School districts, layoffs and other things of interest....

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
re-election campaigns.

Here in Colorado it goes into the parks. Our national parks are a very big draw for tourism and tourism is a big chunk of our states income.

The anti school campaign is a real shame. Our school system along with the unions is what made this country great. Now they got people brainwashed into thinking they are bad. Once you start the ball rolling it gets bigger and everyone jumps on the band wagon. Our teachers are far from being overpaid. The average salary for a teacher with a masters degree is 45k a year. That's below the national average for pay. It's sad that we are paying the people that teach our children the basics such a pittance.

Elections have consequences. They are starting to show. Wisconsin figured it out. No second terms will be happening there.

 

[Dunkopf]

mom'sfolly :

Here in suburban Austin, I live in a very college oriented area. What I see is a total Texas idea that UT is the best university in the world and A & M is second (or maybe the other way around

). Yes, both are very good schools, but I see so many people with very bright children who's highest goal is UT, kids that could get into schools like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Northwestern etc or schools like Carleton, Reed, Amhearst or Pomona. The highest aspiration of extremely good students of educated parents is to a good state school.

I've lived in three other states, and this didn't seem to be the trend in those places. I look at the places my friends from high school ended up, and I look at these kids and I think they are capable of so much more.

I haven't met that many drop outs here in Texas, but it might be a reflection of where I live. I do feel that Texans in general have a much different idea of education than people I knew when I lived in the North (east coast, west coast and in the middle). The expectations of what education and schools offer seems to be much lower, and the emphasis on sports seems much higher. I admit I didn't have kids when I was in those other states, but I was educated in two of them. I know lots of people who spend thousands of dollars on elite sports and coaching for their kids, with the expectation that their kids will get a sports scholarship. They would be better off investing the money and paying for the college.

The highschool that my kids will attend has six football teams: Freshman A and B, sophomore A & B, junior varsity and varsity. This allows more kids to participate in the program, but at what price? I would much rather see the money spent on life sports: swimming, tennis, golf, running. I don't know anyone who as an adult plays a weekly game of football, I know lots of people who run everyday.

The dropout problem in Texas is horrible. Most districts don't show true dropout numbers, either. My highschool has listed dropout rate of 1.2%, but it has a freshman class of 700 and a senior class of 633, which looks more like 10% to me. This is a good district with a low dropout, some of the Houston schools start 30-50% more kids than they graduate.

Maybe they got head injuries from all the football.​

 

[GarlicEater]

Quote:
Bingo.

Crossing Guard is a plum job. Like cleaning stables, digging trenches for the City, or driving a bus, it's nice work when you can get it. Look back and say, "Well at least I got to be a crossing guard for a while". No, I am not being sarcastic.

 

[chickened]

I kind a agree with you. I do feel for the OP about losing her job I am sure she enjoyed it.
Where I live we import labor to do those jobs you listed because our children have been brainwashed by in part our schools that those jobs are for the uneducated and the poor. Someone has to do those jobs and in the real world it is those that do not succeed at higher education not for lack of opportunity. I mean give me a break our schools cannot even teach immigrants to speak English in a reasonable amount of time. School district are and must learn to live within their budgets, not having a school board making those cuts would be like the fox running the henhouse. Our little school has done very well in spite of budget cuts we received a lot of awards and recognition of which was teacher of the year nationally a while back and in our state it is well known that our district is sought after by all races mind you. When I was in school the students did crossing guard and now days it should be a volunteer position and is in most districts. Schools that succeed under NCLB are the ones that have learned to trim the fat and although NCLB is not perfect it is well intentioned and was passed largely on a bipartisan effort.
Quote:
Bingo.

Crossing Guard is a plum job. Like cleaning stables, digging trenches for the City, or driving a bus, it's nice work when you can get it. Look back and say, "Well at least I got to be a crossing guard for a while". No, I am not being sarcastic.

 

[WriterofWords]

We have no crossing guard for our school which is next to a high school, and then we have 2 other elementary schools right next to a middle school and there is 1 crossing guard in the morning, and none at the end of the day. We need them, badly!

 

[chickened]

I would take 45K (you forgot the plush benefits) a year to work 9 months and not have to worry about getting fired.

Lottery money is not a stable source of income and would not work and the unions would reject anything less than direct funding which is part of the reason collective bargaining will be a thing of the past. Public education would do better if we modeled our system after the countries that are blowing us out of the water on what they produce as graduates. There is a great documentary called "Death of a City" it chronicles the Detroit area and the results of or epitome of Government support and welfare and what happens when the Government provides everything... well just watch it and decide for yourself. The Whitehouse will see what election results are about also, can we say "1 term?"
Quote:
re-election campaigns.

Here in Colorado it goes into the parks. Our national parks are a very big draw for tourism and tourism is a big chunk of our states income.

The anti school campaign is a real shame. Our school system along with the unions is what made this country great. Now they got people brainwashed into thinking they are bad. Once you start the ball rolling it gets bigger and everyone jumps on the band wagon. Our teachers are far from being overpaid. The average salary for a teacher with a masters degree is 45k a year. That's below the national average for pay. It's sad that we are paying the people that teach our children the basics such a pittance.

Elections have consequences. They are starting to show. Wisconsin figured it out. No second terms will be happening there.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
re-election campaigns.

Here in Colorado it goes into the parks. Our national parks are a very big draw for tourism and tourism is a big chunk of our states income.

The anti school campaign is a real shame. Our school system along with the unions is what made this country great. Now they got people brainwashed into thinking they are bad. Once you start the ball rolling it gets bigger and everyone jumps on the band wagon. Our teachers are far from being overpaid. The average salary for a teacher with a masters degree is 45k a year. That's below the national average for pay. It's sad that we are paying the people that teach our children the basics such a pittance.

Elections have consequences. They are starting to show. Wisconsin figured it out. No second terms will be happening there.


1 term will be a very resounding response by many voters that voted for radicals in 2010. All those old people at the TP rallies are now looking at getting their Medicare and SS reduced because of the people they held signs for. The only ones you see now are getting off buses after being paid to go stand around with signs and no dentures so they look really upset. Sorry, get used to the guy from Africa. He'll win 2012 by a landslide. His timing is impeccable. Doesn't matter if you agree with his policies. The majority still does believe in most of his policies and it will grow as we slowly come out of his predecessors recession. Besides he has no competition at all. If you would gladly work for 45k a year after 6 years of higher education than good for you. It's not an 8 hour a day job and a lot of those teachers run the summer schools for no pay. Not to mention that the 45 k is an average. In other words your in the job for 15 years before you get to that figure.

 

[australorpchick]

Quote:

1 term will be a very resounding response by many voters that voted for radicals in 2010. All those old people at the TP rallies are now looking at getting their Medicare and SS reduced because of the people they held signs for. The only ones you see now are getting off buses after being paid to go stand around with signs and no dentures so they look really upset. Sorry, get used to the guy from Africa. He'll win 2012 by a landslide. His timing is impeccable. Doesn't matter if you agree with his policies. The majority still does believe in most of his policies and it will grow as we slowly come out of his predecessors recession. Besides he has no competition at all. If you would gladly work for 45k a year after 6 years of higher education than good for you. It's not an 8 hour a day job and a lot of those teachers run the summer schools for no pay. Not to mention that the 45 k is an average. In other words your in the job for 15 years before you get to that figure.

Just waiting for another interesting topic to be shut down now because of politics.

 

[WriterofWords]

I would take 45K for 9 months of work too!!! Where do I sign up???? Quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????
And not worry about getting fired? Have you seen the news? Most districts are firing 30 teachers and UP.

Let me give you an idea of my year for those thinking we work 9 months a year and can't get fired. My school year starts July 26, I get out this year June 3. June 6 - June 10 I will be in Flagstaff AZ for training. From June 20 - 24 I have a week of a math training. From July 11 - 15 I have another week of training. I think out of my 7 week summer I might get 3 weeks to myself. By the way in March and April? I had 4 weekends of Language Arts training. I don't make anywhere near 45K either. I come in at 7am, I usually leave around 5 - 5:30. Then I take my work home to grade, do lesson plans, and all that stuff I couldn't get done at school. Weekends? When I'm not grading, planning, or sweating something else I try and go watch my students at their basketball games and such or maybe even do stuff like clean my house and play with chickens.

Teaching is not a nice cushy job like some think, it's time consuming, it's stressful, it's filled with people who hate you because a 3rd grade teacher was mean to them 40 years ago. You get to spend more time with other people's kids than your own, but don't try and have an influence on them or you stepping on the parents toes and they will scream and yell at you, your boss, and the local TV station. We watch kids come to school with bruises, tears, torn clothes, dirty, or just wanting someone to care about them. Then, we have to send them back at the end of the day, those that we can't get removed from revolting homes. I see kids come into my class crying because their uncle was shot in Juarez and is dead, their father, their little sister, no one is safe. I get called to testify in court when I report a case of abuse, or worse, to testify that yes I did report the abuse that eventually cost a child their life.
I also get to see the grow, see them learn, watch them turn into wonderful young people. I get cards, I get hugs, I get thank you's from the kids and even some parents and families. I get the peace of knowing that for 7 hours a day I can make a difference in someone's life, let them know that someone cares about them, let them know I am there whenever they need me.
I give them my home phone, cell phone, home email, work email, and most know where I live. If they need me I am there.

No, teaching is not easy or well-paid. But it is the most excruciatingly rewarding job you will have, if you have the guts to do it.

I see the government cutting education, the people who will shape and educate the future leaders of this world, and I cry.

 

[chickened]

So far I think I could handle the "problems" with being a teacher as described by you fine folks.

Layoffs are different than being fired for incompetence. I think the only other job where you can screw up and not get fired is the weatherman.

I agree teaching should not be based on financial reward as much as a desire to see kids learn. The teachers should put their foot down about the Feds telling them what to do. The DoE could go away any day and not hurt a thing it is a duplicate agency better served at the local level.

Topics get shut down when civility goes out the window... sort of like at a public employee union demonstration/strike.

And you are right Dunkopk it is the people that vote for the idiots in government that are scary, Hitler was voted in overwhelmingly.