Diary of a Striking Teacher

Politica Ethica ^ | 09/11/2012 | An anonymous teacher

[ibytoohi]

CFMPL is pleased to present the thoughts of a striking teacher from the City of Chicago. We have requested the teacher to publish these thoughts anonymously so that this educator could feel 100% free to equally balance out both sides of the story as it impacts the teacher. This is neither an endorsement nor a condemnation of the strike, but it is presented for the reader to get a little insight into the teacher’s perspective on this issue.

So the strike has started out very interestingly this morning. To paraphrase from the opening of A Tale of Two Cities, it’s “the best of times and the worst of times.”

This strike has begun during, in a sense, “the best of times,” because a lot of potentially beneficial changes have come down the pipes in both Illinois and in Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

[ibytoohi]

My God, have we gone mad?

[21twelve]

I got a few sentences in and then skimmed, and still almost turned crazy. She’s a BLABBERMOUTH! Blah, blah, blah, blah.....

[Stosh]

I’m glad that teacher produced that diary - the kids who are at home locked out the Chicago schools can work on correcting her writing, which in most cases would be a more useful educational exercise than serving time in those public school classrooms.

[facedown]

Some days I think we’re just doomed.

[freedumb2003]

Day 1: “It’s all about the children”
Day 2: “It’s all about the children”
Day 3: “It’s all about the children”
...

[Cyber Liberty]

Ooh! I could tell by the title of the thread this will be a good one to pop some corn and watch. Now, to go read the “diary.”

[upchuck]

ATTENTION PARENTS:

Your children, even in the best possible circumstances, are going to have a very hard way in life. One of the most important things that can give them an edge is an excellent education.

If your kids attend public school, they are not receiving that kind of education.

Please, for your kids sake, homeschool them or enroll them in a private, conservative school.

[SkyPilot]

I just looked up the demographics of the Chicago system.

Over 85% of the teachers are black or Hispanic, 82% are female, and only 8% of the students are white.

No demographics on how many of them are obese, but from all the photos and video footage over the last few days, obesity is rampant among their ranks (where is Moochelle?)

Their union bully leader is a disgrace. She epitomizes the entitled queen with a chip on her shoulder.

And yes, that's really her.

Her salary is a better kept secret than the Manhattan project. I am guess over $400,000 (before kick backs).

Anybody know?

[marktwain]

The amount spent on schools or teachers does not correlate to school excellence.

The most important thing for a good education is parental involvement and encouragement.

Without parental involvement and encouragement, you can spend fortunes on education, and it will mean little. For an example, just consider the District of Columbia schools.

The left refuses to admit this obvious fact, because they refuse to admit that a functioning family that values education is the most important part of the education puzzle.

[ibytoohi]

OK, you can stop now. You’re making too much sense. They’ll never buy into that.

[Nateman]

The most important problem is that education is somebody else’s money paying for somebody else’s needs. The market works because It is your money becoming someone else’s money directly. Education ideally would be private but if the state cannot be removed from the picture then at least it should be with vouchers or tax credits.