[geeks] OLPCs for sale...

[wa2egp at att.net]

> ...which is irrelevant to my point.
> 
> I'm just talking about the NEA being self contradictory.  Citing their  
> own data against them is perfectly valid.  It doesn't mean I do or  
> don't with their data, just that they can't seem to make up their mind  
> what they want to say.

Oh, Ok.  Must have been lloking at grades too much lately (marking period
grades due today).  Guess they're like most political organizations.

> > The comment about those teachers being the highest paid in the nation
> > I don't think was accurate.
> 
> We'll never know unless we see the raw data.

Of course it will almost impossible to see that evnthough it is a matter
of public record.
 
> Locally teachers were saying they were low paid and showed data to  
> prove it.  The problem is they selectively culled the data and were  
> lying about it.
> 
> The teachers took the data set, and included all teacher and student  
> aids, most of which made under $10K/year, counting them as if they  
> were professional teachers.  They also included part-time workers and  
> counted their pay as if it were full time as well.
> 
> By contrast they removed all data for police and fire cadets,  
> engineering apprentices, and similar positions from other  
> professions.  This drastically lowered the apparent average for  
> teachers.
> 
> Only professionals should have been counted of course.  Interestingly,  
> a lot of the engineering apprentices don't get paid at all for their  
> internships.  Including them, the engineers could easily claim to be  
> among the lowest paid, which is generally not true.
> 
> The averaging game can be played both ways.
> 
> Exactly which way depends on which dishonest group publishes the  
> numbers.

What's the old saying, figures lie and liars figure.  I think I can be
fairly accurate to say that I started with less pay than most with the
same education and probably still paid less after 27 years.  I think it
is also accurate to say that I collected less total money over these years
than most with equivalent education (due to the way my pay scale 
worked during that time).  But that's just my case.

Bob