[mr.fundamental]

Nobody is stopping you from investing an additional 12.4% of your income, which is what Social Security costs those of us who will "get" it. I would have loved to have been able to invest that amount into stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles of my choice.

As for your continuing education costs, why should taxpayers foot the bill for degrees that have little bearing on how well teachers can perform their jobs? If you are dissatisfied with your career choice, then switch careers.

A masters degree is no substitute for competence. I would be in favor of eliminating the requirement for advanced degrees in teaching and rewarding teachers based on performance instead. There is no reason that performance appraisals, promotions, and raises should not be handled as they are in the private sector.

As your lawmakers the point of making us have a Masters degree.. I like your logic though, why require people to have a medical degree, why any degree really?

As far as performance, only until teachers can "fire"students, will that work. As in the private sector, you as a boss can fire those that do not meet standard and bring in those that would. I would ask the same principle to be applied to teachers, that is why performance based does not work in my field.

Finally, on the S.S. teachers would pay into such a program and many have, but the WEP/GPO knocks out teachers from the state of Kentucky and Railroad workers.

Teachers pay in the 16% for retirement, plus the regular taxes that everyone else pays.