Strike Out?

I came across an article today talking about how newspapers covered the 2018 teacher strikes. The article was written by two researchers from the American Enterprise Institute based on a report that they had written for that organization.

Though the report concluded that the coverage was generally impartial, they voice concern that the quotes contained in the articles tended to favor those who supported the strike and not those who might have had concerns (such as parents). They also raise what they call their "most significant concern" that the articles talked only about teacher pay and not "the whole of teacher compensation," which would include the "generosity of teacher healthcare and pensions." Including this information, the authors argue, "is essential to help readers reach their own judgments about the merits of teacher demands."

They authors also suggest that putting teacher salaries into context in terms of the median state income as opposed to simply comparing to the national average for teachers. For the record, I also suggested that this might be a better metric - https://www.thirddistractor.com/2018/04/strike-too.html -- as there will always be, by definition, teachers who receive "below average" compensation.

A legitimate question, then, is to what extent is this report impartial? It is published by AEI, a right-wing think tank which has been associated with the Koch brothers. The idea of "fat cat" teachers asking for more money than they "deserve" fits right into the Koch narrative.

I am not trying to impugn the motives of the authors themselves, but rather the framing of the argument. I can't imagine an AEI report arguing for the necessity of comparing a CEOs salary to the state median income, or talking about the value of the total compensation package (including reserved parking, catered meals,  use of the VIP box at sporting events, etc.) other than the standard "salary and stock options" calculation.

At the very least, the authors should argue for comparing teacher salary to the salary of others with similar professional degrees and certifications.

If teacher compensation is "better" than the state median because only teachers have pensions and health care coverage, that is not the problem -- the problem is in the other direction. We should be trying to create a world where everyone is taken care of during illness and retirements, not implicitly suggesting that those benefits are a luxury in the few remaining careers that have them.

We need a better vision.