The telling saga of the small tax credit for teachers
Published October 14, 2015
by Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch and NC SPIN panelist, October 13, 2015.
One of the most revealing decisions about education made by the General Assembly in the last few sessions has nothing to do with teacher assistants or class size or charter school funding. It’s in the tax changes made in the last four years.
In the 2011-2012 legislative session when the new Republican leadership assumed control of the General Assembly, they slashed education funding across the board, cutting everything from school buses to textbooks to classroom supplies.
They also created a small tax break for teachers who bought supplies out of their own pockets. It was a startling decision, an admission that lawmakers were simply unwilling to give teachers the materials they needed to do their jobs.
Instead, despite the scandalously low pay teachers received, they would be expected to buy their supplies and would receive a break on their taxes for a small portion of what they had to spend out of their own pockets.
It’s hard to imagine any other workplace operating that way. Imagine a new employee at SAS—or even at the General Assembly—being told the first day on the job that they needed to buy their own desk and computer and that they were welcome to deduct a small percentage of the cost off of next year’s state tax bill.
Then after boasting about how much the absurd tax credit showed they supported teachers, the same legislative leaders abolished the credit in 2013. It was part of the tax package that gave corporations and the wealthy huge tax cuts while allowing the state Earned Income Tax Credit for low-wage workers to expire.
There wasn’t much discussion about ending the tax credit for teachers, but there were more cuts to education, the slashing thousands of teacher assistants, and another reduction in funding for supplies.
Teachers would have to buy even more of the materials they needed to do their jobs and wouldn’t even continue to receive the almost insulting tax credit for part of their purchases.
And to make matters worse, many veteran teachers received barely any pay increase at all.
Then came the 2015 session and another round of tax cuts for corporations and another $1,800 break for millionaires.
Two of the big education “achievements” touted by legislative leaders were not cutting more teacher assistants and funding increased student enrollment. Apparently not cutting more was worthy of a celebration.
They also increased the starting pay for teachers, but more than two-thirds of educators received no raise at all, only a one-time $750 bonus that doesn’t count toward their retirement. It leaves average teacher pay languishing below neighboring states and near the bottom of national rankings, prompting many teachers to consider moving to other states or leaving the professional altogether.
But just to show again they care, General Assembly budget writers are now touting the reinstatement of the small tax credit for teachers who buy the supplies they need to help students learn.
It reimburses teachers for some of their purchases but also reminds them that the folks currently running things in Raleigh have no intention of properly funding the schools. And they are counting on teachers themselves to pick up the slack.
Thanks to cuts in recent sessions, there are now 7,500 fewer teacher assistants in the classroom before the recession.
Taking the philosophy of the tax credit for supplies to its logical conclusion, teachers who don’t like it and need the extra help in the classroom should stop complaining and hire the TAs themselves and pay them personally. Maybe lawmakers will reward them with another tax break worth a few dollars.
That’s what it has come to in our public schools. Adequately funding the classrooms is apparently no longer on the table.
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2015/10/13/the-telling-saga-of-the-small-tax-credit-for-teachers/
October 14, 2015 at 10:36 am
Richard L Bunce says:
So Chris writes a lot of articles about teacher compensation... has he ever written an article about the majority of traditional government school students being not proficient at basic skills? Interesting that from the several studies I have read it consistently shows that traditional government school teacher compensation is significantly higher than private school teacher compensation... and yet we do not hear this constant drumbeat about private school teacher compensation and parent satisfaction with school performance. Certainly their continued enrollment of their child in the school of their choice at "extra" cost to them indicates a high level of satisfaction.
October 19, 2015 at 3:56 pm
Curt Budd says:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/03/25/new-studies-find-that-for-teachers-experience.html
Shocker. It appears experience actually DOES make a difference.
And Richard, Norm you too, visited a school yet? Any school? So that you can make "INFORMED" decisions about education? Since, Norm is on a low-information kick. I'm here every day, trying to make a real difference. Stop with your ideology, and look into some practicality.
October 21, 2015 at 11:01 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Why do you hate parents who want what is best for their child?
... and are you saying if the current teachers just earned more they would actually do their job?
October 22, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Curt Budd says:
Im the parent of a 12yr old. I give my heart and soul to students for 18 years, in many cases, Im the closest thing any of them have to a parent, so how dare you say something like "hate parents". You're crossing a line. I'm guessing because I've struck a nerve. You NEVER answer the question. Have you visited a school?
Where in my reply does it say ANYTHING about current teachers working harder? Oh, that's right you have to spout your ideology to get your lobbyist check.
And since you brought it up and you seem to have trouble with reading comprehension, the article points out how experience teachers do lead to more success for students(what should be the goal for ANY school). Also, quality teachers are leaving for neighboring states. It's called "fair-market value". That your party relies on for most of their political philosophy. I love my students and their parents reciprocate because I have a proven track record of caring for their actual well-being, not just some political ideology.
October 23, 2015 at 10:28 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Sure... crossed the line... you're the closest thing to a parent... full of yourself much?
PARENTS get to decide what is best for their child. Relatively wealthy parents have the resources and do so everyday with excellent results outside traditional government schools. Relatively poor parents, who DO care more about their children than you do, do not.
YOU want those children from realtively poor families held hostage in your failed system to maintain the money flowing to you... even though those are the students YOU fail the most.
YOU don't support teachers... you only support traditional government school teachers. You don't support students... you only support traditional government school students.
I don't get a dime from any entity in government or education... YOU cannot say the same... with you it's only about the money.
October 14, 2015 at 11:08 am
Norm Kelly says:
So, if we compare the standard talking-points demon party memo blah-blah from Chris with the fact based, statistically based post from John Hood, can we draw any conclusions? Of course.
Chris continues to claim education establishment funding has been grossly cut by Republicans since they were elected by a majority of voters. John shows us that this just isn't true.
Chris continues to carry water for the demons and education establishment by telling us that teachers are grossly underpaid in our state. John uses facts to show us that our teachers aren't that bad off. As well, John shows us that one of the biggest problems with teacher pay scales implemented by the socialist party is the huge disparity between starting pay and veteran pay. Libs want across the board pay raises for teachers, rather than merit-based pay raises. Libs want veteran teachers to get much more pay than starting teachers. Like it's not important to recruit new teachers, but only important to increase teacher pay as they get closer to retirement so that their retirement pay is increased artificially?
When Republicans implemented a tax credit for teachers who VOLUNTARILY bought supplies for their classes, libs including Chris went ballistic. When Republicans repealed the vilified tax credit, libs including Chris went ballistic. Once again, libs want it both ways but hope and pray (to their false god of big-government) that you don't notice their whine in both cases.
When Republicans implemented teacher pay raises, libs including Chris, vilified the change. Why? Not because it didn't give teachers a pay raise, but because it didn't give teachers as much as libs WANTED to give teachers. Just remember, against the hopes of libs, that the last time the education establishment budget was ACTUALLY cut was when demons ruled. Were newly hired teachers actually underpaid? When compared to other states and compared to how well veteran teachers were paid, maybe. So, Republicans raised starting teacher pay. Should improve teacher recruitment, right? Not according to libs.
What do libs tell us? Turnover among teachers was at a level around 15%. Wow! That's an incredible number. And John shows us that it really is incredible. Meaning unbelievable. Because the number is skewed. Meaning NOT ACCURATE! Purposely misleading? Well, one simply needs to ask if purposely misleading the public has any benefit to any particular group. Would ANYONE or ANY GROUP benefit by producing misinformation for consumption by the general public? Is there a benefit to providing inaccurate information to low-information voters who are typically more interested in make-believe football (what fanatics call 'fantasy' football) than news or information? Yes. Low-information voters are the main stay of the demoncrat party. They maintain power and control over the masses by misleading low-information types. Those who 'care about kids' will want to put libs back in power cuz they have 'heard' that those waskly Republicans hate teachers, want to drive teachers out of the state in droves, and want to privatize ALL education for K-12 grades. Of course, none of this is true, but low-information types don't know this and are too busy doing make-believe stuff to do their own investigation and find out they are being misled. And the teacher's union ally of the demons also stands to benefit when the masses are misled. The group that was led by a person who misspent dues for his own benefit, yet claimed, like all libs, that he was working 'harder than ever' for the little guy. While only looking out for himself. And misleading the masses by continuing to claim Republicans HATE teachers and want to destroy the education establishment monopoly.
I prefer John's fact based information as opposed to emotional drivel that continues to spew from leftists and their allies.
October 23, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Curt Budd says:
I don't have anything to personally gain from this argument except for the betterment of the current and future generations of students. That's ALL I care about. Again, you have NO practical idea of the realities of present-day education. I teach students that have NO parent in the home. I teach students that come from severely dysfunctional homes. So YES. In those cases, I am the closest thing they have to a parent. I spend more time with them during the week, I'm the closest thing they have to a positive influence that actually cares about their well-being. It affects me personally, none in the least, whether there are vouchers or not. You keep trying to link me to some public school ideology. Again, I'm not into ideology, I believe in what I've seen through many years of hands-on experience.
But you know what, I've come to a realization. No one on this forum EVER debates you guys. I've come to realize it's because no one cares about your opinion. You're irrelevant. So enjoy patting each other on the back. I'm going to spend my time debating people that DO matter, and have a genuine interest in students. Not ideology.
As soon as you spout that tired phrase "govt industrial complex" nobody listens. As soon as Norm starts in with his unfunny nicknames for people and groups, no one takes his thoughts seriously. So you guys have fun. I have a proven track record of service to my students and community. You have... well, what do you have? Blogs? Complaints? Take a long look in the mirror. I genuinely do hope you have students and parents best interest at heart. But your comments only sound like all philosophy, no reality.
Sorry but "hate parents" crosses the line. I want whats best for ALL families. I dont think vouchers that are going to special-interest, middle-class families to attend either private school or unproven charters is for the greater good. I think the poor families that you claim to support, could be served in a MUCH greater capacity if resources and ideas were targeted directly to them. Vouchers have already been proven, especially in this state, to NOT serve this purpose. That's not theory, that's fact. Have a nice life.
October 24, 2015 at 11:00 am
Richard L Bunce says:
That's government EDUCATION industrial complex... and you are it's poster boy.
Freedom, choice, triumph of the individual over the State... individual parents doing what is best for their individual children by not sending them to government education bureaucrat assigned 20th Century government education factories.. that is the winning side.
