Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Random Thoughts ... we all have them.

Thought One: Teachers and Cops

People often wonder why these valued professionals aren't rewarded the way doctors or lawyers. I'd be the first one to say they all deserve a salary increase. I have never met a principal or a high ranking police officer who didn't accept the leadership responsibilities or love the opportunity to mold great teachers and officers. I'm sure there are some who don't, but for the most part even the higher ranking positions come with slim rewards compared to doctors or lawyers. Knowing corporate law of nature, the higher the rank the higher the pay, I wonder if the value of the job cheapens the more you pay someone.

I'm a believer in God's plan for everything to balance out on earth. I think if teachers and entry-level officers were paid as much as doctors and lawyers the day they first begin to teach a class or put on a uniform the quality of work would cheapen. The value of that job would also diminish.

Let's just say a teaching position at an elementary school would start at $60,000 a year with all the benefits of any corporation. And for the hell of it they are treated like college professors where if too many students fail you are looked at by a school board as a failure. If many students pass they get promoted at least in salary. Sounds like good incentives to shape a mold the young minds of American. Many people would flock to education degrees as they do for MDs, JDs and MBAs. The training wouldn't be as rigorous. BUT we all know many people who don't want to be noble and help people as a doctor or represent the good guys as a lawyer or even start a business to help the community. THEY DO IT FOR THE MONEY OF COURSE !! $$$ So they'd do whatever they'd have to in order keep that high paying job with great benefits. Including passing children who may not be up to par on their times tables or read at a 2nd grade level in 12th grade. Plenty of doctors care more than they get rewarded. But enough people enter med school with the thirst for money that overpowers their will to help. As stated in one of my favorite movies Blade (in I and III actually) , "eventually the thirst always wins".

I'm not saying that teachers and police officers shouldn't get paid more. I'm saying we would need to watch the quality of the work if that should ever happen in our life time.

Thought Two coming tomorrow. Good night.