Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments and I appreciate your optimism and enthusiasm. I used to share exactly your perspective concerning that there is more to work for than money. When the money proved insufficient, it didn't matter a hill of beans how great the working conditions were.
Like I said, and please don't let me be misunderstood, I agree that the CAUT endorsement is a good thing for those who are of the belief that the more formal education we have the better off we are. But I agree with the question posed by one responder, "when does the need for further formal education end?"
At the rate our society is headed, if we continue to be judged based on a race for how many years of formal education the candidates have, there will come a point where we are spending our entire lives in a classroom and never getting into the real world and living life.
Look, the real benefit from a formal education should be that at some point you begin learning how to learn on your own - not what you learn in the classes. It should teach you how to learn for yourself. If that isn't the result of a formal education, then it has failed. At some point, we've got to be able to get out of the classroom and start living life. As long as we continue to be of the impression that the more formal education we have, the more competitive we will be, we are missing the point.
Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul T Williams
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] University Budets and Payroll/Caut test
Jeff,
I love my profession! I wouldn't trade it for another. It brings me great joy to see the grateful look on a customer's face when they play their piano and rejoice in how much it has improved. Same thing with students and faculty here at UNL when I finish a huge project on a piano that was worse for wear. The paycheck is not all what I work for, although it does have salient status, if you will, in why I work how much I do. The circumstances from my beginnings in the Seattle area is what really brought my interest in being a CAUT into being. I'll give you a short history;
We were on an island just north of the Seattle metro area, where, guess what...there were 4 other RPT's already there... with long standing stability long before my wife and I arrived. Also a couple of "tooners" were also there who also cornered the really low-end market. I did earn a share after time, but it was hell there. I (not WE) struggled with that community for 15 years...simply because my wife had long time ties there and a real love for the place and had a good business built up...but still not enough to get any savings, or retirements started. I had to deal with huge commutes, ferry boat waiting,(lots and lots of ferry boat waiting!!) and the extremely tight relationships, or clicks, in the area that most people had there with the existing technicians. I never felt that I fit in to the neighborhood, if you will. We had started a family and couldn't even afford health insurance. (if I hadn't the need for ferry boats, I certainly could have afforded insurance!)
Now being here at UNL and was required to start the 401K program through the Univ. is encouraging, but I really long for the ability to invest much more. BUT, It's at least a start, and being in such a predicament in Washington, I'm thrilled to be doing it at all.
All that aside, I'm in the opinion that getting a CAUT "special" "degree" is a great thing, and since my director is always sending me(no cost to me) to any and all education available, at least one trip per year, being a CAUT is great! Last year I went to Oberlin instead of National, and this year,, the first of 5 at NY Steinway seminars instead of National again...(I had to choose....!! sorry national! I'll be there next year) I couldn't have gone to anything in self employed-years past.
On the other hand, state universities have a certain budget which is strictly adhered to in regards to music. Getting a CAUT recognition to my resume would not help me here, but if I decided to search out another university to work for, it might have some bearing on what starting salary I might command, but there will be no "special" advancements here if I were to go for it. I think that the only help this special endorsement would bring is for CAUT -rewarded status people would be for starting at a new university or college setting. No existing CAUT should expect to get some sort of miracle raise for getting this award.
That's all for now...I might add more later, but off to a wedding reception.
Best to all, and you, Jeff.
Paul
"Jeff Tanner" <tannertuner at bellsouth.net>
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
06/19/2009 09:13 PM Please respond to
caut at ptg.org
To <caut at ptg.org>
cc
Subject Re: [CAUT] University Budets and Payroll
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul T Williams
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 5:59 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] University Budets and Payroll
Are you all able to invest at least 15% into your retirement? I can't do it, but wish I could...especially right now...Everything is on sale.
I was never able to invest anything other than the mandated 6 point whatever percent. It always cost me about 150% more than my take home check to live here (with a family -- if I'd been single, I could have probably gotten by ok. But is that what we work for? just to support ourselves? Is that why we bust our tails to improve our skills?). After 10 years, with interest, I had a whopping $30K in my retirement account. Lessee, at that rate, I'd have had almost a year and a half's salary in the account at retirement.
Jeff
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