Education Reform

[peelingchrome]

Link

Highlights:

-Graduation rate in this school district is <50%

-Teachers in this school district make roughly 3 times the median income in the area

-Teachers' Union wouldn't accept the terms of the proposed reform

-All high school teachers in this school district have been fired (and now they're pissed)

How 'bout that? I'll reserve my opinions for a bit to see what you all have to say.

Edited February 16, 2010 by peelingchrome

[KatRN05]

What? They can't work an extra 25 minutes to tutor these kids or meet with them at lunch? How fucking selfish..

Edited February 16, 2010 by KatRN05

[Msterbeau]

Firing ALL the teachers seems a bit drastic... But if they're all treading water until retirement, get rid of them. I've heard this many times from teachers. Years on the job counts for more than performance. Fuck that.

[Soulrev]

Firing ALL the teachers seems a bit drastic... But if they're all treading water until retirement, get rid of them. I've heard this many times from teachers. Years on the job counts for more than performance. Fuck that.

That's messed up. My son will go to school on post so long as my wife is still in the Army. Public schools suck so bad anymore.

[Msterbeau]

That's messed up. My son will go to school on post so long as my wife is still in the Army. Public schools suck so bad anymore.

Some are a LOT better than others. I'm lucky to have my kids in one of the best in Michigan. It's like companies: They are only as good as their leaders make them . Good leaders hire enthusiastic, motivated workers and give them the freedom and tools to do their jobs. Sucky ones make excuses for all their failings.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Msterbeau

[TygerLili]

Not sure what I think of this, but here are some points to ponder.

$70,000-78,000 per year is way high for teachers' salaries. Most experiences teachers make between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. Normally, having read the 6 conditions of the reform, I wouldn't think expecting a little extra compensation would be unreasonable, but with salaries that are already that high...

There were six conditions, not three, to the reform. Here

More than just high school teachers are at fault when the students are performing poorly. Often, poor performance in high school means that the students never learned the basics in elementary and middle school. The students and their parents are also at least partially responsible for their performance.

I seriously doubt that just firing the teachers will make that much of a difference in the overall performance of the students. Sounds like the school needs a complete overhaul.

[Msterbeau]

Not sure what I think of this, but here are some points to ponder.

$70,000-78,000 per year is way high for teachers' salaries. Most experiences teachers make between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. Normally, having read the 6 conditions of the reform, I wouldn't think expecting a little extra compensation would be unreasonable, but with salaries that are already that high...

There were six conditions, not three, to the reform. Here

More than just high school teachers are at fault when the students are performing poorly. Often, poor performance in high school means that the students never learned the basics in elementary and middle school. The students and their parents are also at least partially responsible for their performance.

I seriously doubt that just firing the teachers will make that much of a difference in the overall performance of the students. Sounds like the school needs a complete overhaul.

The parent thing. Yeah... Completely agreed. Parents who think their child could do no wrong and beg and plead to have them advanced even though they're failing should be ashamed of themselves.

[peelingchrome]

But I thought it was the music/video games/movies/tv/(insert scapegoat here) that were causing the kids to fail...

[candyman]

Wow I guess I was just used to the fact that most teachers made $70,000+ and didn't think about questioning it. Well, I never went to public school so it didn't matter but still...that is bullshit. The parent thing is really obvious at this point. I have met so many kids in AP classes that probably should have been in special needs...and I have also met kids in special needs that should be in AP classes...its all screwed up and the parents, and in alot of cases the teachers, don't really seem to care at all.

Can't someone put a hold on the teacher's salary and maybe even regulate the salary of the parents until the child starts to get some attention?

[Destroit]

Firing ALL the teachers seems a bit drastic... But if they're all treading water until retirement, get rid of them. I've heard this many times from teachers. Years on the job counts for more than performance. Fuck that.

Yeap, cops are the same way, which is where the "dicky fat cop munching a donut" image comes from. It's because they don't start OUT that way but they get that way and in most precinct you get promoted SOLELY on seniority, not performance. If it were performance they'd be able to get rid of those lazy cops who are just wasting tax dollars and taking up a position someone more motivated deserves, and as my mom being a teacher I can tell you it works the same for them but WORSE.

I hate "seniority" I think it's a REALLY stupid idea. It should always be "I do a good job and therefore deserve a promotion" and that's IT.

[StormKnight (1)]

I came out of a public school system, albeit a very affluent area (with 5 non-english languages taught as electives, and a lot of AP courses (which at the time I was in high school, was actually rare.)) I could easily meet with teachers about half an hour before classes start in the morning (7am,) up to an hour and a half after the end of the school day (5pm,) to include lunchtime, study halls, and at least one period twice a week that they would keep open during school hours for student help. There were teachers that really worked with the students. Now perhaps I am a bit spoiled, but what was asked of the teachers from this district was expected in the district I graduated from. At minimum.

However, as well as they worked, I knew my district's salary for teachers at the time was abysmal. I remember seeing one of my math teachers (a favorite of students,) working summers delivering ice, as he wasn't allowed to teach the summer courses, and he wasn't paid for the summer. I can only assume other teachers were doing odd jobs as well in the summer months who weren't teaching summer school. How they kept the talent, I have no idea.

I have not heard of anyone outside of the administrative people and maybe principals earning anywhere near $70k/year in education, at least in pubic education systems. I know it has been a while since high school for me, so I concede I am out of touch on this matter.

[Destroit]

I have not heard of anyone outside of the administrative people and maybe principals earning anywhere near $70k/year in education, at least in pubic education systems. I know it has been a while since high school for me, so I concede I am out of touch on this matter.

Teachers in Michigan start out at around $30,000 - $35,000...so I also have no clue where this comes from. They may work UP to $70,000 over the course of their career and constant employment within one district, but I have never ever ever heard of a teacher starting at $70,000.

Maybe in Grosse Pointe...?

[phee]

Teachers in Michigan start out at around $30,000 - $35,000...so I also have no clue where this comes from. They may work UP to $70,000 over the course of their career and constant employment within one district, but I have never ever ever heard of a teacher starting at $70,000.

Maybe in Grosse Pointe...?

Likewise... both my parents were public school teachers.... my dad was in the same district for almost 40 years and he was making about $75,000 by the end... and that was in Ann Arbor.