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Wisconsin School Districts Cancelling Classes in Fear of Statewide Walkout

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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
15 school districts in Southern Wisconsin have canceled classes Thursday in anticipation of a statewide walkout in protest of Governor Scott Walkers bill proposal.  He is attacking unions and undercutting our education system.  He is trying to take away state, public, and local employee's collective bargaining rights.  This is a direct threat to our state's education system and economy as a whole.

  I attend the UW-Madison and our campus, along with others are planning a campus wide walkout at about 10 am tomorrow.  Protests haven't been seen like this in Madison in decades.  10,000+ people have been protesting at the State Capital over the past two days and numbers are expected to exceed that tomorrow after the Wisconsin Education Association Council requested all it's members to come protest in Madison tomorrow.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_c40c09e4-3a43-11e0-91c0-001cc4c002e0.html
Feb 16 2011 11:48PM
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t3hb055
Posts: 813 - Karma: 15
I could not agree any fucking more. The United States Public Education as a whole is horribly designed.
Feb 18 2011 12:44AM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
I know, but 9 is more than 0... there were no disturbances the first couple days of the protest.
Feb 18 2011 12:46AM
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derbski
Posts: 3173 - Karma: 62
Take it from a guy who is studying education at Marquette in Milwaukee, one of the worst school districts in the nation. I knew that when I graduated I wanted to get the fuck out of milwaukee, because teaching here would suck. Now I will probably try to leave wisconsin all together. The very last thing that this city needs is this bill to pass, taking away pay and rights, and making teaching look even more unappealing that it already is.
Feb 18 2011 12:55AM
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Gretchen.
Posts: 1163 - Karma: 87
I'm from Wisconsin but I go to a Minnesota college... Boooooo that I have to go to school.  My mom teaches 1st grade though and her school was cancelled. 
Feb 18 2011 1:00AM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
funny thing that some of the kids are totally with him at my school just to start arguments. i really hope they have to go to year-round school cause that's part of the discussion here within all this shit, good thing i'm a senior.
Feb 18 2011 7:58AM
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240sxKid
Posts: 733 - Karma: 3
Too lazy to read but
Inb4 cheese joke.
Feb 18 2011 8:29AM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
Very powerful images of what's been going on in Madison the last few days

http://vimeo.com/20089255

+K if someone embeds


The two largest school districts in WI (Madison and Milwaukee) are closed today, along with about 14 other districts.  Madison and Milwaukee alone serve over 106,000 students.
Feb 18 2011 8:53AM
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Crispy.
Posts: 6109 - Karma: 7,683
I'm one of those school districts.
Feb 18 2011 9:18AM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
we have school today but im skipping to drive up to minnesota to ski :)
Feb 18 2011 9:34AM
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MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Public education is regulated separately by each state. GTFO n00b!!!!!1111!!!!!11!1!!!111!1!111111111!!!!!!1
Feb 18 2011 9:36AM
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SkiThe603
Posts: 5376 - Karma: 498
Wisconsin is the number 1 dairy producer in the usa
Feb 18 2011 9:39AM
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Bi-ShredinalGuy
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 321
dude both my parent are teachers and my dad told me last night we probably wont go out to colorado this year cuz of it :(    fuck you scott walker
Feb 18 2011 11:17AM
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ItsAlwaysSunny
Posts: 265 - Karma: 85
damn rightt
Feb 18 2011 11:53AM
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Erica.
Posts: 327 - Karma: 299
Had no school yesterday because of this
Feb 18 2011 11:56AM
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D-Ross
Posts: 308 - Karma: 16
My school's closed today because of it. One of my teachers is getting $8,000 off of his salary, so like a quarter of his already meager money intake. We had a walkout last wednesday, but half of the kids didn't know what the fuck they were walking out for. This whole state is revolving around this issue right now, it's pretty intense. I can't even imagine how Madison is right now.
Feb 18 2011 12:10PM
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Royal_Outerwear
Posts: 138 - Karma: 267
yea! i have school off!
Feb 18 2011 12:10PM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
"We have no idea why we're here"

Feb 18 2011 1:27PM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
eh fucking embed

Feb 18 2011 1:28PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
I'm sorry but using unions as incentives aka what you're saying is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
 
Take an economics class and try and tell me that unions are needed.

Yes teachers are paid lower than certain private industry jobs.  But do you know why?  Because the skill and work hours are not nearly as long as the above mentioned jobs.  You wonder why California my current state is under water?  (One reason) Because teachers are getting paid 70k a year with 90% pension plans and the ability to retire when you're 45?  WTF.
Feb 18 2011 1:43PM
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cottage_steeze
Posts: 564 - Karma: 58
year round school means longer winter breaks, profit?
Feb 18 2011 1:48PM
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PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
hope this works out for the better

hate seeing our own government and politicians undermining the labor force and using them as cheap labor.
Feb 18 2011 1:52PM
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daftski.
Posts: 109 - Karma: 10
What people don't realize is that walker said he was going to do this during the campaign. Wisconsin has something like a $3 billion deficit, we need to do something to try to cut that and get out if we can. Making teachers pay more of their pensions and healthcare, which is extremely good, is something that the private sector has been doing for years. Also, the unions would still have bargaining rights for wages
Feb 18 2011 1:55PM
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ferrinski86
Posts: 774 - Karma: 10
im glad Wisconsin is trying to cut down pensions, and unions to balance their budget.

They have to cut the budget from somewhere and unions and pensions are extremely overrated. I would rather cut pensions than lets say, cut the road funds, or police funds or some other funds that would make a whole heck of a lot of difference than paying people less money.

its life, stop bitching and deal with it.

Feb 18 2011 2:39PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
glad someones doing something about the unions and teachers especially
Feb 18 2011 2:41PM
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ski@jaypeak2
Posts: 2802 - Karma: 429
quoting for emphasis.

3 months off in the summer, a weeks vacation every other month, every national holiday off, snow days.
Feb 18 2011 2:53PM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
It's not about the money or paying into the pension for most PUBLIC WORKERS (not just teachers... We are talking about the people who keep the shit flowing out of my bathroom, the people who plow the roads so that I can go skiing, the people who keep America running). People are angry that their RIGHT... let me repeat it for emphasis... their RIGHT to collective bargaining is being taken away from them.  And Gov. Walker tried to destroy that right in less than a week... a right which took decades to secure.  And it has proven itself to work for the past 50 years. Any history teacher will be able to explain to you how unions advocated for the better/safer working conditions you all enjoy today.  Oh and how about the weekend?  If you don't have to work on the weekend, thank a union.


Feb 19 2011 1:15AM
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ski@jaypeak2
Posts: 2802 - Karma: 429
Im at work right now :(
Feb 19 2011 11:10AM
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Barf.
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 123
You are the man.
Feb 19 2011 11:19AM
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Wis_Skier_23
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 245
I would like to throw my 2 cents in here, first off most of these protesters are bullshit, protest if you actually know what is going on not because everyone else is doing it so I must jump on the bandwagon...they sit there and yell Walker lied, and when asked what did he lie about, they respond with "well he just lied" direct quote....

We are faced with a huge debt (3.6 Billion) so obviously we cant just sit here and do nothing we have to come up with this money somewhere, we can either A raise taxes, they are already high enough. or B allow people to pay for the benefits they are receiving like everyone else in the US does that is not part of some union. Nothing is free this day and age, so why is health care for Union employees?  Here is the recession so deal with it, its wrong for Union workers to think they are above it, the private sector has been taking pay cuts for years and when it comes to Union workers having to pay a little more for the benefits they receive and they are mad? The private sector has had pay cuts for years, no pensions and pay a higher premium for the health care they receive, and do you see them protesting?  Union workers have little to no pay cuts, job security, lower premiums, and pretty pensions at the end of the day...looking at this objectively who really should be the ones upset here? 
Feb 19 2011 7:18PM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
Some people just don't get it.  THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE BUDGET!!!
Feb 19 2011 8:05PM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
"I have been informed that all state and local public employees -- including teachers -- have agreed to the financial aspects of Gov. Walker's request," said Sen. Jon Erpenbach, a Democrat. "This includes Walker's requested concessions on public employee health care and pension. In return they ask only that the provisions that deny their right to collectively bargain are removed. This will solve the budget challenge."

Anyone who still thinks this is about the money is blind.
Feb 19 2011 8:07PM
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john.stossel
Posts: 943 - Karma: 5

xcept if the unions keep their right to bargain, then they will bully the state into paying higher salaries. basically the unions have way to much power.

if i told my boss that i will strike unless he does exactly what i want, he would fire me.

the same should go for state workers, if you dont like your state job, THEN FUCKING QUIT AND GET ANOTHER ONE.

Feb 19 2011 8:46PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
I agree. The teachers union is absolute bull shit. Teachers in my school district make way to much over 100k a year and all they want is more.
Feb 19 2011 8:55PM
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Banjo
Posts: 178 - Karma: 13
quoting for emphasis

also your sig is missing an end quote
Feb 19 2011 9:01PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Wow, home run post.
Feb 21 2011 6:21PM
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Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,019
maybe he should cut the packers instead and sell it to a private owner...a publicly funded football team makes no sense when their budget is how it is.
Feb 21 2011 7:02PM
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cottage_steeze
Posts: 564 - Karma: 58
because that is relevant at all?
Feb 21 2011 10:50PM
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Dr.Professor
Posts: 143 - Karma: 10
Props to Scott Walker
Feb 21 2011 11:21PM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
GTFO.  The packers are the greatest organization, with the best fans in the world for a reason.

I hope you were being sarcastic.

Plus I'm pretty we got all our $$$ that we invested in the Packers back this season... just saying.
Feb 22 2011 1:09AM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
If people in Wisconsin knew this was on his agenda why the hell would they elect him...
Feb 22 2011 2:44AM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
thank you for all the weekend ski traffic unions!

Feb 22 2011 2:47AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
To put things in perspective, the average teacher gets paid less than 2 bucks per student per hour (not including benifits). Babysitters get paid more than that to just sit around and watch kids.
Feb 22 2011 3:32AM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
I'm torn. My wife is actually a teacher (elementary special educator in a co-teaching setting).

The system is double edged... there are certainly plenty of terrible teachers floating around coasting by and doing a grave disservice to society with lackluster effort, however that occurs in EVERY sector both private and public. There are poor performing leeches in private businesses that coast on by while others make up the difference just as much as public. Not to mention that those terrible teachers are the minority with a majority of teachers being extremely dedicated and going far above and beyond what they need to to provide for their students (often spending their own money on supplies and other needed items for the classrooms because it is faster and easier than trudging through the bureaucratic administration process that will take 3 weeks to get some simple supplies).

This leads into the next point about pay... Teaching is a salary position. Teachers don't punch the clock at 4pm and go home for the day shut off completely from work. The good teachers (which again, are the majority) will be spending time at home working and preparing lessons or spend their evenings at conferences with neglectful parents who could care less that Little Jimmy misbehaves all the time and can't read because his parents won't take their time to teach him at home because they think it's not their responsibility to teach their child as well.

When you factor in the hours actually put in, that make a 3rd year teacher in Vermont, with a masters degree, making only about $15-18/hour to help raise and (try to educate - often singlehandedly without the help of parents) the future of our country. I'm pretty sure the slackjawed idiot holding the construction sign on the roadside makes that much.


That said though, the voters of Wisonsin elected this individual who promised that he would do this. He is simply following through on his promise. If these protestors felt so passionately about this, perhaps they should've rallied before he got elected and kept him from being in a position to fulfill his campaign promises.
Feb 22 2011 10:08AM
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Wis_Skier_23
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 245
teachers work 9 months of the year mind you as well....and do babysitters have the option to retire at 55 with a pension and health care? I dont think so. Just in case anyone is wondering how much they are paid with salary and benefits combined here you go...it includes garbage men and bus drivers as well...it was from an email I received....take a look


Subject: 2010 Wisconsin Teacher Actual Wages - Wisc Govt wages exposed

ATTACHED: This is the official excel DPI database of teachers wages by school district. Look up your own district !!! 


The current budget repair bill would have them paying about 5.8% towards their own retirement....right now, we the taxpayer, pays 100% of their generous retirement, and most of us pay 100% of our own retirement too.


AVERAGE WAGE AND BENEFITS (remember this is for about 9 months of work)

TEACHERS:

Milwaukee        $86,297

Elmbrook          $91,065

Germantown     $83,818

Hartland Arrwhd    $90,285     (highest teacher was $122,952-lowest was $64,942)

Men Falls          $81,099

West Bend       $82,153

Waukesha       $92,902

Sussex           $82,956

Mequon           $95,297

Kettle Mor       $87,676

Muskego        $91,341



STAFF

Kettle Moraine - Athletic Direcor- Mike Fink  $ 141,196
Arrowhead - Bus Mng - Kopecky - $169,525
Arrowhead - Principal - Wieczorek -   $152,519
Grmtwn -  Asst Princ - Dave Towers - $123,222
Elmbrk  -  Burliegh Elemetary - Principal Zahn-  $142,315
Madison - Asst Principal - McGrath - $127,835

UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN STAFF (2009) (salary alone):

Michael Knetter - Prof of Bus  -  $327,828

Carolyn Martin -Chancellor Mad-  $437,000

Hector Deluca - Prof of Nutritional Science - $254,877 (really??)

(source:Madison.com -as the UW removed salaries from being posted online in 2007- why if they are so low?)

Madison Garbage men (2009) (salary only):

Garbageman, Mr. Nelson earned $159,258 in 2009, including $109,892 in overtime and other pay. Garbageman, Greg Tatman, who earned $125,598 7 Madison garbage men made over $100,000 30 Madison garbage men made over $70,000

MILWAUKEE CITY BUS DRIVERS (salary only):

136 Drivers made more than  $70,000

  54 Drivers made more than  $80,000

  18 Drivers made more than  $90,000

   8 Drivers made more than  $100,000

         Top Driver made  $117,000


(Source WTMJ)


(The average private bus driver makes $9-13 an hour (about 20,000 yr) with no pension, or healthcare.)

Feb 22 2011 11:36AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
First of all, dont take emails you receive at face value, half that stuff is garbage.


Second, something to keep in mind. Sure teachers are only paid for 9 months out of the year, but they certainly work more than that. My figure was based off of a 6 hour day, also known as only the time spent actually teaching. In reality teachers are often in hours before school starts preparing for lessons, and spend hours that night grading papers, and preparing for the next day. Summers are spent planning and revising for the next year, its not just sitting around doing nothing.

Third, and most importantly, unions in WI have agreed to the fiscal cuts, at this point they just want to maintain their collective bargaining. The governor claims that fiscal issues are whats really at stake here, but his refusal to compromise indicates otherwise.

Finally, are we really comparing teachers to garbage men and bust drivers? One is educating children and shaping the future of society, the other two are not. Teachers unions certainly do overstep their bounds, but this is not one of those cases. Tenure is a huge problem, I agree, but many schools are implementing incentives to discourage accepting tenure that work wonderfully. And lets be honest, its not like living off 50 grand a year with a family is exactly cushy, its not like these people are living it up. Are there teachers paid higher? Sure, there are also a lot paid much LESS than that 50 grand average. Benifits are something that is necessary when you make considerably less over your lifetime than the average person.
Feb 22 2011 12:08PM
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The_Future
Posts: 1418 - Karma: 607
 What about school districts like Beloit?  Of course Hartland Arrowhead is going to pay their teachers a lot of money.  They are home to some of the richest, snobbiest people in Wisconsin.  And please provide a link where I can review your source, as I do not trust "an email you got". 

And I'll say it again seeing as you seem to ignore this basic fact.  THIS IS NOT ABOUT MONEY.  We are fighting for LABOR RIGHTS.   Whereas Scott Walker is trying to cripple unions.  John Stewart said it well last night "Take away a union's right to collective bargaining rights I believe that makes them just a bunch of people wearing identical t-shirts. I think that's like telling the green bay packers the can't play football, or telling craigslist no adult services... it really defeats the purpose."

Union's are one of the biggest contributers to democratic campaigns.  When you take out the unions, you make a huge blow to the democratic party.  Coincidence.... i don't believe so.
Feb 22 2011 1:08PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Of course they are.  Do you think McCain would have bailed out the Auto industry?

It goes both ways.  Anyone who is pro union in the united states needs to take an economics class.  They are not needed(personal opinion) in the private sector and they should be made illegal in the public sector as they are not being paid by a private company but instead they are being payed by myself and you thus I think I should have a say on how much a teacher makes.  And YES I will value my child's education.

To whoever was talking about hours worked, try and make 50k a year out of college or 90k in these teachers cases and work 8 hours(2hrs for planning) a day for 9 months in the private industry.  It won't happen.
Feb 22 2011 2:10PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
50k, and certainly not 90k, is not starting salary for a teacher. most starting salaries are well under 40k.
Feb 22 2011 2:34PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Exactly. Try WAY under $40k too.

http://teacherportal.com/salary/Wisconsin-teacher-salary

Wisconsin is second lowest average starting salary for teachers in the United States at an average of only $25,222. Statewide average teacher salary is only $46,390, so the numbers from that email are either suspect, or from some VERY well paying school districts.
Feb 22 2011 2:46PM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227

Two-thirds of Wisconsin public school 8th graders can't read proficiently despite highest per pupil spending in the midwest.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/two-thirds-wisconsin-public-school-8th-g

Feb 22 2011 3:15PM
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