“It’s never enough for them. They’re never satisfied. Their priority is not the children of Virginia. Their priority is money.”
— Del. John J. Welch III, R-Virginia Beach, speaking of the Virginia Education Associations request for a five percent pay raise when the governor is offering three percent.
From Commonwealth Commonsense.
Ravin’ McRaven, anyone?
I’m not sure what the issue is. That quote is one hundred percent correct. The VEA is a complete joke, and I say that from the perspective of being the child of two Virginia teachers. The VEA (and NEA, also) have never had the interests of children at heart.
They’ve consistently attempted to block any attempt to require any accountability from teachers, and any type of merit-based system. The children are the ones that suffer.
They sure donate a lot of money to Democrats, though.
All of the public school teachers that I know are dirt poor. VEA or no VEA, that’s a problem.
“Dirt poor?” Isn’t that a bit of hyperbole? My parents are both public school teachers, and much of my extended family is also.
Methinks you exaggerate.
Not at all. I suspect that the teachers that I know are quite a bit younger than the teachers that you know. Less tenure means less money, often substantially less.
Actually, I have no fewer than four cousins who are in their twenties and are teachers. They are all supporting families. Of course, their spouses work also, but then, the teachers get all summer off and at least three weeks during the holidays.
They’re not getting rich, but they’re not “dirt poor” either.
It occurs to me that we’re comparing two things that likely can’t be so easily compared. :) Education funding is almost wholly local, of course — a teacher in Fairfax County may do a great deal better than one in Henry County or, in fact, Greene, Albemarle, Orange, Nelson, or Madison, in Central Virginia. Amber, my fiancee, periodically looks into teaching (which she’s done before), but the money is just so, so bad here that it’s really not a viable career unless you’re really dedicated (or really want lots of vacation time).
The idea that you could say that ‘all teachers’ are this way or that, is ridiculous. My partner teaches High School in Central VA, and although the pay is competitive, the institutional facism is getting a little old. They don’t give a damn who you are, if they want to ruin you, they will do everything in their power.
Luckily, we passed an initiative that requires an elected school board for a change, like 86% of the rest of the country. Anyone who represents me and my interests, I want to elect. Some people say it politicizes the process, but I say it is the most political and hypocritical now, not if we chage it. There is literally no dissent on the board, they are a rubber stamp for the Superintendent.
that should be like 96% of the rest of the country. Mark
I’m not sure that anybody (including Welch) said that “all of the teachers” are anything, Mark. I’ll be interested to see how the elected school board works out. I was on the fence about the merits of an elected school board in Charlottesville for a long time. The Jacksonian in me thinks it’s a good idea, but I’ve seen the effects of social disparity in Charlottesville, and I think it would lead to a highly non-representative school board. It’s always a tradeoff, I suppose.
The board here now is like the three chimp cartoon, ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.’ That never worked very well for me, especially when I had been prohibited from the school grounds for over three years for no reason.
The same crowd is just moving up into positions of power, the new Superintendent wants to say that he was only being loyal by doing the bidding of his horrible predecessor. I say, if he has no morality in his loyality, it isn’t worth a damn anyway. His loyalty changed people’s careers, ruined some others, caused psychological scars, caused an entire group of employees to lose their pensions by going to a janitorial contract.
They define the word ‘corrupt’. I will hound them to the end about their misdeeds and their wasteful practices.
And talk a lot about it, here or elsewhere.
WOW! I happened upon your website today for the first time and was shocked at your references to me — not only the one 1-1/2 years old but referring to it again today! I don’t recall your interviewing me during my campaign. I don’t recall your attending any of the 9 forums at which I spoke. Or your asking me any questions either there or via telephone. You quoted me entirely out of context and did not say what the first questions/comments the teachers asked of me/made to me. Pay concerns were surely on the teachers’ list but NEVER were they the FIRST complaint. (No help for classroom problems/challenges was first.) I must be very naive because I had no idea that “it’s no secret around town that McRaven is loony.” As the mother of 5 wonderful, accomplished, respected children, I ran for the School Board based on my 22+ years experience in both public school and as the founder of the Free Union Country School. My job as a Mom was to prepare my kids to be involved, competent, educated citizens of this great country of ours. I hope I never hear of my kids putting such uninformed, narrow and twerpy vomit on the internet about someone they never spoke to. I think I have a better idea of why my signs were stolen more that 22 times in my hometown of Free Union (since 1978) where I thought I had many friends and people who know how hard I work to make this a better life for all. I actually enjoyed hearing your updates and traumas as you walked the Appalachian Trail. I was surprised to hear from others that you were actually a brat. I don’t need to do any more research to confirm that, than this pathetic experience.
I dont recall your interviewing me during my campaign. I dont recall your attending any of the 9 forums at which I spoke. Or your asking me any questions either there or via telephone.
They’re called “weblogs,” Linda — that’s the whole idea. No interviews are necessary. We’ve been doing it for a decade now. A few million of us.
You quoted me entirely out of context
No I didn’t. You were asked about increasing teacher pay in a public forum. You said that you’d never heard any teacher say that they wanted their pay raised. If there’s a context problem there, take it up with the Progress — they’re the source.
You ran for office, and now you’re a public figure. I ran for office, and now I’m a public figure. People can talk about us with regard to policy positions and our campaigns. You said something dumb, and you lost the race. When I ran, I said dumb things, and I lost the race. Now people get to be critical us, now and forever, for our actions pertaining to our races. That’s how it goes.
It stings being criticized, and it really stings when its true. Your criticisms of me here don’t sting, because they aren’t true. But if you told me that I ran a campaign without a mission that lacked any solid message, that would sting a bit, because it’s rather true. If you accused me of being not altogether there, I wouldn’t respond and point out that I’m engaged and have parents and a niece, I would attempt to explain my confusing behavior. Above all, I would recognize that, in running for office, I have made myself a public figure, held myself up for public consideration, and the public found me wanting, as they found you wanting. It’s tough to swallow, even a year and a half later, but that’s the case.
If you ever intend to run for office a third time, you’ll need a thicker skin. But you don’t want my advice — that much is plain.