Oh, Wisconsin

What’s happening in Wisconsin is going to be seen nationwide in the next few years. Wisconsin needs to cut its budget, and it’s hoping to do that with teacher salaries as opposed to cutting public safety services (fire, police). I’ve formed some opinions based on hopefully accurate information.

1. Their governor claims his proposal will allow him to save 5000 teacher jobs. If the thousands of teacher-protestors “win” and defeat his bill, many will “lose” their jobs. How is that better? In the real world, a company discusses options with the employees who sometimes agree to pay cuts or furloughs in order to keep their jobs. You know, they sit around the table and discuss it like adults.

2. One suspect source claims the annual teacher salary there is $100,000 (56K in salary, 43K in benefits). The governor also claims this compensation package is much more than the average tax payer earns in their jobs. This seems unfair to burden those taxpayers with teacher salaries so far out-of-whack with the state average salary.

3. What exactly does this bill say? The Wall Street Journal reports the bill will eliminate automatic withholding of union dues from teachers’ paychecks (Really?) among other things designed to weaken the teachers’ labor union, so that the state can even begin to BARGAIN with the union to REDUCE the percentage points of their RAISES. Based on my reading, one might assume if you become a teacher, you are forced to join the union and dues is automatically taken from your check.

Why are unions so afraid to actually work to earn their members or collect their own income? Yes, I can see how desperate this possibility might make them feel. To justify their existence in a member’s life and justify the cost of dues, the unions must whip everyone into an outraged frenzy over what I see as nothing. I’ve never earned $100,000 a year, never had a cushy government job nor been a member of a labor union who represents my demand for the soft toilet paper in the company restroom. These people need to get reacquainted with reality.

4. Some folks take the stance of “screw the government, I’m going to get every penny I can from it.” But “the government” is you and I, handing over a third of our earnings every pay period (the most common tax bracket). Someone needs to stand up for the taxpayers and feel their pain, and say enough is enough, it’s time to reduce the size of government and reduce our tax burden.

5. If tax money was spent wisely and effectively, most people would gladly give it! But, it’s sadly not. It would be so awesome and simple if government was the answer to all our problems, but it’s not. It tends to screw up everything it touches, with jaw-dropping waste. Did you know that over half of the nation’s 4th-graders cannot read on level? That number rises to 80% in Louisiana. That number also rises to 80% for black and Hispanic children. Sooooo, what if the Wisconsin governor said, “I’m going to cut your salaries in half until the other half of the kids learn to read.” Crazy, huh. But, in a free market environment, the parents would have fired them long ago. In a free market, there is strong motivation to succeed, whatever the excuses.

I actually have a lot of sympathy for teachers. I know they’re miserable and hate their jobs. Most of their day is spent doing everything except teaching…by law. Yes, there are a million reasons why they can’t teach the kids successfully – the most popular reason I’m hearing today is “the parents are so screwed up, we can’t teach the child.” I agree – many of us parents are screwed up, but we are not in the classroom during those hours the teacher has with the child. Unfortunately, the teacher spends those hours doing administrative work, paperwork, dealing with discipline and control, dealing with the hungry child, abused child, bullying child, depressed child, hyper child, autistic child. All tough challenges.

But I do have an idea for teaching 5-6 year olds how to read. I have learned if the child is not motivated, you are banging YOUR head against a wall. I used to do scavenger hunts with written clues all over the house that led to a cake or treat hidden. My kids were so excited they would set it up and do the game OVER and OVER to relive the fun of figuring out the clues. And I never helped with the deciphering. I just looked at them and shrugged. They had to want the knowledge. Simple psychology. But, let’s get back to Wisconsin.

6. Is there anywhere else education can be cut? (And it goes without saying that the legislators better have already cut their salaries in order to share the pain.) Maybe they could screw the kids somehow? Oh, wait, already did that. This state has already a) delayed textbook purchases b) tightened and redrawn bus routes c) eliminated extracurricular activities.

My experiences have revealed to me that textbook purchases are usually shady, anyway. A selection committee can be bribed with gifts, trips, and such to do business with only certain publishers. Pretty common right here in Moore, Oklahoma. The new information in a yearly update is nominal and does not justify the cost of a new book. New info could be added in a much cheaper way, but that wouldn’t make text publishers rich. Homeschoolers are laughing at this. They manage to teach their children without the latest and greatest just fine. I’m gonna go way out on a limb here and say I’ll bet 100% of homeschooled children learn to read. And it’s done on the cheap. (One caveat: my son’s high school history text is the best I’ve ever seen, however I think it could stand good for 4-5 years.) So, delayed book purchases? Not a big deal.

Your kid has to walk further now or be driven to catch a bus? Again, homeschoolers are laughing. They routinely shoulder the expense of carting kids to monopolize on various education opportunities in their communities. Homeschoolers don’t feel “entitled” and demand government send a bus to their house to haul their kids somewhere.

But eliminating activities? That’s a crime. That’s the only thing public education does better than private. Eliminate it? That stinks for the kids. I believe I’ve seen studies that connect involvement in school activities with academic success, higher gpa’s, fewer dropouts, etc. Yeah, let’s eliminate the programs that help kids explore their passions and hidden talents, demand certain grades for participation, keep them going to school. Brilliant.

And, so many teachers called in sick to protest, three districts closed schools. That’s helpful. I see this as an act that also screws the kids. (And the teachers and unions accuse the politicians of trying to hurt the children by “cutting” their salary?)

No wonder the teachers can’t teach the children – they’re like spoiled children themselves. Finger-pointing. "Sally won’t pay attention to me! Tommy won’t be still! Hermie doesn't want to build toys! What? You’re trying to reduce my 100% employer-paid pension? Waaaaaah!"

7. Why have Wisconsin’s Democrats fled the state, refusing to show up at the capital for the bill’s vote? If a quorum isn’t present, they can’t hold a vote. Do they think the money problems will just go away? It’s so childish. What a dumb tactic. The bill will still be there to vote on. Just go to work, like you’re paid to do, and vote. If you have the votes to defeat it, great. If not, too bad. This is a disgusting, grand-standing, juvenile strategy that doesn’t solve the real problem – that Wisconsin is broke.

The Only Solution For Us Normal People: Go to the library tonight to borrow an enjoyable book to read to your child. You can’t rely on the government to teach him/ her how to read. And you can’t afford to buy a book for him to own or hire a private tutor because your money goes to the government to waste as it sees fit. You’re going to have to teach your child yourself, and try to ignore that loud ruckus going on as the politicians, teachers, unions, textbook publishers et al fight over your money being sucked up into the system, just like a pack of stoopid, wild dogs.