Anti-Teacher Argument #5 The Recession

So who really was negatively impacted by the recent recession?  Media outlets would have you believe that there was massive "carnage" throughout the private sector, and teachers, having escaped unharmed, need to stop "whining" and "give back."

But are these claims true?

Lets take a look at a few pieces of evidence from Statistics Canada:

The above chart reveals that most of the job losses during the "recession" were in low paying private sector jobs.  There was little job loss in typical professions. Moreover, most of the individuals who made less than $10.00 per hour were in the age range of 15-24, that is, people just starting their careers, not people who were in them.

But there is more:

      http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2009112/tables-tableaux/11048/tbl003-eng.htm

So not only was most of the job loss incurred by those who were 15-24 in age and just getting started in their careers, but those who were 15-24 in age and lacking a University Degree (7.2% vs 0.6% in men and 2.7% vs 1.2% in women).

Since most professionals between the ages of 25-65 did not suffer as we have been led to believe, taking away a teachers right to collectively bargain because of the "massive carnage" is not a factual argument.

Nor is the argument that individuals were forced to take wage cuts, and thus, teachers should as well.  As the statistics show there was  actually an increase in jobs paying $40 or more per hour during this period (12.9%).

The Burden of Being a Teacher

The following note was passed to me from a friend.  This note was placed in his mailbox at school because the note-writer thought he was me.

Here is what it says:

"I am writing to ask your opinion on the following teacher related topic.  Maybe you will share your insights on your very informative and entertaining blog.

Recently a colleague of mine was sent home from school because of an allegation.  This colleague was not told of the nature of the allegation, nor has this person been asked to defend any words or actions.  This colleague is not allowed near TDSB property.  The teacher is being tried by multiple agencies and will not be afforded the opportunity to speak in defence of their "actions."

I ask, in what other profession is one punished without the ability to defend and without knowledge of their own crime?

Keep up the excellent work."

To this point, this blog has tried to make conclusions based upon facts.  To be the antithesis to the current media.

However, in this instance, it is impossible to research facts that support the "note-writers" claims.  There is no published information about the number of people who have experienced similar situations.

Yet, there are conversations.  Conversations that suggest that such is a regular occurrence.

I know it has happened before.

All it takes is an allegation from a student or parent and this can happen.

One student who is upset that a teacher gave them a bad grade.  One parent who didn't like the report card.

This kind of goes against what was written yesterday in the Toronto Sun:

Teachers control their marks and anyone who has been through the education system knows a teacher who is out to get a student can make their lives miserable.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/21/teachers-arent-protesting-for-the-kids


Clearly this writer has no idea what currently goes on in education.  Even if a teacher makes a student's life miserable for a moment, he/she may be sent home as part of an unknown investigation.

As the secret note-writer asks, in what other profession does this occur?

More Media Lies

Our Union should target newspapers that print articles where there are blatant exaggerations of "facts" and/or a total disregard for investigative journalism. 

The Toronto Sun is one such paper.  Again and again, anti-teacher rhetoric is spewed forth, without so much as a widespread retort from ETFO.

Take for example these quotes in the Editorial Column from the Saturday September 22nd, 2012 edition of the Toronto Sun:

"Despite that, you would think teachers, who work 10 months a year with two weeks off at Christmas and one at March break, and who earn north of $90,000 annually at the top of their experience and salary grids, would realize how good they have it.

Especially compared to the ongoing carnage in the private sector since the 2008 global recession, where most workers consider themselves lucky to have a job."

I wonder what statistical analysis promoted the writer to suggest that there is "ongoing carnage" in the private sector, considering that a Statistics Canada report concluded the following:

"The recent recession was not as bad, employment-wise, in Canada as previous economic downturns have been.

Not only was the total job loss not as large, but the job market also rebounded more quickly, the agency found.

Canadian employment peaked in October 2008. Over the next 12 months, more than 400,000 jobs were lost. But those figures began to rebound quickly from late 2009 onward.

By January, the figure had fully recovered — 27 months after its initial trough."

(http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/02/23/recession-jobs-employment.html)

Moreover, Statistics Canada concluded that:

"Canada's economic recession ended in the third quarter of 2009 and was not only shorter and milder than in other G7 countries."

http://ca.reuters.com/article/idCAN1522142520100415

So the carnage doesn't exist.  Unless it is needed to convince the public that taking away teachers basic human right to collectively bargain is acceptable.

Up next:  who really lost their jobs during the recession?

Waste

An article in todays "tabloids" really got me thinking.  The article was about the Afrocentric School in Toronto having only 6 children and 3 teachers.  The article claims that the cost of running this program so far is $75,000 (Toronto Sun).

So what would be the yearly cost?  Since all teachers make "$90,000" a year the cost to run the program would be $270,000 in teacher salaries alone.  Then considering that teachers take up 47.3 percent of the education budget we can conclude that the actual cost of this program would be:

47.3 % of (unknown costs) = 270,000

Therefore the actual cost of running this program is  $570824.52 or about $95137 per kid.

Putting aside any anti-teacher arguments for a moment, suppose you are an accountant for a private company.

One day, the boss calls a staff meeting and informs his employees (and you) that there will be a significant reduction in wages, benefits and pensions,  plus he is going to force you to work three days a year for free.

He pleads with all of you to make these sacrifices for the "good of the company" which is in a serious financial crisis.

But you as the accountant know that the company has been frivolously spending an amount greater than the aforementioned cuts on expenses that are not required for the well-being of the company.

So you go and seek out your boss.

You tell him that you have ways to reduce company waste while at the same time maintaining the status quo in terms of wages and benefits.  No increases.  Just the status quo.

The response from your boss is to refuse to even hear your proposal, and legislate that you can no longer discuss issues of employee wages and benefits for the next 4 years.

Would you not be angry?

We know from the current NHL lockout that even individuals who make upwards of eight million a year still complain about cutbacks.  They say that if the league reduced the waste (Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers etc.) then there would be no need to "cut back."

But teachers are somehow different?

They are not supposed to complain?

In this situation, yes we should always complain when management takes away from employees because of their "wasteful" practices.

So the question becomes, what evidence exists in Ontario Education of waste?

Can we come up with a total that is greater than what is being cut from teachers?

Why don't my viewers get us started..  let the comments roll.

Proof in Point

As a follow up to my last argument, take a look at this comment that was posted in response to my blog on vacation pay:

Teacher work on average 154 days per year. This is part time work, and part time is part time. Doesn't matter if you are delivering pizza, cutting hair or working at Sears in the cosmetic section. These are all peer jobs to the common teacher. Part time is part time. Now for the salary and benefits. Teachers in South Dakota make $34,040 per year, and have 15 weeks holiday. Same job as our Canadian teachers, so why the huge difference in pay? Teachers are not professionals, the use of this term is insulting to us Professionals. You will not find one single Professional in Canada that only works 154 days per year, and shutting down at 3:30. Please refrain from using this term, we have worked very hard to attain our designations and teachers are demeaning it. We are educated with real degrees, not a bird BA (Burger All) and some bird courses written by the union to get a teaching certificate. And, that is all that it is, a certificate. Not like a true Professional Designation like a CA, or LLP, etc.


These are precisely the people that we will never convince and should not spend a single amount of time on (beyond this blog).

She has ignored every single blog post, the real facts, and made erroneous conclusions that are not based on reality.

Despite teachers being officially called "professionals" by government agencies, universities, and other councils, she has decided that based on generic and untrue comparisons that she is entitled to determine that we are not.

Despite proving that teachers work from 9 to 5 before calculating extracurriculars she claims the job ends at 3:30.

She believes that teachers in South Dakota, and their living expenses, are similar to Toronto based on the fact that she believes this to be true.

She believes that a 5 year University degree, plus at least 2 additional university level courses qualifies as a certificate.

I thank her for proving our argument.

Keeping Up: Future Blogs

When I decided to write this blog, my wife argued about its format.  I informed her that I would be writing arguments that build on one another, all leading to a certain end, while she wanted me to just write one blog with ALL the arguments.

We went with my idea.

To this point, I have been humbled by the amount of responses, both positively and negatively. While I knew that this was a "hot-button" issue, I had no idea that this blog would be a place where it was discussed.

However, I urge individuals to save their "opinions" until my argument is completed.  Please wait until all the information has been outlined so that an informed decision can be made.

That doesn't mean that I am urging you not to comment, especially when one of my posts hits a nerve, but I am hopeful you can remain open-minded.

I would encourage you to read all my blogs, not just the ones that help support your own argument.

Those of us who are old enough to remember the O.J. Simpson trial recall that the "jury" clung to the idea that the "glove doesn't fit," and resultantly, overlooked the mountain of evidence that pointed towards Simpson's guilt.

Why?   Because the jury was looking for any excuse to support their preconceived notions.

As teachers, we can only convince those who are willing to listen.

So please read all my blogs as a collective argument that the media is not providing the real facts.  That was those who are not in education rarely hear the truth.

Just so you know, I have enlisted a medical researcher at the University of Toronto who will be writing an article comparing teacher salaries to similar professions and busting the myth that teachers should be "giving back" because of a "recession."

This person is a friend, but was asked to write an article that is free of bias.  It just so happens that their conclusion supports teachers.  In fact, this person's belief system was completely changed due to their research.

I also will be posting information for parents, such as educational policy that negatively impacts children, "mark" fixing, credit farms, the I.E.P. process, and much more.

Thanks again.

Tell your friends.  Argue.  Join the site.  Follow me.

Increasing Teacher Salaries Are Eating Up the Education Budget

Recent newspaper columns and media reports have lead people to believe that the raises given by the Liberal Government to Ontario teachers over the past few years is what is eating up the education budget.

The September 4th edition of the Toronto Star mentioned that "teachers’ compensation has increased by 25 per cent during the McGuinty government."

To the general public, this would seem like a pretty cut and dry argument and it goes like this:

One reason why Ontario has a deficit is because they are spending more on education and this is mainly due to an increase in teacher salaries.

But according to Stats Canada, this simply isn't true.

Take a look at the chart below, focussing carefully on Ontario

According to this chart, the percentage of the education budget that is going to educators, which Stats Can considers to be teachers and administrators, has gone up by only .7 of a percent since 2005  (It started at 46.6 and ended at 47.3).

Also note that it is on a downward trend (48.6 - 47.3)

Thus, while the education budget has increased by nearly 3 billion dollars in the same period (Ontario Ministry of Education) only .7 percent of this increase is due to teacher salaries.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/funding/0506/funding.pdf
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/funding/0910/funding09.pdf