Mark Neumann: Poster Child Teacher Who Couldn't Afford To Keep Doing It

I love the article posted Sunday in the Wisconsin State Journal about Mark Neumann. Not that I really think ol' "Laser Eyes" is a great candidate or anything, but I think it's awfully funny people don't remember that before he became a millionaire as a successful home builder, he was a public school math teacher. I've always wondered what the circumstances were for him to leave teaching and become involved in real estate, and today I finally got my answer:

But he began his professional life as a public school math teacher in River Falls, west of Eau Claire. He loved the job but couldn't pay his bills. 

"I was earning maybe $9,000 a year and we had two kids. You've got to feed your family." 

He got a real estate license while teaching and earned more money selling houses in three months than he did teaching all year. He quit teaching after four years.

Seems Neumann experienced what so many teachers today are experiencing, teaching doesn't really pay all that well for what you have to put into it. So, you would think then that Neumann would be relatively sympathetic to the teachers and their gripes about Governor Walker and Act 10 wouldn't you? Hardly... I just can't understand how someone who realized 30 years ago that the lack of good pay forced his hand to quit doing something he loved would be so conservative and supportive of what the Governor did with Act 10.

Interesting... I've seen nothing online about Neumann supporting Act 10. Heck, I can't even find anything about him NOT supporting it. I can't imagine he would have done the same thing our Governor did in February 2011, but I also can't expect him to not support his policies considering his interest in private schools.  Better yet, just watch one of his Ad's from the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary:



So Mr. Neumann, what is your position on public school teachers and their wages in 2012?