Shreveport Senator Fails to Make Retiring Harder for LA Teachers

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If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times - teachers don't get paid enough.  Sure, sure - they get a pretty hefty summer vacation and they also enjoy a nice stretch of time off during Christmas.  I just don't think the time off balances out the over-filled classrooms, angry parents, and abysmal pay scale.  Let's face it - they do it because they love it.

That being said, there comes a time in every educators life when they have given all they can to the kids they are in charge of teaching.  I thought that a well earned retirement with benefits is the least we can offer these academic angels.  One senator from Shreveport has surprised me with his crusade to do even less.  Thankfully he seems to have failed - this time.

According to the Advocate, republican Sen. Barrow Peacock from Shreveport has decided to shelve his proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 67.  If you think that 5 more years in the classroom is no big deal, think about it like this: Multiply the frustration you have with your kid by 18 to 20.  Now think about trying to coordinate a lesson for all of them at the same time while simultaneously trying to give personal attention to each of them.  You only have about 50 minutes to pull this off before you start over with a new batch.  Oh yeah, most of them don't want to be there.

Before you breathe a sigh of relief for our teachers, just know that this likely isn't the last you'll hear about it.  Senator Peacock has reportedly shelved the proposal for now.  To be fair, this plan would free up money for teacher's salaries - but his opponents claim that would hurt Louisiana's ability to recruit good teachers, an issue we already struggle with.

Personally, I think by the time they reach the age of 62 and have put in at least 40 years of service they have totally earned retirement - and possibly a parade.