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Wisconsin Teachers Quit in Droves After Union Loss

Battered morale, bigger classes trigger retirements

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2011 3:13 PM CDT

(Newser) – In the wake of Wisconsin's political dust-up over collective bargaining this year, more teachers than ever there are calling it quits. Teachers are retiring at about double the usual rate rather than face battered morale, bigger classes, trimmed pay, greater health care costs, and more pay funneled into retirement funds, the Christian Science Monitor reports. One tally has roughly 5,000 teachers retiring this year. "Many of us felt very bittersweet about it," says Thomas Howe, one teacher who hung 'em up.

On the positive side, an influx of new teachers "is going to align the system more with the direction of current education reform, which I would say is good," says a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also, some school districts are already using the new law to save money, Gov. Scott Walker's office says. But Howe sees veteran experience going out the window: His school alone has lost eight teachers with a combined 160 years of experience. "You can't replace that," he says.

MADISON, WI - FEBRUARY 16: Teacher Cyndi Ehrhart (L) and Anne McClure (R) join protesters marching at the State Capitol building on February 16, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Protesters were demenstrating against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers.
MADISON, WI - FEBRUARY 16: Teacher Cyndi Ehrhart (L) and Anne McClure (R) join protesters marching at the State Capitol building on February 16, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Protesters were demenstrating...   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 101 comments
rachelsanders
Nov 6, 2011 2:19 PM CST
Let me refute your two points. 1) A public school teacher works about the same amount as a worker who works 40 hrs a week with 2 weeks off a year. 2) In many states, you might be able to retire with full benefits after 20 years-but you better be 70 years old. Take two workers.  Bob works one hour a day, 5 days a week, for a total of 5 hours per week.  Sally ONLY works 1 day a week, 1 day a week, for a total of 8 hours a week.  Who works more? A moron like you would claim that Bob works much more, because he works 5 days a week, and Sally only works 1 day a week.  But, as you can see, counting days is meaningless...you must count HOURS WORKED.  Sally works more because she works MORE HOURS. And if you count the HOURS WORKED in a year, you will see that teachers work ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF HOURS as a 40 hour a week worker that gets 2 weeks off a year. Also, many states have the RULE OF 90- meaning, when your age and number of years add up to 90, you can retire.  A 60 year old with 30 years of teaching can retire.  a 70 year old with 20 years of teaching can retire.
floridavet
Sep 18, 2011 9:22 AM CDT
"...Howe sees veteran experience going out the window: His school alone has lost eight teachers with a combined 160 years of experience. "You can't replace that," he says..."  Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know, the sky is falling and we're all gonna die.  NOT!  Teachers are replaced every year as new ones come into the system and older ones quit or retire.  Sorry, but the world will not end in Wisconsin, and the education of our children might even be a little better with some fresh talent on the scene. Quit your whining and pay your fair share.
vetteguy
Sep 18, 2011 8:15 AM CDT
Guess that "it's all for the chillun" crap was as full of sh!t as Barak Hussein Obummer.

 
Wisconsin • union • Scott Walker • teachers • collective bargaining

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