[geeks] OLPCs for sale...

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: wa2egp at att.net
>Date: 2007/11/21 Wed PM 11:04:42 CST
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] OLPCs for sale...

>> Yes, but remember you are a government worker, or at least I assume  
>> you are.
>> 
>> Are you paid less than most other government workers?
>
>Probably.  But then I probably have more "required" education and
>such that a lot of other government workers.  Looking at some
>government job, all you need is to be able to read and write
>English.

Politicians can't be sure their "idiot" nephew will graduate college, so they 
keep the requirements low so the nephew can get a job...

<snip>

>> Some teachers leave for the private schools because they claim a lot  
>> better pay and benefits, while others said their experience was  
>> negative.
>
>Not around my little area of the world.  Most (and I say that in 
>case there is one that doesn't) do not pay as much as public
>schools but also don't have the requirements public schools
>have for candidates.

Pay is relative - at my (private) high school, teachers can send one student 
to the school for free - that amounts to a $25-40K/year "benefit" on top of 
their pay, and there is no reduction in pay if you have a child in the school.

Also, some teachers get free housing - it ain't great, but it is free provided 
you monitor study halls and help out on the odd weekend over the course of the 
year. Your pay is not reduced if you live on campus.

So, if I am a first-year teacher making $30,000/year, living on campus 
($12K/year benefit?), and I have a kid going to the school ($25/year benefit), 
I'm suddenly making what looks like $67K/year. So the pay is better, but it is 
also worse (if I don't live on campus and I don't live on a dorm floor, I'm 
only making $30K/year).
 
> Unfortunately, a lot provide an inferior
>education compared to public schools.  My school does get transfers
>from nonpublic schools and those students have a lot of "catching
>up" especially in math and science.  I'm in a "magnet" school so that
>may be the difference but the public perception is that nonpublic 
>schools are always better. 

How many of your transfers were kicked out of their non-public schools? That 
might also be a factor...

Our public schools here in my town (can't speak about any others, no exp. with 
any others) are quite good, but we are still considering pulling my son out of 
the public school system next year, when he trades the 400 student elementary 
school for a much larger middle school. We've been lucky with the teachers 
he's gotten so far, though this year's teacher is a bit of let-down. She 
doesn't connect with our son (or the other kids, AFAIK) - she's just there, 
doing time, going through the motions...

Lionel