[ECU Pirates]

Would you rather go back to the days where only the wealthy can afford education? Kids drop out of school to help earn money so they don't go hungry? If everybody didn't pay into the education system, that is exactly what would happen. I'm not condoning having 20 kids and living off the system, but even with 2 kids, if my parents had to pay 3 times (base cost + 2 kids) the amount of someone with no kids, I wouldn't have been in school past 14. We wouldn't have been able to afford it. I would have dropped out and found a job somewhere. Now, I have a good job, house, wife, kid, and am a productive member of society.

Are school taxes socialist? I guess partly, but I don't see a better option. There really aren't any good alternatives. There are LOTS of socialist programs in this country, but some of them are needed.

Who said 2 kids should double it? I never mentioned ratios. For the third time I don't mind paying school tax. I should not pay the same as someone with a flock of kids. Maybe if we got rid of the 3 assistant principals and superintends in each district the taxes would go down. I know I get a benefit having children educated. However you should have to pay a bit more if you have more kids. It's only logical. Use more resources pay more. Is it that difficult of a concept?

I'm off to job number two now. I have to pay these taxes for all your kids! haha

 

[RayKnobs]

Free of charge? What do you think the taxes are???

You paid school taxes when you were age 5 through 17? Can you even legally own property?

I said I don't have a problem paying some school tax. What I said was I should not have to pay the same amount as someone with 5 kids.

Actually you started off with "Oh and I don't have kids so school taxes hurt even more" then changed

The "you can leave the country" argument is what's narrow minded and idiotic. First I should rent and not own to not pay tax. When that is proved wrong I should leave the country? I would expect more from an educated person.

I gave you two options where you can avoid your obligations without breaking any laws. If you would like me to provide further ideas I can. Tom Golisano didn't agree with NY state tax collection so he established his residence in Florida. Was he an idiot?

Are you enjoying your summer off? Or is someone in your family? The comments you have posted in this thread seem very union like.

I am at work but I bet you one of those guys that think teachers are over paid because they get 2 month off?

 

[ChrisWNY]

$20k? The all boys school in Rochester (McQuaid) I was talking about is about $10k a year. They consistently churn out some of the smartest kids in the state. Mercy (all girls school) is about $8k a year. Even paying full price, (there are scholarships for lots of kids), pays off. They get LOTS of scholarships when going to college/university. My wife works for a local private school, but we wouldn't get free tuition.

My kids won't be going to public school where I live. I'd rather home school them than send them to the local public school. If we lived in Fairport, Penfield, Pittsford, or another good district, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but there is no way they are going to school where we live now.

I guess private school tuition varies more than what I thought, but it's still a significant expense that many parents cannot afford. From what I have been told, there are at least a few private charter schools around the Buffalo area that cost nearly $20k per year per student (assuming no scholarships).

The problem with public schools is that the quality/performance varies significantly from one district to the next largely due to demographics. It becomes a determining factor when choosing where to live, and there are definitely a number of public schools in the Buffalo area where I would never send my kids (my wife and I chose to live in an area with an excellent public school system). Some public schools rival private schools as far as test scores and student performance, but public schools inevitably have to deal with a greater number of students who don't apply themselves or have very low IQ's. So inherently, private schools tend to weed the bad ones out. However, there are certainly cases of very well-off parents who spawned a "bad seed" and send them all to private schools not caring about the cost...but regardless of that, the number of criminal-to-be's is vastly lower in a private school system.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I am at work but I bet you one of those guys that think teachers are over paid because they get 2 month off?

Certain teachers are overpaid. Should the Phys Ed teacher get paid the same as the English teacher? Should the art teacher get paid as much as the math teacher?

 

[RayKnobs]

Should the Phys Ed teacher get paid the same as the English teacher?

If you spent 25 years teaching PE should you earn less than the newly hired English teacher? Payscale is based on years of service and I don't know if PE and English start off on the same step.

 

[BIG flash]

Certain teachers are overpaid. Should the Phys Ed teacher get paid the same as the English teacher? Should the art teacher get paid as much as the math teacher?

i've certainly never met an overpaid k-12 teacher. i think they are all severely undervalued actually.
they are teaching our (society's) fricken youth for goodness sake.

btw, i'm not a teacher, there's no way I could do that sh*t. I subbed for several years though, so i've gotten a taste of it, sort of.
enough to know they are undervalued and not respeceted nearly enough.

 

[warbrane]

...... I can't help but feel like I started this argument so ..... Anyone handled the XDS yet, the guys at the gun shop said it was fantastic for a carry .45?

 

[Catfish787]

...... I can't help but feel like I started this argument so ..... Anyone handled the XDS yet, the guys at the gun shop said it was fantastic for a carry .45?

LOL. Trying to get things back on topic I see.

No, I have not handled it but I have read some good reviews.

I personally hate compact pistols because they don't fit in my hands that great. Just my opinion. No one kill me over it.

 

[warbrane]

LOL. Trying to get things back on topic I see.

No, I have not handled it but I have read some good reviews.

I personally hate compact pistols because they don't fit in my hands that great. Just my opinion. No one kill me over it.

I wasn't expecting to like the XD sub compact because you can't get a pinky on it, but once I handled one I gotta tell you it feels like it was made for my hand. That and the overall good reviews of it had me sold. For me comparing the XD to a glock the XD just felt so much better in my hand but to each his own.

 

[ECU Pirates]

...... I can't help but feel like I started this argument so ..... Anyone handled the XDS yet, the guys at the gun shop said it was fantastic for a carry .45?

Judging by your avatar you like springfields. I have shot the xds and am tempted to buy one. It's a great pistol. For me this is not really an argument more of a discussion. What's the point of a forum if everyone agrees? Would be kind of boring.

 

[ECU Pirates]

You paid school taxes when you were age 5 through 17? Can you even legally own property?

No, as I stated before my parents paid school tax while I attended. Does any sales tax go to schools? I honestly don't know but I have paid that all my life. Is any of my state income tax used to fund education?

Actually you started off with "Oh and I don't have kids so school taxes hurt even more" then changed

Wrong, nothing changed. Please show where I said I should not pay school taxes. You won't find it. Yes it hurts more when you don't have kids. That in no way shape or form can be interpreted as me saying I should not have to pay any school tax.

I gave you two options where you can avoid your obligations without breaking any laws. If you would like me to provide further ideas I can. Tom Golisano didn't agree with NY state tax collection so he established his residence in Florida. Was he an idiot?

Please enlighten me with more of your great ideas. Keep them in this country though. Are you saying Florida does not use property tax to fund school districts? How are the schools funded then?

I am at work but I bet you one of those guys that think teachers are over paid because they get 2 month off?

I thought teachers got more like 3 months off when you factor in all the breaks and holiday. I could be wrong though. The answer to your last question is yes and no. I believe NYS requires a masters degree to be a teacher? Jobs with higher education standards should be compensated justly. Teacher salary is only part of where school taxes go as we all know. I have a problem with teachers getting tenure then just showing up and doing the minimum because they know they can't be fired as long as the avoid committing a felony. They also get automatic raises. I know and had some great teachers that cared and went the extra mile. They actually made a difference. I also had some that plain sucked. They showed up and got paid (more every year). Some kept working long after they should have retired because they were greedy. Why should all teachers be given the same pay raises (I think the do)? Where is the incentive to go the extra mile? Every profession has lousy employees. However not every profession gives them automatic pay raises and can't get rid of them.

These teachers are overpaid:

700 NYC teachers paid to do nothing - US news - Education - NBCNews.com

I thought this was resolved but I guess not.

NYC teacher making $100K in rubber room refuses to retire « The Greenroom

Another issue is every little school district having a superintendent (about 150K a year) and two assistants (about 125K a year). Total waste of resources that could be used other places. If big districts do it with that amount of upper management so to speak; why can't the smaller ones cut an assistant or two? Athletic directors making over 100K with a secretary. What do they do? School districts seem a bit top heavy. To many chiefs for the amount of indians in some districts.

 

[BIG flash]

Yeah, superintendents and their assistants can certainly be overpaid. and that is awful about those rubber room teachers, never heard about that.

most big private business are top heavy too. certainly more chiefs than needed around my office. never enough indians.

the standard cost of living in a place like nyc needs to be taken into account when thinking about how much they are paid though.
it would be impossible to live in the city for the $40k that teachers in broome county probably make.

 

[ECU Pirates]

Yeah, superintendents and their assistants can certainly be overpaid. and that is awful about those rubber room teachers, never heard about that.

most big private business are top heavy too. certainly more chiefs than needed around my office. never enough indians.

the standard cost of living in a place like nyc needs to be taken into account when thinking about how much they are paid though.
it would be impossible to live in the city for the $40k that teachers in broome county probably make.

It's a mess in the private sector also. Way top heavy where I am but not funded by the tax payers. I agree on the cost of living adjustment. 40K in Broome? Let's have a look:

Here is my district:

http://php.pressconnects.com/school...aryrange=&submit=Search&page=0&sort=pay` DESC

They start at over 40K and looks like they move up in salary pretty quickly. It's a decent size district. Let look at a small district in Broome:

http://php.pressconnects.com/school...ty=Windsor&salaryrange=&year=11&submit=Search

Tiny district needs two assistant superintendents?