Tag Archives: zEducation

California: Part V

Mark Perry has a most excellent post over at Carpe Diem.  The whole thing is a must read, but the highlights:

Exhibit A: California has lost more than one million jobs in the last several years, while employment levels in Texas have remained relatively stable.

Exhibit B: In early 2006, California’s unemployment was actually slightly below Texas, but is now 4.3 percentage points higher than Texas (12.3% vs. 8%).

Exhibit C:

One-way rental rates for a 26-foot truck from U-Haul:

From Dallas to San Francisco: $734
From San Francisco to Dallas: $2,116

From Houston to Los Angeles: $706
From Los Angeles to Houston: $2,051

Exhibit D: Texas kids are one to two years of learning ahead of California kids of the same age.

Exhibit E: William Voegeli tartly says that “Rome wasn’t sacked in a day, and California didn’t become Argentina overnight.”

Net/net children, it is high time to get the hell out of California.  And, now that I think of it, to get California’s mind-set OUT of Washington.

Update: become Argentina overnight!  THAT, is hil-ar-i-ous.

Teacher’s Unions

I know that we don’t have teacher’s unions in Carolina, but still, the negative effects are everywhere.

Today, the N&O reported on the idea of merit pay for teachers.  In this case, the merit pay seemed to be limited to the type of school a teacher taught at; not how well that teacher did.  But still,  it’s a start.

I started my working career as a teacher, it was the first job I had after college.  Further, that first year was also a “negotiation” year for the “EA” and the school.  I remember the feeling when I saw the results of my elected representation:

No raises for teachers going from 0-1, 1-2 or 2-3 years of experience.  However, raises for everyone else.

I knew then that the whole “working for a union thang” wasn’t for me.  I left as soon as the year was up.

What I don’t understand is how so many people, with a straight face, claim that paying more money to a better performer is bad. Ffor anything.  Really.  Never ever understood that.  Ya know, while I think that the salaries we pay athletes is gross, at least we have the right incentives in place.

  1. We agree on a specific number of years in the contract.
  2. I will pay you according to the market.
  3. When you are no longer able to perform, you are no longer able to be employed.

Why would it be any different for teachers?  Why, WHY, do we want to protect low performing teachers?

I just don’t get it.