Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Evolution -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LLCF who wrote (26419)	5/24/2012 11:42:36 PM
From: one_less	1 Recommendation Respond to of 69300

I was not saying that. If you are saying salaries in California should be the same as Dakota... Yea I'm laughing. I agree that would be a ridiculous statement but I wouldn't laugh at it. It takes a lot to make me laugh. I grin a lot and occasionally smirk but not proud of the smirks. Some of the intermediate pay level states have the highest achievement rankings but I am not recommending anyone change what they are paid because someone else was paid differently and achieved better results. Like you, I think decent pay according to cost of living is reasonable for an honorable profession providing a public service, while the work is not wealth producing. My point was and is that it is a mistake to make high pay an immediate focus for educational issues. It is at best a marginal issue that should never rank above academic achievement on the hierarchy of educational concerns because that becomes a distraction and risks corrupting the institution. I made the comparison to make a different point. California teachers are constantly in the news complaining about money issues. They are the least successful group wrt their mandate (student achievement) and the highest paid. It is my observation that the group in general (California teachers) have strayed from their path by focusing so much on pay (especially when it is top heavy in comparison to similar others) and they don't seem self aware about the what it has cost them. Complaints like, we can't afford to turn the lights on and we have no funds for Science... under the circumstance (highest pay, lowest achievement) give me that impression (they lack self awareness). If you read my editorial comments at the bottom of that comparison by state you will see that pay was not the central issue for me. At a certain point it does provide enough incentive to justify selecting the career but increasing demands for continual upgrades can and do IMO have an inverse effect on performance... case on point California.