I’m a Catholic. I’m also a teacher. Here’s what I see from where I sit.
One, kids are not getting the quality of education that they need to succeed. Why? Various reasons for this. Public educators are protected in several ways, most notably in requiring the following:
1, a 4 year degree.
2, a teaching certificate.
Now, presumably one would expect the quality of teaching to go up with the length of time spent in obtaining the credentials necessary for teaching. However, that’s not what we see. Instead we see the opposite. We see teachers trying to keep others out of their profession rather then focus on the prime responsibility, to provide a quality education to children.
I volunteer my own time to teach kids, to help them get what they need. In return people help me out. This seems fair. The better I do, the more people who want me to teach their kids without the burdens placed on by credentialism.
I have zero sympathy for the teachers who are on strike. They haven’t been doing a very good job and are insulated from market forces. Thus, they ought at the very least to be replaced by those who will take their duties seriously.
I received 14 years of a Catholic education, yet the teacher I remember was a neighbor that worked for the World Bank. I remember saying that not how I learned to do it in school. I don’t remember his reply, but he taught me to think and how to solve problems.
Every profession tries to limit entrance and sets the rules.
This is a problem when government relies on special interest groups to understand a profession or a problem. Too many people use their position to self-promote their own intersts.
Education should be fun and challenging and teaching should be about educating and challenging kids.
The hardest part is finding people that we can trust to do the right (and hard) thing for the best interests of all.
As today’s sermon, we need to learn to trust in the Lord.
If everyone would just learn to be and do good, they would be much happier and they would understand that God was with them.