Ok. Take a minute to let that sink in. Did it even take you that long to realize what a stupid, idiotic, solution this is? Schools are already over crowded as it is. There is a need to build more schools. And here we are, suggesting to close down three of them becuase of low test scores.
If they succeed in closing these schools down, it would mean teachers, administrators, staff - all without jobs. It means thousands of school childrens' lives disrupted because they may end up in schools different than their friends. They would probably need to be bused further away which means less time to be at home, or studying, or playing, or doing whatever kids do nowadays. And what does it mean to the school that will take these kids in? Won't it overcrowd them even more? Which in turn can turn affect their FCAT scores.
How about we try to make the 'F' school better? Lets find out where the problem lies. Is it with the kids? Is it with the teachers? Give the teachers the same FCAT test they are supposed to be teaching to their students. If they can't pass the test then it's time for them to go. Lets pay the good teachers more money to retain them. Lets also raise the teacher salaries in general to attract better teachers. You can't pay a teacher 20 something thousand a year and expect to be hiring good quality educators. It just doesn't work that way.
11 comments:
Amen, brother! And BTW, some teachers could barely pass their state teacher exam, if at all (maybe even some with whom we work); there are so few teachers out there, that schools are pretty much allowing anyone with a pulse and an expunged criminal record to teach!
Having taught middle school in florida for two years, I know personally just how fucked up the educational system is there. The turn over rate at my school was incredible. For starters I was only paid 21k a year. Secondly for the state of florida all you basically need to teach is proof that you have a Bachelor's in something. The educational system in florida is beyond fucked up. And most teachers are either really dumb or really crazy or both (I was just crazy)
I believe the both of you. I would not doubt that there are teachers out there that are just plain dumb. But, there are those that are not. And those that are not should be well paid. You never know how many future presidents, politicians, scientists, etc you are seeing pass before you. And if they pass before one of these slack ass teachers then the world may never know what brilliance this child may have discovered in the future. 21k a year is ridiculous. In 1995 I got a job making 22k a year providing tech support for a software company. I would answer incoming calls, emails, etc. All I basically had was a high school diploma. 5 years later, at that same company I was making 32 a year. It's not right that I was making more than my two sisters were. They were/are both teachers with college degrees, certified, cum laude etc...
One way to avoid entire frustration with the educational system in any state is to go to or teach at a private school; the private schools I've taught and/or coached at in Indiana and Florida are relatively similar. These particular schools, compared with other private schools, pay well, and they have higher requirements to teach (a Master's Degree is encouraged and rewarded, idiot teachers or directors don't last for long, etc.). These private schools don't have to worry about testing or other ridiculous state mandates that apply to public institutions; they have the freedom to develop the curriculum and acquire the materials that their particular students need -- private schools aren't trying to make one political plan fit for every student. That's why they're better!
That ridiculously crappy school I taught at was private. those kids paid over $300 a month to go there and they were paying me 21k a year.
oh, that's right! I forgot your sister is a teacher. She hasnt gone completely crazy yet? It took me about a month to totally lose my sanity.
300 bucks a month not cut it at the school Celtmama and I work at. Highschool tuition is like 17 thousand plus a year. Above the 17 is a laptop that you have to buy, books, "the fund", etc...
My little sister taught for I think one entire semester. Quit. And now is going to FIU Law school. She has one more year to go.
My big sis has been crazy for as long as I remember. And honestly, and truthfully, she is um.... not the brightest bulb in the pack. She is teaching 2nd grade. I swear she wouldn't be able to teach anything higher than that. Horrible for me to say but it's my sister. I know how she is.
Not everyone should be a teacher who is a teacher; not everyone who is teaching has been properly prepared to do so. (Hence the comments about mental status while teaching.) Solution: treat an education degree similarly to a medical degree in college -- have a weed-out program in which only those who are SPECIFICALLY able to and genuinely want to teach graduate. Don't allow people to teach just because they can't find the job they really want to do.
Also, our brightest youth are encouraged to do ANYTHING but teach -- "You should be a doctor or a lawyer; why would you waste your intelligence on teaching?" Yes, this is what one English teacher parent said to her Valedictorian-1500-SAT-score- daughter (me). So please, let's stop suggesting that all teachers are idiots. With higher standards (entrance to teacher preparation programs AND certification requirements) and the renovation of preconceived notions concerning teaching will come increased respect for the profession.
Celtmama good point. My lil sister, super bright. We all thought what a waste for her to teach since she is SUPER smart, but if that's what she wanted it's what she wanted.
I am not at all suggesting that all teachers are idiots. I said my sister was. :-) And I even said that those that are not should be rewarded and those that are idiots should be let go. Teachers don't get the respect they deserve in this country. It's like the attitude is, "Well if all else fails, I could always be a teacher."
Personally, I would love to teach. To share my knowledge with others, and get the Oh Cool reactions and the smiles. But I won't be able to deal with the kids and their attitudes. And worse with the kids' parents and their attitudes.
The population of teachers is similar to the general population: some are smart but most are not.
I wouldn't even want to say that a teacher needs to be smart. They do have to have enthusiasm, patience, and the want to teach. It cannot be a profession that you shrug your shoulders and say well can't decide what I want to be, guess I'll go teach.
Additionally, in order to attract those "smarter" individuals, the salaries need to be competitive. Having to deal with the kids and the parents is already a deterent, add to that the sucky ass pay and it doesn't make for a very attractive package. Yes, teaching has its other rewards - the kids' smiles, that feeling you get then they "get it" FINALLY, the time off. But bottom line is that a teacher cannot survive on their salaries ESPECIALLY in South Florida.
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