I love this generous couple who care enough about their child's education to help out. Here's the thing---teachers have always been paid poorly. Why? Because it was considered a "single woman's" profession. In fact, in the old days, if a teacher married . . .
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. . . she had to quit teaching. The suppressed salaries have not changed. I remember high school teachers doing temp jobs in the summer---mail carrier, pizza delivery, etc. Many of the single women teachers lived in shared rentals. . . .
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. . . Teachers are some of the most underpaid professionals, because many don't view their jobs as a "profession." Years ago, I taught high school for 2 years in California. At that time I had earned my first graduate degree. I made so little . . .
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. . . that I had just enough to cover rent, a small car payment, and basic food. I often skipped lunch at school to save money. I lived on egg sandwiches and peanut butter. And I was one of the "lucky" ones coming out of the teaching program at . . .
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. . . UC Berkeley. I actually had a "two-year contract." It was pathetic, really. Now teachers are even expected to buy their own supplies. And if you're in a school without books, etc., . . . so I'm not at all surprised this teacher needed a car.
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As a Finn I am saddened how disrespected the profession teaching is. In Finland public school teachers are paid above the median wage and the profession is one of the most trusted in the country.
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Same in Canada!
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This is depressing. Why does a person with a college degree and a full time job need a car gifted to them. Why are we not paying her enough to live like a professional, middle class person?
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I'm old enough to remember when a teacher & a cop owned their home & 2 cars, sent their kids to Catholic school & took summer vacations. Of course that was before Reagan's tax cuts & the busting up of teacher's unions. Today that same couple would make about $50k combined in LA.
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Well that def invalidates my entire point.
Guess the teacher in the article is just a poor money manager. Wages have not grown w inflation but tuition that was $700/yr is now $6k. 1st yr Cath school teacher here can earn as little as $17k & a rookie NOPD officer is paid $30k. -
My parents sent us to Catholic school $35 per year per child. All nuns. We sent our children to Catholic school - no nuns teaching - $3000 per child. Very poorly paid teachers. Parents supplied all but books. We paid separate for them.
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The parochial grammar school I went to 1975-1985 was initially $49/mo & increased to $65/mo. Same school is now $650/mo. My private Catholic high school was $2200/yr in 1989. It is now $12k/yr.
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There was no Catholic high school near us- but our public high school was just like private. Excellent teachers. We graduated smarter than most college kids. (I judged this by their poor grammar .)
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Here’s a thought, What if we paid teachers enough to buy their own car?
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Or have decent public transportation so that there is barely any need for a car in the first place.

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With all of the sh!t teachers lug to work, who'd want to ride the bus?
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I guess they could
#cargobike instead as long as we're building walkable, bikeable communities to eliminate the huge financial burden that is buying, maintaining, and storing of vehicles that are much bigger and more expensive than they need to be.pic.twitter.com/2873EGSqEw
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Thats great for well-tempered climates, but not in the extreme heat and cold. It also doesn't account for teachers with a disability. But its a great though for some urban settings!
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Sigh. People ride in all sorts of weather/climates. Electric assist and adaptive bikes along with quality infrastructure can open this possibility for many people with mobility/sight issues. Public transport and bikes should be our default choices.
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Going out on a limb here to guess that you live in an urban area with great biking paths and public transport. Congratulations! Those things are very uncommon in the state of Alabama. The state has a low pop density so you have to travel farther. Wish I could bike/walk to work!
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