played out in Scandinavian Democratic Socialist countries.
Of course I have continued to work. I know only too well that I can never actually retire, so despite my being in poor health, I’ve been working two jobs. Both are pay low and offer no benefits, but after finding nothing better in this economy, I felt fortunate to find even that work. Unfortunately, one job ended and the other is petering out as well, both due to “market forces” in education. The attitude that just assumes I haven’t been working multiple jobs to try to make ends meet is indicative of our everyone-just-for-himself greedy anti-social society. Sadly, for some reason, that also manifests in people who seem to understand, empathize and say they will help, when in fact not even one person who has made that offer actually followed through on it, so I am still going to become homeless this month.
LikeLike
I find those “I’ve got mine” people usually got it from someone else. It’s the rallying cry “less government! (just not my government)”. Conservatives step over other Americas down on their luck, progressives reach down and offer a hand up. Most likely this person has no idea what socialism, communism, tyranny or any of the other Foxnews buzz words truly mean, but they sure say them often enough. We have a lot of them around here.
LikeLike
ECE Educator, have you posted before as either “Chi-Town Res” or “Cosmic Tinker/Tinkerer”? I recall posts from those names that also mentioned imminent homelessness.
If you set up a crowd funding page and have the details verified by Diane, I would make a donation toward your rent, for whatever that’s worth.
LikeLike
Karma, Kendra, karma. I’d be worried if I were you.
LikeLike
“Socialism which is only a precursor to Communism.”
Which paranoid right wingnut did you get that from???
LikeLike
Capitalism is as bad as Communism. Both are dictating governments. Democratic Socialism is about the people. I had a friend from Tanzania and they have a socialistic democracy.
LikeLike
Wow, what a comment. So, I guess the EC teacher deserves the hardship?
LikeLike
I may have mentioned this before but in the Spring edition of
“The American Prospect” is a GREAT article: “The High Road Wins” in which a comparison between Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Minnesota’s Mark Dayton is brilliantly outlined. Dayton raised wages, raised the income tax by 2% on people making over $150,000 a year etc. and in his first term took Minnesota out of debt and with a surplus. So VERY much more.
There are also other great articles well worth reading.
For me it is interesting that the Chicago Tribune would not print my letter to the editor in which these comparisons were outlined.
One of the many reasons for discontinuing my Tribune subscription.
The corporate media promotes corporate agenda, a truism which is ruining our country.
LikeLike
In my hometown we do not know what early childhood teachers are paid because out of 120 some licensed facilities only 11 have turned in the survey forms the last two years. In addition, there are reports in the newspaper that there is a serious problem of early childhood workers being paid LESS than the minimum wage in our area!
LikeLike
I was sometimes paid under minimum when I did day care many years ago. They do it by paying by the day and expecting you to be there the entire day, as long as the center is open, with no lunch break. This was many years ago, but that is how they did it.
LikeLike
Of course. The privatizers see teachers as labor, not professionals and think anyone can teach. Plus professionals unionize and that is what they are most afraid of.
LikeLike
Jobs that are done mostly by women are always underpaid. Consider the World Cup Soccer Team as a prime example. They get 1/20th of what the men get, about $14,000 per year. And they won their tournament while the men lost.
LikeLike
ECE Educator, that is so unfair! I am so sorry. I am also an ECE teacher and have done half my career in private settings and half in public, because as you said, preschool jobs are few and far between in public schools.
In MA, public school teachers do not pay into SS, only the state teachers’ pension. So I am in a bad place now, at age 54. I am advising young teachers I know to get into public while they can and stay there. It’s not worth going in and out. I am returning to public schools in September and need to teach until age 70 to get a decent pension. I hope I make it! Preschoolers are exhausting. (Incidentally, I am leaving a well-know for profit child care chain. With an M.Ed. and 30 years experience, I was paid $19 an hour and had terrible benefits. Five sick days! I teach 3-year-olds. It’s a germ swamp!)
LikeLike
ECE Educator, is there a Catholic Social Services in your city? The one in my city/Archdiocese helps anyone regardless of denomination/religious beliefs with necessities such as rent and finding affordable housing.
LikeLike
ECE Educator,
If you wish contact me @ dswacker@centurytel.net and if there is anything I can do to help I will.
Duane
LikeLike
My daughter has a degree in Psychology. She got a job working at a for-profit child care center. She works all day for $7.50 an hour. She still lives with me. At 26, I know this frustrates her. She has learned so much. This center has a Pre-k (kindergarten prep) class with NO toys in the room. They have a new math curriculum that reflects her third-fourth grade experience. Did we forget that 4 year olds are in the pre-operational stage of development???? What happened to Jean Piaget? Did his books get tossed out the windows so we can direct our babies to college?????
It is so insane. I just replied to a letter from Tim Kaine. Here it is:
Dear Tim:
When was the last time you visited a special needs class? Not all of these children who have disabilities or Autism because of some accident, or vaccine, or other aspect of nature, will even want to go to college. I had a student for 6 years. His name was Dreon. He was a child with severe intellectual disabilities. At 11, he was still trying to figure out the toilet thing, yet, I was required to assess him on fifth grade content. It was truly absurd. He learned to talk in my class. The boy had a smile that was charming. But college? No way. He will need assistance throughout life. My husband, Kenny, died at 55. He never went to college. He barely made it through high school. He repeated two grades. Did he live? Did he work? Sure. He made great hamburgers. Everybody is not the same. You say you vote for money for Early Childhood Education? For what? Public school pre-k is all about worksheets, not play experiences. You want good quality preschool, check out the Reggio preschools where children learn to think for themselves. I teach in a priority school. We apparently have a priority grant that is bringing us Pearson employees to reteach the strategies that we have known about for years. But we continue to be told to assess constantly. Forget spending time and patience on teaching our children skills and information based on their personal interests. Put them at a computer, make everything online, so they can not improve their ability to communicate.
The public schools now are a billion dollar private interest company owned by people like Bill and Melinda Gates, The Broads, and Pearson Learning who are in it for personal profit.
If you want to know what children need, talk to real teachers……we need to give fewer tests. We need to provide better nutrition and outdoor play spaces. Pop tarts, super donuts, and corn dogs only dumb the kids down. I came back into public school teaching in 99. I love being a teacher. I love teaching kids who just refuse to march with the fast pace of the pacing guides, kids who need time, play, and experiences to learn. But I am quickly tiring of the idiot administrations who are all about money and tests.
Last Spring, my students stayed inside for the 6 weeks it took for the older kids to finish their sol tests. It was extremely hard on them as kids.
USA does not have to be competitive. Who the heck cares if we are 12 or 22 in the list? Do your homework. Visit the schools.
Sincerely,
Mary Horsley
Teacher at GH Reid Elem. School. Richmond City Public Schools.
I am an adult with Asperger and Tourette Syndrome with a MA degree in Education and highly qualified in Special Education. I teach kids with ID, Autism, and TBI. My mom was told to put me in a mental hospital back in 1956. Thank God she didn’t. Do I want to be in administration? No, I like being a teacher. But I refuse to give tests all the time.
I hope he will pay attention.
LikeLike