Teacher: It's a feeling of us vs. them

Odessa American ^ | 1/22/12 | Cayler Ballinger

[Nachum]

Cleaning out years of projects and student art from her classroom was an emotional process for Teri Cowan, but she felt it was her only choice. Cowan worked for the Ector County Independent School District for 23 years, 13 of those years teaching Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate sophomore English at Odessa High School. She was teacher of the year for the 2010-11 school year at the high school and secondary teacher of the year for ECISD for the 1995-96 school year. As well as volunteering as the National Honor Society, prom and class council sponsors. Tuesday, Jan. 17, was

[BfloGuy]

I suspect that the software she speaks of is a result of "No Child Left Behind."

Her story rings true to me. We have to get rid of the Department of Education. Teaching would still be a leftist-dominated profession for a long time, but at least we'd have the chance for pockets of sanity in parts of the country.

[Daffynition]

http://www.theday.com/article/20111205/NWS01/312059969/1018

[BobL]

“I too live in one of the reddest states, and one of the reddest counties in the nation. It does not matter. Whether red, blue, or purple, socialist schools teach children to be comfortable with socialism. Whether red, blue or purple, godlessly secular schools teach children to think and reason godlessly.”

One thing that parents often don’t know is that ‘teachers’ all come from the same college programs...the so-called “Schools of Education” in every state - they serve as the gate-keepers, keeping out people that could really teach (like scientists, engineers, and even English and History majors - instead they graduate “Education” majors, whatever that means).

So yes, the state and town might be red, but the teachers, almost to the person, are as Blue-State as they come. That’s the design of the system, which is why it has been so effective.

(and no, it’s not just my imagination again, what I just wrote is exactly what Thomas Sowell’s research has shown in his outstanding book “Inside American Education”)

[BenKenobi]

I am a history teacher. I have a 4 year degree, major in history. Would be a minor in physics if they allowed that sort of thing - I did two years of a physics major before switching.

I have tutored the following subjects at both high school and college level: History, English, Math, Physics, Chemisty and Biology. I have 2 years experience teaching, and about 3 as a tutor. Used to tutor at the community college and the local high school any and all comers.

[BfloGuy]

By the way, check out Wikipedia's entry for the International Baccalaureate.

Marie-Thérèse Maurette created the framework for what would eventually become the IB Diploma Programme in 1948 when she wrote Is There a Way of Teaching for Peace?, a handbook for UNESCO.[5] In the mid-1960s, a group of teachers from the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) created the International Schools Examinations Syndicate (ISES), which would later become the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).[6] The IB headquarters were officially established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 for the development and maintenance of the Diploma Programme which would "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multi-national organizations," and offer internationally standardized courses and assessments for students ages 16 to 19.[7][8] International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) was established in 1975,[9] by Peter Nehr, International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe and Middle-East (IBAEM) was established in 1986,[10] and International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific (IBAP) established during the same period.[11]

Why do I not like it? Why do we need it?

[BfloGuy]

...the so-called “Schools of Education”

"Schools of Education" should be abolished by all taxpayer-supported colleges and universities as should the requirement of an Education Degree.

A kid who wants to be a math teacher should major in Math. He should learn Math thoroughly and then take a one semester, 3 hour course on the theory of concepts and how to adapt that to lesson-planning.

Skip the indoctrination and imagine the capital we'd free up for actual economic growth.

[netmilsmom]

>>Teachers in Texas are not unionized<<

So in Texas it IS the teachers?!?
Well I’ll be. I always gave teachers the benefit of the doubt.

[BobL]

“”Schools of Education” should be abolished by all taxpayer-supported colleges and universities as should the requirement of an Education Degree”

That is correct, Dr. Sowell.

[driftdiver]

yeah teaching 2 + 2 is much more difficult

why are teachers such whiners?

[BobL]

“Somehow teachers will accept money regardless of the circumstances and rarely simply say, “No! That is not professional practice or a safe and professional environment!””

The reason that teachers don’t say NO!! is that they actually believe this crap. They’re incapable of thinking independently - that’s the whole point of their ‘education’.

...but then you know that.

[GeronL]

The children risk learning that faith and prayer is something to be hidden as if it were a bathroom activity

Bathroom activities are no longer hidden, some official in Maine almost had them force kids to use uni-sex bathrooms. These leftist Godless people will NOT stop, ever.

[GeronL]

It’s still a union in all but name

[wintertime]

Bathroom activities are no longer hidden, some official in Maine almost had them force kids to use uni-sex bathrooms. These leftist Godless people will NOT stop, ever.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Very good point! We are living in a “Brave New World”! Bathroom activities are now uni-sex open to view of males and females, but prayer is banned or relegated to the status of “silent”.

So? What non-neutral religious lessons are being taught both in the bathroom regulations or regulations over free expression of one’s religion?

Government schooling is an abomination. It is so evil, for the children, and such a threat to our continuing freedom, in my opinion, that personally, I will not have a government teacher for a friend. I am done with them.

[wintertime]

So in Texas it IS the teachers?!?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sitting here laughing! :-) Very good!

[GeronL]

BUMP

Conservative public school teachers kind of reminds me of the “conservatives” in Hollywood who act in movies and programs that push a leftist agenda.

[CMAC51]

So in Texas it IS the teachers?!? Well I’ll be. I always gave teachers the benefit of the doubt.

You already demonstrated your ingnorance, do you really want to advance to stupidity?

[netmilsmom]

>>You already demonstrated your ingnorance, do you really want to advance to stupidity? <<

Texas is.....

#14 Percentage of 4th-graders scoring at or above proficient in math in school year 2005 (40 percent)

#20 Percentage of 8th-graders scoring at or above proficient in math in school year 2005 (31 percent)

#35 Number of schools identified as needing improvement based on adequate yearly progress, school year 2004 (199)

#35 Percentage of 8th-graders scoring at or above proficient in reading in school year 2005 (26 percent)

#35 Percentage of 4th-graders scoring at or above proficient in reading in school year 2005 (29 percent)

#36 High school graduation rates in school year 2002 (68 percent)

#46 Average math SAT scores in school year 2005 (502)

#49 Average verbal SAT scores in school year 2005 (493)

When you are sitting at #1, which btw is mediocre compared to schools in Norway and Japan, you come and tell me about my “ingnorance” again.

[netmilsmom]

Thought so.

[verga]

High Fives, here in Va it is the same way.

[MV=PY]

Is it still like that? I’m looking for a warmer place to move.