My local newspaper recently published an editorial touting that there is no correlation between teacher pay and student achievement. At first, I was in a state of denial. "This has to be some sort of mistake," I told myself. But I then realized the research is probably right. Teachers are not in it for the money. We do our best no matter how much we get paid.

I am not saying, however, that teachers should be paid less. The following are other conclusions that can be reached through the same exhaustive research:

• Doctors do not save more lives if they are paid more.
• Police officers do not lower the crime rate if they are paid more.
• Fire fighters do not put out more fires and save more lives if they are paid more.

The last two are good comparisons as they are public servants like teachers. Unlike teachers, however, they are entitled to make overtime. Firefighters in my county make over $100,000 with all their overtime. Teachers work overtime but receive no extra pay.

If we are to look at privatizing education, we may want to look at privatizing these agencies too. We certainly could save more money by paying them less. Or, perhaps, we should pay people based on their education and training.

10. Comic Sans - Yes, Comic Sans annoys me. I know. The letters look like a kid wrote them — a deranged kid. If you want a kid or handwriting font, there are so many better choices out there. You don't have to be a graphic design expert, but please have some taste.

9.   Exclamation Points - Many teachers send out emails riddled with  exclamation points. Does the announcement of a meeting truly warrant exclamation points, let alone several exclamation points in one sentence? Are you really that excited? Or angry? Enough of the exclamation points!!!!

8.   Paper - I am buried in tons of handouts and memos all on paper. Save some trees. Go electronic.

7.   "Experts" - These are the non-teaching teachers in your school who think they know everything, and they love to tell you that everything they know. What they never tell you is that they had to leave the classroom because they couldn't teach.

6.   Being Sick - With so many germ-covered kids, you get sick a lot, but don't bother taking a day off. It's not worth the trouble of writing lesson plans and recovering from a sub.

5.   Clueless Taxpayers - "Teachers get paid for all those days off." No we don't. "Teachers can't ever be fired." The same due process we have protects firefighters and police officers too, and I have seen many teachers fired.

4.   Test, Test, Test - You can't make a pig heavier by weighing it more. I'm for using data, but let us teach.

3.   The New Thing -  There is always something that is the New Thing, something that will transform education. Whether it's Singapore Math or Whole Language or Depth of Knowledge, it always comes back to quality teaching, though. And these teaching methods are ones that haven't changed much in years.

2.   Comparisons to Other Countries - I am tired of hearing how our students do compared to other countries. Other countries are very discriminatory with the populations they teach. We teach them all.

1.   Meetings - If you have something to tell me, please put it in an email. If you want my opinion, by all means, call a meeting. I have plenty to share.

Highlights

10. I found and rescued Pumpkin, my kitty.

9. I started college classes again.

8. Two words: Big Dog's

7. I didn't get a pay cut.

6. Obama became president.

5. We got a Prius.

4. Teaching — I really do love my job.

3. The worst boss ever retired.

2. Fun and ironic travels with Sam

1. Another year with a great girlfriend

Lowlights

10. A good friend from work moves.

9. Clueless people who think they are in charge

8. Having a student tell me, "If you round your age, you're forty."

7. They weight I lost in 2008: I found it.

6. The economy

5. The Yankees won the World Series.

4. Julien (#1 kitty) getting really sick. (He's better now.)

3. Seeing people I care about being hurt.

2. I found my first grey ear hair.

1. Being micromanaged