[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

2 months off is not that much? Please. Most people are lucky if they get more than two weeks vacation. And lets not forget the various vacation weeks sprinkled throughout the school year. I agree with SeaDoo, the constant whining from the teachers unions about being overworked and underpaid gets old real fast.

And raising taxes ain't gonna happen, not after the GE fiasco.

Seadoo342 said that teachers get 3 to 4 months off per year. That is not true. Their summer break is 2 months and they get under 2 week during the holidays, a week for Spring break and a couple of long weekends here and there. Remember too that just because the students have off does not mean the teachers have the day off. They have training and meetings to attend. Given the extra hours they have to put in doing paperwork, grades, meetings, etc., they work pretty long hours over the year so they kind of need a couple of months off by the end of the school year. Whether the union's proposal is reasonable or not is a different story. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Seadoo342 said that teachers get 3 to 4 months off per year. That is not true. Their summer break is 2 months and they get under 2 week during the holidays, a week for Spring break and a couple of long weekends here and there. Remember too that just because the students have off does not mean the teachers have the day off. They have training and meetings to attend. Given the extra hours they have to put in doing paperwork, grades, meetings, etc., they work pretty long hours over the year so they kind of need a couple of months off by the end of the school year. Whether the union's proposal is reasonable or not is a different story. Jay

Teachers have off approximately 10 weeks over the summer. Add in April break and Christmas break, that's 12 weeks. Add in long weekends, you're approaching 13 weeks. That's exactly 3-4 months, so yes, it's true. $75k to work just over 2/3 of the calendar year is extremely generous.

[ctguy87]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Teachers have off approximately 10 weeks over the summer. Add in April break and Christmas break, that's 12 weeks. Add in long weekends, you're approaching 13 weeks. That's exactly 3-4 months, so yes, it's true. $75k to work just over 2/3 of the calendar year is extremely generous.

Don't forget 15 sick days a year. I respect what teachers do and understand they cope with a lot of BS coming from administration and parents - but they are far and away the biggest complainers when it comes to work and they dismiss the notion that other occupations have their own respective issues too.

[MrGompers]

[quote=Mr_250;42606206]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I don't disagree-- Unfortunately, I think any type of serious manufacturing is in the rear view mirror for Connecticut. For better or worse the state is banking at least partially on the growth of entrepreneurship for our economic future. I don't like how they are doing it for the most part, but that's where they're looking.[/QUOTE]

I agree.

The thing I don't get is that CT has Yale, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world and the innovation/entrepreneurship is still lacking. New Haven should be busting at the seams. It seems like these young people get their education and bring it back home.

In this example I think the people who come to prestigious universities in the USA such as Yale, Harvard, MIT, etc ALWAYS planned to go back home with that education anyway. I don't think the universities can do anything to stop it. Although I do think that these students can work in the USA for up to 7 years after graduation before applying for a green card. I'm not up to date on visa or permanent resident rules though.

I have personally worked with people like this who have returned to their home countries with their educations. They returned to India and China. I also know a married couple right now who are trying to move back to China, but are waiting for the right opportunities.

The wife has a BS accounting + MS in economics. Her husband PHD in Chemistry. The wife told me they never intended to stay in the USA after graduating beyond the time limit the Govt gives them for their visa(s). They can take home that American work experience and become much more valuable in their home countries especially since they can speak English.

[7 Wishes]

How about instead of complaining what others get, why not work/fight harder for yourself and everyone to have better working conditions? And I don't meaning going on strike, what I mean is every other country in the developed world has some form of:

1) Mandated minimum sick leave pay (granted, I think CT and most Northeast states have legislated this to some extent recently but am not sure) and protections against being fired for getting sick.

2) Universal health care

3) Parental leave

4) Minimum vacation time (OK I can't imagine that being 4 weeks like in some European countries, but still we are the ONLY one that doesn't do this.....there are more and more people out there who don't even get a WEEK of paid time off)


Instead we get brainwashed by the media and constantly vote against our self-interests and think anything reasonable in this regard that the rest of the world has long done will turn us into the old Soviet Union or something......

which I find really laughable because in the 1950s people advocating for the kinds of working conditions we complain about today would be called "un-American" by both political sides and would be accused of instigating a "Commie plot against the US"

[kidyankee764]

7 Wishes, if you're referring to the teachers: I don't think anyone is complaining here except for the teacher's unions. People are outlining that teachers have a more than generous package as it is, and they should be happy with what they've got. As it is, education budgets in many CT communities are well over half - often 3/4 - of the entire budget. And they're complaining because they want more in their pocket?

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

7 Wishes, if you're referring to the teachers: I don't think anyone is complaining here except for the teacher's unions. People are outlining that teachers have a more than generous package as it is, and they should be happy with what they've got. As it is, education budgets in many CT communities are well over half - often 3/4 - of the entire budget. And they're complaining because they want more in their pocket?

You hit the nail on the head. Also, school budgets keep going up even as enrollment goes down.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

You hit the nail on the head. Also, school budgets keep going up even as enrollment goes down.

...largely due to the demands of teacher's unions. I'm all for quality education, but not greed.

[FutureTown]

The moment you erase the union, education will take a hit since that means no town will like to pay the premium they are in property taxes and there is no proper safety net for teachers to defend their benefits and salary. There needs to be a proper balance

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by FutureTown

The moment you erase the union, education will take a hit since that means no town will like to pay the premium they are in property taxes and there is no proper safety net for teachers to defend their benefits and salary. There needs to be a proper balance

Who suggested they get rid of the union?