News-Record.com

The Goodwill Stores and Yard sales are great places to score the appropriate clothing for peanuts, unless your daughter is an odd size.

Even odd sizes can be found at Goodwill, and it is a great place to shop. Not only do they have decent clothes, but also numerous household items. My wife and I love to shop there!

It isn't just teachers that go through this scenario. It's people in all walks of life. My wife is an accountant, I work in the mortgage industry.

Sometimes, people just have to adjust.

Just a question: If your daughter's husband doesn't work and is on disability, why is after school care needed?

I know I am in the minority about teachers pay but I have to point out that 40K is A LOT of money. The State treats them very good especially when you compare them to other State employees. Take me for instance, I went to college, have an outstanding degree, 10 years experience (6 with the State) and make under 30K. I went several years and received no pay raise while teachers not only receive an automatic pay raise they also receive supplements, bonuses, and cost of living increases. Did I mention they only work 9 months out of the year? Teachers are paid and treated much better than people think. Plus I hate to point this out, but no one is making her be a teacher just like no one is making me stay in my severely under paid position. When you make that conscience choice, you lose the ability to complain. Perhaps she could take up sewing, and during the three months she has off of work she could make outfits that are nicer and less expensive. High Point has some great fabric outlets.

$40k is NOT a lot of money. Not when you consider what you have AFTER the government gets through with you.

I have to agree with Jill that the teachers are treated better than other state employees. But you know what else is interesting? Where I work, the housekeepers have received 4-5% raises the last 2 years, while people making 40,000 have received 2% raises. Even though the people making $40k went to college and received numerous degrees, have much more complex decisions and thinking to do all day, and take their work home with them.

Just because we are all state employees, does that mean we SHOULD all be treated the same? My thinking is that there is a reason why housekeepers are paid less than technical people. And there may be just as valid reasons why teachers are paid better than some other state employees,

Personally, my job takes more education and training and credential than a teachers job does. Yet they still have received better treatment than people in my field that work for the state government. But it is all political. When the governor says he's doing stuff for teachers, the masses react and say 'how wonderful'. You just don't get the same reaction when you say you are doing something for the state's computer technicians, or accountants, or engineers.

Thank you Jill.
"truth" honey, I understand your logic, however, if you are a female, in a traditional female role, working for the state your chances of making 30G's a year are slim to none.
Even WITH a piece of paper that says you are intelligent.
In the eyes of the Legislature, aka fartknockers, teachers have always been the golden children.
I say it's all tax money, why are THEY so much more loved and REWARDED? Sure they have a responsibility, but so do the rank and file state workers. Who is measuring who is "worth more"?
If state employees are so worthless, why aren't their jobs cut?
I understand your logic, but I just don't GET
the logic.
with love,
Lilly

I must admit, when I first saw the letter regarding professional dress, I was a little taken aback and had the same feelings as Ms. Manzi. But after thinking about it, I can understand the meaning behind the directive. And just so you know, this directive is not only for the teachers, but for the central office employees as well, who are, contrary to popular opinion, not as "overpaid" as one might think.

But back to my original thought, people in the workforce are expected to dress accordingly. We're not going to go into a professional corporation with jeans on. Likewise, if we are supposed to be educational professionals, perhaps it's not so terrible to dress like a professional. Gosh, you go into the schools and at times it's hard to determine who the teachers are--they are dressed as casually as the students. Like it or not, people ARE judged by the way they look, and maybe these students are not seeing their teachers as authority figures because they don't dress like it. (I don't mean to zero in on just the teachers--Central office employees should fall under the same standard as well) If we're supposed to be professionals, maybe we should dress like it.

As Hugh and gaytony pointed out there are low cost alternatives around that, believe it or not, provide some really decent quality clothing.

I understand your logic as well,Lilly. I've worked in state government for many years and I know all too well about who gets 'special treatment'. I have a few school teachers who whined to me about not getting more than 2% raises. I would normally be able to empathize with them except for the fact that I worked those same years as a state employee and receive NO raise.

Like I said, it is all political (voters think teachers are worth more than the rest of us) and the good old boy network is alive and well. The real winners aren't the teachers OR the other state employees. The real winners are the high level administrators. Where I work, we've got layer after layer of these people. And it isn't like a corportation where these folks have a lot of major decision making to do. The lawmakers do that for them. We literally have people who make over $100k a year and do practically nothing.

The losers are the taxpayers.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not whining. I took the job I have and it is my choice to stay or go.

"truth" I made the choice to leave. Ahhhh life in the private sector is sooo great. :)
I gave 14 years of public service to the taxpayers of NC.
I also loved my jobs while in Raleigh. Always trying to "represent" like intelligent people worked in my division. *griN*
I also asked ALOT of questions to those in positions of authority, kept them on their toes. I'm sure THEY don't miss me. LOL. However, those rank and file co-workers sure do and I miss them also. :(

I guess the idea that 40,000.00 per year is a lot of money is relative. Personally I would not know what to do with myself if I made that much. All I do is answer the phones and do some accounting work at my job and I am required to adhere to a professional dress code. Surely if you are in the position of shaping young minds you should have to adhere to one as well. How can you demand respect from your students if you are trying so hard to look like one of them? Wouldn’t this send a pretty confusing message? I believe that on a 40,000.00 a year budget you should be able to dress if not professionally at least conservatively. Somehow I bet the problem is more about not wanting to be seen wearing the same outfit two weeks in a row not that they can’t afford any.

Ms. Manzi,
I have a suggestion for you......tell your daughter to go to the Social Services for Guilford county and apply for Health Choice for her children medical insurance. She most likely would qualify for it. It would be something like 100 dollars a year to cover them along with very little co pays....something like 5 dollars.

This is a great argument for ending public education and having a private system in which teachers would be independent contractors and could name their own price for their services.

As someone who works in the private sector I feel that I can give my perspective without being condescending or trite. The pay scale is low but thank goodness for those of us willing to accept that level. There will always be a need for public school teachers and public servants. In regards to teachers' dress, it depends upon dress code. They are certainly not asking teachers to wear heels and hose. Business casual is certainly doable but you do not want to spend a lot of money to crawl on the floor, change copier toner and chase kids all day. More power to teachers and more power to comfort. I can understand, though, a policy that is asking for respectable attire but I hope they are not asking for too much!