State Sen. Shadrack McGill defended a pay raise his predecessors in the Legislature passed, but said doubling teacher pay could lead to less-qualified educators.I don't know but that all sorts of riff-raff might be attracted to run for the state legislature at pay close to $50,000 per year. I know folks who make less, that is, the people who have jobs.
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McGill, R-Woodville, said a 62 percent pay raise in 2007 - passed first by a controversial voice vote and later in an override of a veto by then-Gov. Bob Riley - better rewards lawmakers and makes them less susceptible to being swayed by lobbyists.
Lawmakers entered the 2007 legislative session making $30,710 a year, a rate that had not been changed in 16 years. The raise increased it to $49,500 annually.
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McGill said that by paying legislators more, they're less susceptible to taking bribes.
"He needs to make enough that he can say no, in regards to temptation. ... Teachers need to make the money that they need to make. There needs to be a balance there. If you double what you're paying education, you know what's going to happen? I've heard the comment many times, ‘Well, the quality of education's going to go up.' That's never proven to happen, guys.
"It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach.
"To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?
"And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity. (My emphasis)
Still, if the Bible says to keep teachers on a short wage leash, perhaps the Christians amongst us should pay attention. But wait! Where in the Bible does it say, "If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach." Can anyone out there cite chapter and verse?
Seems to me that Sen' McGill assumes more character and principles in teachers than in legislators. He could be right.
And what do Meshach and Abednego think about Shadrack's proposal? I guess we'll never know.
Thanks (or no thanks?) to Paul (A.), who sent the link with the following subject line:
At least Louisiana isn't responsible for this representative.At least...
