Unless pols act, state to be last in teacher pay

[TexasTowelie]

TULSA (AP) At least seven measures that would authorize a pay raise for Oklahoma public school teachers are pending in the state Legislature, but lawmakers have not found a way to pay for them.

Oklahoma will be last in teacher pay this year unless one of the bills passes with enough funding to pay for it, The Tulsa World reported Sunday.

The National Education Association says that Oklahoma ranked 42nd in teacher pay in 2007 with an average $43,551, which includes health, life and retirement benefits.

Then, the recession hit, and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says Oklahoma has led the nation in cuts to public education per pupil spending since 2008. The nonpartisan group estimates 27 percent of state per pupil funding, adjusted for inflation, has been cut.

Read more: http://www.swoknews.com/area/unless-pols-act-state-be-last-teacher-pay

[avebury]

1. Oklahoma is broke!

It is ridiculous to try to pass a bill to give teachers a raise if you don't have the money.

[TexasTowelie]

2. It is a feel good measure.

They can say that we tried to do something to help you out, but because the money wasn't there we couldn't. A lot of Republican voters also think that teachers are paid too much anyway so there is only a limited amount of empathy for them.

[avebury]

3. On the other hand, state employees are the step-children

of the state. I couldn't even tell you how long it has been since state employees have gotten a raise. What is irksome about education in this state is the fact that they don't make the best use of the funds that they get. One Legislator tried to get a bill up for vote that would have addressed Administrative Expenses but it did not go very far. You could put the entire state budget into education and they would always scream that it is not enough. And they would never be fiscally prudent.

Even the teacher retirement system is in worse shape than the state employee retirement system. From time to time the legislature toys with the idea of merging the two systems and that idea does not go over well with the state employees. I think that the only thing that saves the state employee retirement system is the fact that the Legislature's retirement are part of the state employee system. And the retirement drawn by legilsators is a whole other issue. Their retirement is very cushy.

[TexasTowelie]

4. You have my sympathy on issues regarding state employee pay and benefits.

I was a state employee and a region president in the public employee's association so I'm fully aware of how employees are thought of as second class citizens. Living in Austin grew to be too expensive for me and I eventually had to leave employment with the state to go into the private sector. When I did so my pay jumped from $35K to $45K and I saw fairly regular raises for several years so it was definitely the right move.

Texas also has a teacher retirement system that severely underfunded. I also saw that no matter how much money was dumped into education that there was only minimal improvement in student performance. I don't blame the teachers though because they get so little support from administrators and the community.

In Texas the legislators retirement package is based upon the amount paid for judges. They are exceedingly willing to fund the salaries of judges because they know that in turn they are also increasing their own retirement packages. I believe that it only takes 12 years to become eligible for retirement as a legislator and they also receive the standard health insurance package that other state employees receive so it is a pretty good deal overall.