McGill: Consequences to raising teacher pay
State Sen. Shadrack McGill defended a pay raise his predecessors in the Legislature passed, but said doubling teacher pay could lead to less-qualified educators.
"It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach."
I'm sorry, how is that a Biblical principle?
By the way, there is now officially a LEGO version of EVERYTHING!
Teachers need to make the money that they need to make. There needs to be a balance there. If you double what you're paying education, you know what's going to happen? I've heard the comment many times, ‘Well, the quality of education's going to go up.' That's never proven to happen, guys.
Um, in fairness, has anyone ever tried doubling teachers' pay?
Other than hers?
Saying that doubling teachers' pay has not been proven to improve performance is like saying that teaching cats to drive has never been proven to cause traffic fatalities.
For those of you under 40, Google "Toonces"
"To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?
Yeah, it's mutual!
"And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity.
So, the "Biblical Principle" is that many teachers are so dedicated to teaching that they will continue to teach no matter how shitty the pay? That's a Biblical principle?
Last year, McGill introduced a bill that would tie legislators' pay to the average teacher's pay, including benefits. He later claimed teachers in Alabama rank fourth in the nation in average pay and benefits of about $65,000.
Um, which Alabama are you referring to? The one in America? Because that state ranks about 42nd in average teacher salary, (source) so unless the benefits are out of this world, I gotta think you're full of shit.
Okay, those benefits are pretty impressive!
Okay, so to sum up, teachers shouldn't get decent pay because teaching is a noble calling. What about other types of public service, like, say, serving in the state government?
McGill, R-Woodville, said a 62 percent pay raise in 2007 - passed first by a controversial voice vote and later in an override of a veto by then-Gov. Bob Riley - better rewards lawmakers and makes them less susceptible to being swayed by lobbyists. McGill said that by paying legislators more, they're less susceptible to taking bribes.
Ohhhhh, yeah. That makes total sense. A 62% raise for you and your buddies is just a sensible bulwark against corruption. A raise for lawmakers makes them perform better. A raise for teachers makes them worse. Got it?
"That played into the corruption, guys, big time," he said. "You had your higher-ranking legislators that were connected with the lobbyists making up in the millions of dollars. They weren't worried about that $30,000 paid salary they were getting," McGill said, adding that lawmakers have to pay for their expenses out of pocket
Out of pocket? Gee, what must that be like?
So, remember everyone, God wants teachers to get low pay, but He wants State Senators to get big raises. At least in Alabama!
Read your Bible, people. It's all in there!
