The Exhaustion of the American Teacher

[Molitoth]

Ran across this article making it's way around facebook.
I thought it was very interesting, especially considering my wife is an elementary teacher. This really hits the nail on the head.
What are your thoughts?

I don't venture into the DC forum too often, sorry if repost.

And the article won't let me Copy/Paste.

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/09/...erican-teacher

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Studies show that teachers who quit and go into other professions very rarely make more money in their next position. That is a pretty clear indication they are not underpaid. Now, to this article's point: are they overworked? Maybe. I'd like summers off and 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week at spring break though. Unfortunately my boss doesn't grant it to me

i'd love to see your citations.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by oldandslow

yeah, for most teachers, it isn't about the money, overwork, or anything else. It is about out of control kids.

That's what this article is saying as well.

Dad’s last few years of teaching band he left the high school and middle school band programs to the younger teachers while he handled the grade school and was so much happier for it. The grade schoolers were mostly polite and eager to learn. When they get to middle school, he said, they turn into smart asses more worried about what’s deemed cool than anything the teacher has to say.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Let me keep my property tax and hire a private tutor.

The good ones will make bank.

You want to see education improve and teacher salaries do the same, institute a voucher system. The best schools will get the most money and be able to hire/retain the best teachers.

The problem is that the gap in earning power between good teachers and shitty teachers is marginal. Bad teachers make too much money, good teachers may not make enough (in some cases; not in all).

Again, my MIL made about 70K her last year and now she's retired at 55 making 50K for the rest of her life. She had a masters and taught for a long time so she just kept getting raises (even when a bad economy kept most everyone else from getting them). She never faced a corporate grind. She never faced the accountability measures that many of us in the private sector face. She got 3 months/yr off and for the last decade of her career she operated from a lesson plan she had in place for years with only slight modifications.

Teachers just love to bitch when the reality is that the teacher's union does a great deal of them a disservice by protecting the shitty ones and many of them have very little to bitch about as it is.

The majority of teachers make what they should make. Some make too much, some don't make enough.

Welcome to working.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Let me keep my property tax and hire a private tutor.

The good ones will make bank.

You want to see education improve and teacher salaries do the same, institute a voucher system. The best schools will get the most money and be able to hire/retain the best teachers.

The problem is that the gap in earning power between good teachers and shitty teachers is marginal. Bad teachers make too much money, good teachers may not make enough (in some cases; not in all).

Again, my MIL made about 70K her last year and now she's retired at 55 making 50K for the rest of her life. She had a masters and taught for a long time so she just kept getting raises (even when a bad economy kept most everyone else from getting them). She never faced a corporate grind. She never faced the accountability measures that many of us in the private sector face. She got 3 months/yr off and for the last decade of her career she operated from a lesson plan she had in place for years with only slight modifications.

Teachers just love to bitch when the reality is that the teacher's union does a great deal of them a disservice by protecting the shitty ones and many of them have very little to bitch about as it is.

The majority of teachers make what they should make. Some make too much, some don't make enough.

Welcome to working.

There is a lot of truth in the bolded statement. The NEA has not done a lot of good for teachers reputations over the long haul.

[Molitoth]

Again, my MIL made about 70K her last year and now she's retired at 55 making 50K for the rest of her life. She had a masters and taught for a long time so she just kept getting raises (even when a bad economy kept most everyone else from getting them). She never faced a corporate grind. She never faced the accountability measures that many of us in the private sector face. She got 3 months/yr off and for the last decade of her career she operated from a lesson plan she had in place for years with only slight modifications.

She must have worked for a great district.
It's not all peaches and cream as you move from district to district and state to state.

[fan4ever]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Studies show that teachers who quit and go into other professions very rarely make more money in their next position. That is a pretty clear indication they are not underpaid. Now, to this article's point: are they overworked? Maybe. I'd like summers off and 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week at spring break though. Unfortunately my boss doesn't grant it to me

I've been married to a teacher for 27 years and I always laugh at remarks like this; void of any real exposure or appreciation as to what is required of the profession.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Let me keep my property tax and hire a private tutor.

The good ones will make bank.

You want to see education improve and teacher salaries do the same, institute a voucher system. The best schools will get the most money and be able to hire/retain the best teachers.

The problem is that the gap in earning power between good teachers and shitty teachers is marginal. Bad teachers make too much money, good teachers may not make enough (in some cases; not in all).

Again, my MIL made about 70K her last year and now she's retired at 55 making 50K for the rest of her life. She had a masters and taught for a long time so she just kept getting raises (even when a bad economy kept most everyone else from getting them). She never faced a corporate grind. She never faced the accountability measures that many of us in the private sector face. She got 3 months/yr off and for the last decade of her career she operated from a lesson plan she had in place for years with only slight modifications.

Teachers just love to bitch when the reality is that the teacher's union does a great deal of them a disservice by protecting the shitty ones and many of them have very little to bitch about as it is.

The majority of teachers make what they should make. Some make too much, some don't make enough.

Welcome to working.

A voucher system would make schools worse overall. You would have a good few schools and everyone else would get the short end of the stick.

[fan4ever]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

Ran across this article making it's way around facebook.
I thought it was very interesting, especially considering my wife is an elementary teacher. This really hits the nail on the head.
What are your thoughts?

I don't venture into the DC forum too often, sorry if repost.

And the article won't let me Copy/Paste.

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/09/...erican-teacher

By the way, thanks for posting; sent this to my wife (how long has your wife been teaching?) My wife is down in the dumps because of a meeting with an irrate parent who has no clue as to the efforts she and her fellow teachers go through to try and help her child. I keep telling her "Honey, remember...you're not supposed to care and this is a cake job...let's just party on".

[fan4ever]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

She must have worked for a great district.
It's not all peaches and cream as you move from district to district and state to state.

Considering there are nine states in this country where welfare recipients receive more equivalent income to that of a teachers salary, I'm assuming she worked on the west or east coast.

[Deberg_1990]

Too many parents think its the school and teachers job to basically become a surrogate parent. Too many parents busy with long hours at work, dont care, lousy parenting skills, bad lifestyle choices, etc....you name it. Blame everything else but yourself.


Welcome to 'Merica in the 2010's

[blaise]

This is why when you move or buy a house you have to put school district at the top of the list. It's not worth paying less money for a house if your kids have to go to school with a bunch of disruptive idiots. I'd rather live in a 2 bedroom house in a nice district than a 5 bedroom in a crappy one.

[theelusiveeightrop]

Lazy parents. Thread/

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Studies show that teachers who quit and go into other professions very rarely make more money in their next position. That is a pretty clear indication they are not underpaid. Now, to this article's point: are they overworked? Maybe. I'd like summers off and 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week at spring break though. Unfortunately my boss doesn't grant it to me

I've a friend who is a teacher in a eastern metropolitan city and he says " It's the best paid part-time job ever." He has 8 kids too. I've an in-law who was paid $75 for K in Boston in the mid 80's even.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by blaise

This is why when you move or buy a house you have to put school district at the top of the list. It's not worth paying less money for a house if your kids have to go to school with a bunch of disruptive idiots. I'd rather live in a 2 bedroom house in a nice district than a 5 bedroom in a crappy one.

Or you can live where you want and pay for the education. I gave up the second car to do this.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Studies show that teachers who quit and go into other professions very rarely make more money in their next position. That is a pretty clear indication they are not underpaid. Now, to this article's point: are they overworked? Maybe. I'd like summers off and 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week at spring break though. Unfortunately my boss doesn't grant it to me

Your an uneducated fool.