Massachusetts

Let's understand the mathematics of this. Starting here.

In Lawrence, MA, in 1968, each teacher had $50 for "supplies" in their account at the start of the year.
In Lawrence, MA, in 2012, each teacher had $50 for "supplies" in their account at the start of the year.

A loaf of good bread in 1968 cost $0.39
A loaf of good bread in 2012 cost $.2.39

See the problem here yet?

Teachers already pay for the paper and colored pencils and crayons kids use in schools, just to have decent materials for kids to use in school during the day. I have heard of teachers who buy school bags/backpacks for kids who couldn't afford them.

Teacher's often pay for photocopies of materials, or food in cafeterias for kids too broke to pay for and eat lunch.

That's what dedicated teachers call the "school supplies" tax on teachers.

I even heard a story about a police sargeant, (not in Mass but in NJ), assigned to a local high school, pull out a $20 bill to give to a teacher to pay for 10 school lunches for kids he wanted to know had a good lunch one day, because he wanted to talk to them about gangs after school, as long as they promised to come to his talk to hear about gangs, he would buy them a school lunch; nine out of ten showed up, only one of them is dead now, guess which one.



No one talks about this, it's not common, but it happens. Teachers are not rich; some kids come from families that are much poorer.

Back on topic:

Out of 100,000+ school personnel in Mass, teachers, janitors, lunchroom personnel, etc., how many cases of documented child abuse in the last 20 years? 5-10-20? I bet it's less than 20, (less than 0.0002% ,two ten thousandths of a percent) prove me wrong. For this 2/10,000's of a percent, each and every school employee pays a $55.00 tax to the state?

Does anyone want every public employee, every lawyer, every lawmaker to undergo this same standard?

Never! The sensationalist stories have to do with teachers and kids, not policemen and kids, not legislators and kids, not bankers or insurance people, not car repair folks, not laborers, etc., etc., etc. We tax (require themselves to pay for fingerprinting) the teachers, over 99,998% never commit these crimes. Get that percentage in your mind for a 20 year historical period: 99.998% of teachers do not commit crimes. So let's tax all of them, even the 63 year old widow substitute teachers trying to make ends meet, (and yes, Massachusetts will require all teacher, substitutes, and others to pay for this on their own.) The daily pay for a substitute teacher in Massachusetts is about $86 a day for the first 20 or so days. That first day, a substitute has already paid out $55 for the "privilege" of being a substitute. Think about that, take-home pay, less than $5 an hour.