Sales Tax for Teacher's Salaries

Published under Missy Crockett
Editoral Section
Arkansas Gazette
December 6, 1983

New Funds Teachers' Salaries?

 
I have watched the education issue with much interest.  When the one-cent sales tax passed and the other taxes did not, I could not help but wonder how long it would be before the teachers found out that their salaries could not be raised very much.  I just hope that the one-cent tax will be enough to cover the costs of writing, distributing, administering, and grading the literacy exams the teachers are now required to take in order to receive this raise.

I figure the following new expenses will have to be paid: 
1.  Salaries for people to decide who shall write the exam 
2.  Salaries for those who write the exam
3.  Salaries for those who must decide how to interpret the scores and figure the percentiles
4.  Salaries for people to explain all this
5.  Salaries and expense accounts for those who will see that the tests are properly distributed 
6.  Salaries and expense accounts for people to administer the test 
7.  Salaries for people to program computers to grade the test
8.  Salaries for people to oversee the computer grading
9.  Salaries for people to notify all concerned about the test scores 
10. Salaries plus expense accounts for people to investigate the many complaints that will come rolling in about the fairness of the test. 
         
Of course, more money will be needed for postage, pencils, stationary, secretaries, office space, expensive office furnishings, utilities, and other hidden expenses.  Naturally, a large piece of money will need to be set aside for a person with an appropriate title to over see the whole ball of wax.  And, of course, this person will require an appropriate staff.

On second thought, I doubt that any money will be available for raises.  However, I have the perfect solution:  Let's charge the teachers $100 each to take the test.  After all, if it weren't for the teachers, this whole testing thing wouldn't be necessary anyway.  Let's put the blame where it belongs for goodness sakes.

I recently heard an interesting piece of conversation the other day at a downtown restaurant:  "If all the feeble-minded people in the world were locked up, who would teach our children?" 

Thanks for the vote of confidence.