And in all seriousness, I don't think that teachers are above any blame or accountability for education today. I think the idea of 3-5 years of work, then earning tenure so it is nearly impossible to be fired is absurd. BUT, at the same time, let's be real, you can't just completely dump on teachers for not changing the world when we have children coming to us from impoverished, drug ridden, violent and uneducated families and backgrounds. Not that these children are inherently unable to learn, but you have to realize it is tougher than your average suburb kid with a Batman lunch box, PTA parents, coming into school talking about the trip they took to DC to learn about our nation's history. (Hell, my school didn't even have a PTA, PTO . . . I could barely get a chaperone for a field trips. I still worked hard and did what I could. I really enjoyed teaching, but anyone can see the uneven playing field, for both students and teachers.)
There are lots of bad teachers out there, and lots of good ones, too. And the last thing I want to say (I keep saying "one more thing" in my head, but I just keep going!) is that in the end, you get what you pay for. Don't pay someone $30,000 and expect them to work like you're paying them six figures. If you want the very best and brightest to come and innovate educational reforms to help low income communities succeed, put your money where your mouth is. It almost seems likes only a mediocre achiever or a saint would be drawn to teaching (and that is coming from a teacher). Let's keep it real when we talk about the problems in education. Are teachers part of the problem/solution? Yes! Of course! But lets look at the whole puzzle before we start throwing teachers under their own Hyundai econo cars (which I drive), in their chalk covered dress suit from two seasons ago, shall we?
4 comments:
I 100% agree. ALL issues need to be taken into account. Did you watch the movie Waiting for Superman? Pretty interesting...
I really want to see it - I saw the two Oprah shows about it with all the interviews. It was interesting and made me want to watch the movie, but also made me irritated that no one even mentioned parents or communities when talking about the education crisis. I wondered if they addressed that at all in the movie.
Amen Sarah! I think you are so funny! And we love The Daily Show. It's a very entertaining way to watch the 'news'.
sooooo many sides to every issue! i wish people weren't so quick to find a scapegoat for everything, and instead maybe just tried to do their best. or something.
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