Review teacher issue

Providing pay increases for teachers and other public school employees has reached the level of mania. Justifications include a current teacher shortage caused by turnover and declining enrollment in teacher training. The mantra is that teachers are underpaid, underappreciated and overworked. Additionally they spend their own money for classroom supplies. Like lemmings, politicians, business leaders, and the media believe these premises and that if taxpayers provide more funds all problems will melt away.

Consider declining enrollment in teacher training. Year after year, educators tell the public they are underpaid. Why would an intelligent person spend money and four years in college preparing for an underpaid career? Teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies. I have been in post-secondary education and business management for over 35 years and don't know any managers who have not spent their own money to take something to the workplace. Most turnovers in the private sector are the result of factors other than money, such as working conditions, policies, procedures, co-workers, and the quantity and quality of supervision.

I would like to see an independent committee of citizens review all voluntary terminations for the past five years. The committee would look at stated reasons for departure, how many are teaching elsewhere, how many returned, and how many are working in other areas. My prediction is that more have left for reasons other than pay levels, showing increased taxpayer money would not stop the departures.

Thomas A. Graham, Moore