More teacher strikes? WTF! (Harvard, Manhattan: employment, magnet school, college)

[udonsoup]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Let's be honest here....while teaching is a noble, needed and important profession, don't act like teaching is on par with being a doctor or something like that.
And, if it were so important and the teachers were doing such a great job, why do students in the CPS do so poorly on their exams?
Again, teaching is important, but they're not curing cancer.

As a former teacher in other countries the answer is simple;

Parents

The parenting philosophy(or lack of it) toward education is very lackadaisical in the states. It's one of the reason so many broke immigrants run circles around the local kids. I taught hundreds of them and they're not super geniuses back home(plenty of C and D students).

Also that teenage pregnancy crap and single parent with 4 kids thing creates some very difficult kids. These types of families aren't even common in many third world countries.....

[NoJiveMan]

Why are people still using the wtf acronyn?
Isn't there a better way to get your point across w/o the dramatics of using something considered as vulgar?

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by emathias

...it really is about the children and not just lip service.

I've never understood this belief that teachers are not working professionals, and are somehow held to an insane standard of "just do it for the kids". Pediatricians regularly refuse to accept insurance plans and kick kids out of their practice - does that make you ask "is it really about the children"? And hell, they make between $200,000 and $500,000 a year depending on their specialty.

What other professions do you hold to this monastic standard? I assume you practice this yourself in your professional life, and would never complain about poor working conditions or inadequate pay.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by udonsoup

As a former teacher in other countries the answer is simple;

Parents

The parenting philosophy(or lack of it) toward education is very lackadaisical in the states. It's one of the reason so many broke immigrants run circles around the local kids. I taught hundreds of them and they're not super geniuses back home(plenty of C and D students).

Also that teenage pregnancy crap and single parent with 4 kids thing creates some very difficult kids. These types of families aren't even common in many third world countries.....

We have a winner! I've known several extremely bright young teachers in their 20's and 30's who have gone to teach overseas, where teachers are generally better respected, better paid, and have better-behaved children than they do in the U.S. Our lack of appreciation of education in this country is a big part of the reason that many other nations are now kicking our ass.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I can make excuses all day about why I might not succeed at my job (sales). It can be anything from 'my product sucks' to 'customer has no money' to everything inbetween. But the fact remains, I need to sell in order to keep my job. I'm not 'protected' by a union if I fail to sell.

Do you hold Chicago police officers to the same standard? With the recent increase in homicides do you think the answer is to fire them all and start over with a new batch of cops?

[udonsoup]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Do you hold Chicago police officers to the same standard? With the recent increase in homicides do you think the answer is to fire them all and start over with a new batch of cops?

Yes

[mattywo85]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Nobody said that.



Since you're into the doctor comparison, this is the equivalent of asking, "If it were so important and the doctors were doing such a great job, why do patients who are shot in the head do so poorly at recovering?"

Apples and oranges but continue

[mattywo85]

Originally Posted by metrosaurus

Yeah, screw book learnin'! We don't need no stinkin' edumacation!

So are you saying that a 27 year old with no degree is worse off then a 20 year old with an associates?

[Nafster]

Originally Posted by lenniel

And, if it were so important and the teachers were doing such a great job, why do students in the CPS do so poorly on their exams?

Is it a teacher's job to make sure a kid comes to school on time?

Is it a teacher's job to make sure a kid does his homework?

Is it a teacher's job to make sure a kid doesn't drink alcohol and do drugs?

Teachers are guiding forces and influences, but they are NOT there to hold their kid's hands 24/7.

Aren't these anti-Union/pro-Charter school people the same ones that preach about personal responsibility?

How about looking at the kid themselves and their FAMILY LIFE as part of the overall equation as to why a kid is underperforming!

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by Attrill

I've never understood this belief that teachers are not working professionals, and are somehow held to an insane standard of "just do it for the kids". Pediatricians regularly refuse to accept insurance plans and kick kids out of their practice - does that make you ask "is it really about the children"? And hell, they make between $200,000 and $500,000 a year depending on their specialty.

What other professions do you hold to this monastic standard? I assume you practice this yourself in your professional life, and would never complain about poor working conditions or inadequate pay.

In my professional life, I have 3 choices if I'm unhappy or not performing.
1) Quit and find another job
2) Get fired and find another job
3) Suck it up, do whatever I need to do to meet managements expectations so that I don't have to take option 2.

Why should teaching be different. If the conditions are so poor and the pay is so low, don't be a teacher, or don't be a public school teacher.