With economic woes at the forefront, young people choosing a career have their work cut out for them. A job like teaching, which once seemed to this Gen-Xer to be a solid choice, is now in question because of budget cuts. Not only could it prove difficult to keep a teaching job in the future, but even more likely, the pay could deteriorate below survival amounts. How can a government pay its teachers when it can't even keep its books straight? The upside of this may be that only those who love teaching and feel "called" to it will apply. That, of course, would benefit the students of America.
Then again, maybe I am wrong. Maybe teachers will retain the decent position they have now on the food chain. Maybe the trade-off of teaching as opposed to working in business will remain a medium income with the security of a contract year after year. While some of my friends after high school sought business degrees and big salaries, I chose education. I have seen some of my friends crash and burn in their quest for the almighty dollar, and I have seen others flourish beyond what I ever believed possible. As for me, I am happy as a teacher, but some months are harder than others at just making ends meet.
Like most of you, I've been very concerned about the bailout crisis in American politics. I know we have a deficit in the trillions, and now Bush and others say we must write a $700 billion check from the future to the failed banks. Scary. I can't help but wonder what will happen to teaching as a career. Our salaries come out of that empty pot from which they are pulling the $700 billion. But isn't teaching a need of society? Won't our government make sure that the children have the teachers they need and that the teachers are taken care of? One would hope.
Article comments
1 - Jessica The Rock Chick
It's scary, scary times, isn't it? Sometimes I'm almost relieved that I'm not all that learned in Economics and all of this banking, Wall Street stuff because... I'd probably have a nervous breakdown. :)
All that aside, a career that can keep your head above water (or at least your nose) and that you are passionate about is priceless! Working at a job you dislike is hard to do considering the amount of time spent there. I believe that people are called into certain professions like teaching. That's not a job anyone should be doing just for the money. Which is kind of ironic, because teachers are some of the most underpaid people I know.
2 - Joanne Huspek
Twenty-two years ago, my husband had to decide between teaching and running a business employing teachers. There are some days when I wish he would have taken the teaching position. He would have been a great teacher! And besides that, we'd have been on easy street by now.