Gamecock Club Membership & 2022 Home Football Tickets

[king ward]

I attended two games this past year. I expect to attend at least that many this season. I really want to do a road game. Those are the best.

 

[uscalumni]

That is great. I am glad you enjoy it and are excited already.

If I don't have plans to be at the lake, I'll be supporting them from the comfort of my living room- as usual - surrounded by my favorite wife and kids (well, they don't watch sports so they'll be in the house somewhere)

On those nice evenings where the temp is nice, I'll watch the game sitting outside in my backyard with the game projected onto the back of my house.

The joy of saving that money, having a clean bathroom, and avoiding drunk jerks near me keeps a smile on my face.

The Dave Ramsey way of doing business. I LOVE IT

USCALUMNI

 

[uscalumni]

Yep. I like to make the power company, mortgage co, etc sweat before they get my money. I want them to be on the brink of bankruptcy before I bail them out.lol

I pay my bill this way also

USCALUMNI

 

[king ward]

That is great. I am glad you enjoy it and are excited already.

If I don't have plans to be at the lake, I'll be supporting them from the comfort of my living room- as usual - surrounded by my favorite wife and kids (well, they don't watch sports so they'll be in the house somewhere)

On those nice evenings where the temp is nice, I'll watch the game sitting outside in my backyard with the game projected onto the back of my house.

The joy of saving that money, having a clean bathroom, and avoiding drunk jerks near me keeps a smile on my face.

I find that approach hard to assail.

 

[king ward]

Yep. I like to make the power company, mortgage co, etc sweat before they get my money. I want them to be on the brink of bankruptcy before I bail them out.lol

I had a work friend years ago who was always buying pieces of land - just to possess it. He seemed to take comfort in it. It could be out in the middle of nowhere.

He was just a working stiff, as was I. He didn't mind borrowing money to buy land, plus he had a house payment and all the obligations a younger family man has.

I asked him one day if he ever worried about all the debts he had, and he deadpanned without a blink, "I let the man I owe worry about that".

 

[hahnenkampf]

The education system in our country is a mess. I'm truly grateful for teachers like you. I seriously don't know you how you do it.

I thank the teachers at my kids school all the time. I know how hard it is. Especially with the shortages.

The future of education is going to be online learning. You'll have administrators and kids will learn on tablets or other devices.

There simply won't be enough teachers. There aren't enough now.

The problem with the teaching profession is that it is run by the Federal government, which continually mandates stupid instructions meant only to benefit the NEA and district administrators. When I lived in Los Angeles in 1990 I remember a headline that stated the chauffeur for the LAUSD Superintendent made $250,000 per year, I knew kids in that district were getting a sub-par education.

 

[Ratheolcoach]

The problem with the teaching profession is that it is run by the Federal government, which continually mandates stupid instructions meant only to benefit the NEA and district administrators. When I lived in Los Angeles in 1990 I remember a headline that stated the chauffeur for the LAUSD Superintendent made $250,000 per year, I knew kids in that district were getting a sub-par education.

I can’t like or love your post enough!

 

[bashby33]

The problem with the teaching profession is that it is run by the Federal government, which continually mandates stupid instructions meant only to benefit the NEA and district administrators. When I lived in Los Angeles in 1990 I remember a headline that stated the chauffeur for the LAUSD Superintendent made $250,000 per year, I knew kids in that district were getting a sub-par education.

Well the schools aren't run by the federal government. I would argue they'd probably be much better or at least more consistent if they were.

Local politicians love playing games with the schools. They do what's politically advantageous over what's actually best for the schools.

 

[Gamecockben1979]

It's 9% for teachers (for now) and is likely to increase if legislators are to be believed.

My wife is a teacher.

Teachers get almost no Personal Leave Time to take off during the school year. (I started this year with 80 hours of PTO, and I've already earned an additional 8 hours- my wife gets 5 PTO days a year because of her tenure and her district, new teachers start off with 3 in her district).

So if one of our kids are sick, as bad as she wants to take them to the doctor or handle it - I have to do it. She can't. Last year my son got an award at the high school, she couldn't come. I went. That's really how ti works with teachers. They miss a lot - especially with their own kids.

When my kids were in elementary school, I ate lunch with each of them every 2 weeks on Fridays. In all the years of elementary school with our 3 kids, my wife never ate lunch with any of our children. She was working. I did it dozens and dozens of times.

I don't understand the "9 month job" talk. My wife works through the first week of June and she's required back to school the last week of July because she works at a magnet program. The Midlands area has numerous magnet programs and a bunch of teachers fulfilling those roles.

She's also "encouraged" (Read required) to take a class in the summer even though she's taken dozens of classes at this point in her career. Before COVID, one of the last classes she took in the summer required her to go out of town for a week. They didn't even cover her meals out of town or gas to get there. She had to pay those expenses herself. (How many of you have jobs where you are basically required to go take a class out of town and pay for your own meals while you are out of town? I know my company pays for that stuff).

Most of her fellow teachers are also "encouraged" to take a course or a variety of 1, 2, 3 week classes over the summer. (Mind you, these classes are not free- and some are not cheap- and no, the school doesn't usually pay for them) like most employers would do if you had a private sector job). I know about 3 years ago she went out of town for a week in the summer to the Lowcountry and got a tote as a "gift" for her week out of town. It was a nice tote. But a $40 tote is not much of a payment for a week out of town in the summer time doing work.

Last Tuesday, my wife left home before 7am - as usual, -worked her full day, had a tutoring session after school and then was required to stay for parent evening activity where parents come to school. She walked in at 8:30pm - exhausted. Now, that was unusual. That only happens about once a month. But even that sort of thing goes unnoticed by most parents.

Plus, does the "9 month job" talk include all the Friday evenings my wife and I are out to dinner where she is getting phone calls from parents or emails from students worried about something the previous week- some of them not "fun" phone calls? I don't think my wife and I have enjoyed a Friday night date night in years where she didn't get a phone call or a few "urgent" emails from parents or students about something that happened during the week.

Of course, she also gets some of these same emails on Sunday afternoons and evenings. Yeah, she could ignore them. But if she does, she'll pay for it during the week. So she answers them and tries to take care of the issue.

I have to be honest, I make over double what my wife makes, I never answer emails on the weekend (unless one of my coworker buddies is emailing me about something goofy and I just want to email back) and I am asleep when she leaves each morning. She works a LOT, LOT harder than I do and I don't have to deal with absolutely crazy parents and students.

Oh, I am not complaining too much. No, she didn't sign up for some of the garbage she has to do now. It's not in the job description. But she sure isn't working a "9 month job" either.

and I'll add- my wife has told me many times she is worried about teaching as a profession in South Carolina. The turnover is staggering. The numbers leaving the profession are huge and the numbers of incoming teachers can't keep up.

She has had a handful of super talented, young, wonderful teachers come through her school the last 3-4 years who have worked a year or two and quit. They aren't coming back. (I'm not talking about those quitting because of COVID, this problem was there before COVID) This has saddened her worse than anything because several of them have been top notch.

A lot of them are not coming back and aren't willing to work these easy, "9 month" jobs anymore. The "free market" is SCREAMING that the pay is not enough - not nearly enough. But the folks in Columbia in the legislature that live and die by the free market are sticking their fingers in their ears.

Man you get it. Thank your wife for all that she sacrifices to teach the youth in this state. This personal story kinda takes the wind out of the “9 month a year” job.

I’ve dealt with the same. I’m taking a class now for two hours after school one day a week for recertification. It’s in my “free time” just like the class I had to take this summer. I didn’t “have” to take it, but I wouldn’t be allowed to teach AP without it.

I’ve talked with parents about their child’s attendance and grades on nights and weekends. If you don’t get to them quickly it ends up going to administrators and a much bigger deal. Even when you do respond in your free time, sometimes it still ends up being that way.

Ive been fortunate to accumulate some sick leave but women really get the shaft. If they have kids it basically depletes all of their sick leave each time they have one…in some instances they don’t get paid to take leave. Not to mention administration can decline any leave done in advance, which is why whether I’m sick or not I always make it “sick leave” so the school can’t come in and decline it.

You are so right about the people not willing to do this. Sad part is the majority in this state could care less. It provides me job stability, but I worry about my grandkids and what public education will look like in the next 10-20 years.

 

[USC2USC]

The problem with the teaching profession is that it is run by the Federal government, which continually mandates stupid instructions meant only to benefit the NEA and district administrators. When I lived in Los Angeles in 1990 I remember a headline that stated the chauffeur for the LAUSD Superintendent made $250,000 per year, I knew kids in that district were getting a sub-par education.

I have worked in education for over 25 years and your statement is simply not true. The vast majority of public school decisions and oversight happens at the school, district and state levels. I understand it is a popular narrative some folks really like to push now but it is simply not true. If you don't like the state of education in SC, look to Columbia.

 

[USC2USC]

It's 9% for teachers (for now) and is likely to increase if legislators are to be believed.

My wife is a teacher.

Teachers get almost no Personal Leave Time to take off during the school year. (I started this year with 80 hours of PTO, and I've already earned an additional 8 hours- my wife gets 5 PTO days a year because of her tenure and her district, new teachers start off with 3 in her district).

So if one of our kids are sick, as bad as she wants to take them to the doctor or handle it - I have to do it. She can't. Last year my son got an award at the high school, she couldn't come. I went. That's really how ti works with teachers. They miss a lot - especially with their own kids.

When my kids were in elementary school, I ate lunch with each of them every 2 weeks on Fridays. In all the years of elementary school with our 3 kids, my wife never ate lunch with any of our children. She was working. I did it dozens and dozens of times.

I don't understand the "9 month job" talk. My wife works through the first week of June and she's required back to school the last week of July because she works at a magnet program. The Midlands area has numerous magnet programs and a bunch of teachers fulfilling those roles.

She's also "encouraged" (Read required) to take a class in the summer even though she's taken dozens of classes at this point in her career. Before COVID, one of the last classes she took in the summer required her to go out of town for a week. They didn't even cover her meals out of town or gas to get there. She had to pay those expenses herself. (How many of you have jobs where you are basically required to go take a class out of town and pay for your own meals while you are out of town? I know my company pays for that stuff).

Most of her fellow teachers are also "encouraged" to take a course or a variety of 1, 2, 3 week classes over the summer. (Mind you, these classes are not free- and some are not cheap- and no, the school doesn't usually pay for them) like most employers would do if you had a private sector job). I know about 3 years ago she went out of town for a week in the summer to the Lowcountry and got a tote as a "gift" for her week out of town. It was a nice tote. But a $40 tote is not much of a payment for a week out of town in the summer time doing work.

Last Tuesday, my wife left home before 7am - as usual, -worked her full day, had a tutoring session after school and then was required to stay for parent evening activity where parents come to school. She walked in at 8:30pm - exhausted. Now, that was unusual. That only happens about once a month. But even that sort of thing goes unnoticed by most parents.

Plus, does the "9 month job" talk include all the Friday evenings my wife and I are out to dinner where she is getting phone calls from parents or emails from students worried about something the previous week- some of them not "fun" phone calls? I don't think my wife and I have enjoyed a Friday night date night in years where she didn't get a phone call or a few "urgent" emails from parents or students about something that happened during the week.

Of course, she also gets some of these same emails on Sunday afternoons and evenings. Yeah, she could ignore them. But if she does, she'll pay for it during the week. So she answers them and tries to take care of the issue.

I have to be honest, I make over double what my wife makes, I never answer emails on the weekend (unless one of my coworker buddies is emailing me about something goofy and I just want to email back) and I am asleep when she leaves each morning. She works a LOT, LOT harder than I do and I don't have to deal with absolutely crazy parents and students.

Oh, I am not complaining too much. No, she didn't sign up for some of the garbage she has to do now. It's not in the job description. But she sure isn't working a "9 month job" either.

and I'll add- my wife has told me many times she is worried about teaching as a profession in South Carolina. The turnover is staggering. The numbers leaving the profession are huge and the numbers of incoming teachers can't keep up.

She has had a handful of super talented, young, wonderful teachers come through her school the last 3-4 years who have worked a year or two and quit. They aren't coming back. (I'm not talking about those quitting because of COVID, this problem was there before COVID) This has saddened her worse than anything because several of them have been top notch.

A lot of them are not coming back and aren't willing to work these easy, "9 month" jobs anymore. The "free market" is SCREAMING that the pay is not enough - not nearly enough. But the folks in Columbia in the legislature that live and die by the free market are sticking their fingers in their ears.

Thank you for this post and thank you to your wife for her years in service. As someone whose spouse has also worked in K-12 education for 20 years in multiple states, this account is 1,000% true.