Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

2 days ago

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

2 days ago

In Win for Trump, US Supreme Court Limits Judges’ Power to Block Birthright Citizenship Order

2 days ago

California’s Newsom Sues Fox News for $787 Million for Defamation Over Trump Call

2 days ago
Teachers Deserve More Pay, Respect: Zakaria
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 7 years ago on
May 23, 2018

Share

Teachers in states across the country have walked out of classrooms in recent months to draw attention to low wages and a lack of support from lawmakers — and by extension, the voting public.
In his May 18 commentary, Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria says the teaching profession has become a thankless job, swept up as part of a 30-year assault on “government, bureaucrats and the public sector in general.”

Fewer Choosing to Teach

“We have all heard about stagnant middle-class wages,” Zakaria says.  “But the average pay for a teacher in the United States, adjusted for inflation, has actually declined over the past 15 years, while their health-care costs have risen substantially.”


In the United States, when we encounter a member of the armed services, many of us make a point to thank them for their service. When was the last time you did the same for a public school teacher?” — Fareed Zakaria 

One result of this trend, he reports, is a steep drop in the number of Americans who are choosing to pursue careers in education.  “In fact, the New York Times reports it is so hard for public schools to find qualified Americans that many districts are starting to recruit instructors from low-wage countries such as the Philippines,” Zakaria writes.
California school districts have been recruited teachers from Mexico for several years.
In 2016, a Fresno Unified administrator told The Fresno Bee that “We’ve recruited from the dog park, from The Cheesecake Factory and Starbucks. Wherever we go, we recruit constantly.”
It’s not only wages, he says, but also declining respect for the profession. “In the United States, when we encounter a member of the armed services, many of us make a point to thank them for their service,” says Zakaria.  “When was the last time you did the same for a public school teacher?”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

18 hours ago

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

1 day ago

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

Like a lot of people of center-right/center-left political leanings, I’ve spent the past few decades detesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netan...

17 hours ago

2022 Election Rally for Netanyahu
17 hours ago

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

University of Virginia President James Ryan Resigns
17 hours ago

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

18 hours ago

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

Zohran Mamdani Speaks to Supporters
18 hours ago

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

American Flag Revolver
1 day ago

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

Rob_Bonta_Speaking_At_Press_Conference_1280x720
1 day ago

Tensions Flare at Announcement of Major Fresno County Gang Takedown

Garry_Bredefeld_Sandra_Celedon_Mesure_C_1280x720
1 day ago

Measure C ‘Blackmailed’ As Fresno Enviro Coalition Gets Huge Say on Transportation Tax

Fresno_Unified_Raises_1280x720
1 day ago

Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time Bonus

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend