Teacher union wants to place teachers above "normal" citizens
The Nevada State Education Association has already announced that the four percent pay cut passed by the legislature won't apply to teachers in Clark and Washoe county and will be passed on to students.
The union wants to avoid the economic realities facing others in Nevada, excluding firefighters, who also want to place themselves above "normal" citizens.
First, all individuals see a fluctuation in their wages or job security. Washoe County employees recently voted for a 20 percent wage reduction. It is profoundly unfair to try to make teachers immune from what is happening to individuals in the rest of the state and then make those individuals who are dealing with economic uncertainty pay for it.
Second, teachers are rewarded, not for their ability to teach, but for longevity and post-undergrad education that doesn't impact most teachers' instructional ability. If you're a good teacher reading this, take a close look the next time you see an underachieving teacher. You're subsidizing his or her salary. If the teachers union didn't have such influence and power, you would make more money.
Wage fluctuations and compensation based on ability are easy concepts for most citizens to understand. We should force the teachers union to learn them as well.
