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Teachers are dinosaurs who resist any change, accountability, and any change in pay to adjust for loss of government revenue. It's hard to impossible to make changes to improve education because education is probably the most stubborn field/industry that we have.
Here in Chicago, we have teachers striking over it, claiming to represent the "working people" and doing "what's best for kids", when they're screwing over hundreds of thousands of children by denying them education, not to mention their impoverished parents who have no hope of making even a small fraction of the effective pay that teachers receive.
That may be true with union teachers, but certain subjects are changing all the time and good teachers will keep abreast of the latest developments. In short, they are always educating themselves. It is no different in other professions, where the latest developments occur in a short time period. To keep their skills marketable they continually educate themselves.
It is easy to make changes to improve education - abolish the 1904 federal charter with the NEA and the US Department of Education. Once the union is abolished and the federal government removed from public education, teachers will be making six digit salaries and more money will be actually getting to the classroom instead of union coffers. That alone will dramatically improve public education.
That may be true with union teachers, but certain subjects are changing all the time and good teachers will keep abreast of the latest developments. In short, they are always educating themselves. It is no different in other professions, where the latest developments occur in a short time period. To keep their skills marketable they continually educate themselves.
It is easy to make changes to improve education - abolish the 1904 federal charter with the NEA and the US Department of Education. Once the union is abolished and the federal government removed from public education, teachers will be making six digit salaries and more money will be actually getting to the classroom instead of union coffers. That alone will dramatically improve public education.
HA! That's a good laugh. Teachers will not make 6 figures salaries. All you need to do is look at Asia. You'll simply have a boom of "academies" that pay little and essentially then rely on test prep in order to stay open. Public education will not improve by taking the "public" out of it.
I keep wondering what that fair share of taxes is. I have asked a number of leaners and never had an answer. Do you know what fair share means?
Absolute fair share would be everyone paying the same AMOUNT in taxes. Modified fair share would be everyone paying the same tax RATE.
I've found that liberals really want nothing to do with having anyone pay their fair share, and in reality only want everyone but themselves to have to pay.
Seems like most of you folks here on CD are doing great-- I've never met so many other successful people on an internet forum. Almost everyone claims to be in the highest tax bracket, many business owners, and a couple who have claimed a net worth in the millions...
So for all you successful CD'ers: How many others were educated by Unionized Public School Teachers? I was-- and I got in to a good college and have had a successful business career. I have common sense and can navigate every day life. I write fairly well, and have a good grasp of math.
I assume all of you, who are so damned successful, and keep deriding the quality of unionized public school teachers went to private school?
The OP's writing skills are not all that good.
Maybe the OP cares to explain why teachers shouldn't be subjected to performance based hiring, promotion, and firing practices?
Maybe the OP cares to explain why unionized Chicago teachers receiving $76K in pay (before benefits) in a city where the average income is approx $47K, and where approx 44% of students drop out before graduation, have a leg to stand on with their strike? Certainly they cannot claim it is "for the children".
I went to catholic school until the 7th grade. When I transferred I didn't have to do anything until high school because everybody else was playing catch up. My kids the same. We moved to a new district and it was a good school district from what we found out and we entered em into public school.My oldest started in sixth grade and is still bored to this day at school a sophomore now. My youngest twins started 7th grade this year and the same. Now I have no issue with the teacher per say as to their ability. My only issue is they don't push the kids who are ahead enough. Even the advanced courses are boring and they just end up reading. At least the oldest is allowed to watch game film on his kindle since he has some coaches teaching a few of his classes. lol
I went to catholic school until the 7th grade. When I transferred I didn't have to do anything until high school because everybody else was playing catch up. My kids the same. We moved to a new district and it was a good school district from what we found out and we entered em into public school.My oldest started in sixth grade and is still bored to this day at school a sophomore now. My youngest twins started 7th grade this year and the same. Now I have no issue with the teacher per say as to their ability. My only issue is they don't push the kids who are ahead enough. Even the advanced courses are boring and they just end up reading. At least the oldest is allowed to watch game film on his kindle since he has some coaches teaching a few of his classes. lol
I had the same problem, and I attended private school for ten years. I was so bored I used to play games, such as fail all my classes in the first quarter, then get straight A's the second quarter, and fail again the third quarter, and get straight A's the final quarter so I would end up with a C average and just pass. Needless to say, it drove my parents crazy and my teachers to distraction.
I quickly came to the realization that the only way I was going to get a decent education was to educate myself.
Why not? Have you seen lately how politicians and the general public treat teachers? It's pretty much the most effective means to address the issues at hand. People have taken teachers for granted for far too long. You can't treat the people educating your youth the way we have.
Well, in the case of teachers, it's not a good idea considering the amount of 2 worker households who basically need the school open. Secondly, it's a useful device in times of prosperity, not so much now. It just adds fuel to the fire.
Well, in the case of teachers, it's not a good idea considering the amount of 2 worker households who basically need the school open. Secondly, it's a useful device in times of prosperity, not so much now. It just adds fuel to the fire.
Then don't take them for granted. Pretty simple. Stop treating the profession as second rate, and actually take some responsibility for outcomes. Also, stop forcing the issue of testing as a good means of evaluating...it's not.
Yes, its tough in the age of 2 worker households, so teachers now not only act as teacher, but also as parent. Hence why teachers now have MORE after school duties and before school duties than in the past, but with similar pay. Sound great.
With soaring corporate profits and wars still waging on, prosperity abounds for the rich and elites. Why not fund education?
With all this said, I do agree with some points. I wish more comprehensive evaluations were made. Peer evaluations seem to work well in Scandinavia. Some schools have a peer evaluation system. In many schools, in class observation forms are very broad. Maybe scoring it to be a little more graduated. We should make it easier to fire teachers.
A union is still needed to protect the good teachers, so we shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater.
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