Your title should read FREEP THIS LIBERAL POLL. More FReepers would participate... it was too easy to overlook your article w/ that title. But thanks for posting it.
It all boils down to allowing parents to have complete choice.
If they did, then salaries would go to market, as they should.
If they did, parents would end up with some of the responsibility for their kids' education, as they should.
Great Cal Thomas column. I messed up my vote. I should have said education won't improve until we get a choice. Quick over thorough bites me again, lol.
The problem is that begining teachers aren't paid enouph. That's why they can't attract good teachers. Pay is based on seniority. Also ,the farther you are from the students the more money you make.
The best schools have the best teachers. When schools jack around with the best teachers, they leave and find something better to do.
I have known several teachers well, and until recently, have worked in a support capacity at my daughter's school.
Most teachers mean well, come into the career honestly wanting to TEACH.
However, soon after graduation and having a year or so under their belt, they come to realise that they are hamstrung by Admin, (who is there for the money and position) , idiot, bed-wetting parents, (who don't understand why THEY should see to it that Johnny completes his assignments), and the Board of Education, which is invariably made up of the same bed-wetters. ( These people, BTW, are often the ones who decide which text books teachers will be allowed to use....) Admin panders to idiot parents, and teachers are frustrated because under these conditions, and with no standards, and no back up, they CANNOT teach.
The much hated Union can do very little to actually help these teachers, as in this economy, most teachers I know will put up with the abuse rather than rock the boat. Eventually, they burn out.
Furthermore, so many of our kids come to school as ill-behaved savages, and so often in the earlier grades, teachers must spend the vast majority of thier time playing policeman. Again, often at odds with admin. All because most parents have not taught their children a core of decent maners and behavior.
Add to that many children, even in affluent communities, come to school, having had insufficient sleep, are dirty, often without breakfast, etc, it is next to impossible to do anything with them. many of them also come from homes with odd living arrangements, or parents who are broken up, or substance abuse is happening in the home. .
I came within a hair of going into Early Ed, because I LIKE children, and have always had a bent for imparting information, and seeing how it has all turned out, I am very glad I did not. I would probably be in prison for assualt on a parent or Admin puke by now!
A teacher with a vocation is not ALLOWED to teach today! Most teachers are disillusioned and frankly deserve combat pay.
you could not pay me enough as things currently stand, to accept a teaching post in our public school!
Tia
Getting down off of her soap-box now.....