Forbes puts out an annual 400 richest Americans list. To get on the list, you have to be worth at least $1.4 billion. For 2010, the collective net worth of these 400 people was $1.54 trillion. Of these people, many are hedge fund managers, others have made their money with oil companies, technology, and commerce. People associated with Enron, Wal-Mart, and various casinos made the list, among others (check out this Forbes link for the full scoop: Forbes.com.) To give you an idea of just how much $1.54 trillion is, consider the following:
· Roughly the amount of Canada, Russia, and India’s GDP
· The GDP of the U.S. is roughly $14 trillion…
o $1.54 trillion is 9% of the U.S. GDP
o 400 people account for .000001299% of the U.S. population
· Roughly the same amount of the U.S. budget deficit
To add some additional perspective, check out this YouTube video or visit the website link. Keep in mind that these images represent $1 trillion…to picture $1.5 trillion, you need to increase it by 50%.
Here is one last visual representation of $1 trillion in $1 bills:
$1 Trillion Slideshow
Now, let’s talk about Bush-era tax cuts. Essentially, these cuts provided some tax relief for families making a quarter of a million dollars or more annually. Their intention was to make the economy more business-friendly and spur the economic growth. This description, of course, is a gross oversimplification, but you get the point. Did these cuts actually spur the economy and will reversing these temporary cuts damage the economy? Those are the questions. Unfortunately, the rhetoric surrounding the repeal of these cuts is not really about the financial stability of the country, but rather the claimthat $250,000 a year is NOT a lot of money. So, let’s discuss what it means to make $250,000 a year. First, the federal poverty line (for a family of four) is $22,350. So, someone making a quarter of a million dollars is making more than 10 times the amount of a family living at the poverty line. $250,000 divides out to a staggering $120 an hour, while the poverty line equals about $10.75 an hour. The median household income is about $50,000—only 20% of the $250,000 paycheck. Even when compared to median incomes in high-earning states, $250,000 is still a lot of cheddar, yo. (DC-$83,200; San Francisco-$73,851; Boston-$68,142; New York City-$61,554).
You get the idea…in my humble opinion, $250,000 is a lot of damn money. Now it is true that I may not be able to own a fleet of Rolls-Royces, charter private jets, and hold catered parties with Dom Perignon and Almas caviar for 300 of my closest friends on that salary, but I think I would be okay. A home, a couple of cars, family vacations, and shopping would all be well within reason.
“So what’s your point?” you might ask.
“Are teachers overpaid?” I might respond.
My point is that in all of this rhetoric surrounding education—specifically that teachers are overpaid and underworked babysitters—I believe that teachers are paid barely adequately for what they do. I also believe that as politicians and pundits continue to muddy the waters with false, unsubstantiated, and hypocritical claims against educators we, as a country, will be drawn even farther from the heart of the debate: what is good for children?
Please take a few moments to watch the following:
Jon Stweart and the Angry Curds
If you are taking the time to read my blog, I will assume you are with me. Otherwise, I will be waiting for your angry comments :) The very important discourse of education, like so many discussions in our country, is being obfuscated by ridiculous and grotesque claims and arguments that totally miss the point. And to be very clear:
THE POINT IS WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN (i.e. the future).
Cutting arts programs, athletics, extracurricular activities, and teacher’s aids and increasing class sizes, testing, and teacher stress levels is not conducive to good learning. I could bore you with links to all sorts of academic articles to this effect, but I will refrain. If you are interested you can go to Google Scholar and search any of the above key terms and find multitudes of information supporting my claim.
I want our kids to be engaged, thoughtful, critical thinkers. I want them to understand complex concepts and care about learning. I want them to be creative and active human beings. I assume that many people out there share this view. So I am forced to ask, how do we get kids to this level? Does rote memorization, the pressure of constant standardized testing (which is racist and classist, by the way, but that’s another blog), and a complete lack of resources help our kids get there?
NO.
So when you are listening to the radio or watching a news broadcast, think about these things. Think about how you want your kids to turn out or other people’s kids to turn out. Think of the world you want to live in as you grow older and the world you want your kids to grow older in. Let these factors inform you understanding of educational policies--not the rhetoric of greed and politics.
If you are interested in more information and opinions on this topic, please click the link below. I assure you it will be far more stimulating and better written than my invective.
Our Public Schools Are Turning Out Drones For The Coporate State
The End. Kinda...
Since I have done so much ranting, I thought I would leave you with some good thoughts. Below are some pictures of our garden. Daffodils are blooming, the grass is greening up, and the sun is shining. Despite the frustrating and scary times we live in I am keeping a smile on my face.
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