Many school systems in Indiana may be finished. The crowd that spews the message that public schools are bad and we need to let private companies run them is in control.
I love how some people who do teach think they are above reproach and that their job is too complicated for a normal person to understand.
It's the same as any other job. A person doesn't need to know how to teach in order to be unsatisfied with the results. Teaching experience isn't required to see that what's going on isn't working and that something needs to change.
From the get-go, President Obama and Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, have beat the drum for school reform just as loud or louder than Republicans. Obama and Duncan have supported the growth of Charter Schools and stricter school accountability since Obama's 2008 election. Let's wake up! School reform is a bi-partisan initiative at this point.
No longer can we say educators will be 'saved' by Democrats. Educators now are chastised equally by Democrats and Republicans -- at the national level and the state level.
"One education reform that Daniels had not talked about before was letting high school students who have completed all requirements for their degree to finish at 11th grade, and give the students the money the state would have otherwise spent on them. That money could be used for college or, Daniels said, some other educational endeavor."
I love it, many teachers will be hired for $30,000 by the private companies who will be hired by Mitch. Years of service will not matter, or degrees the teachers hold, just the bottom line. The few public schools left will get the expelled and thrown out students by the hundreds each year. How many students are ready to take on college level courses at 16 or 17 years old, a handful.
Wow... you mean that teachers will suddenly have to prove that they have the skills to earn their salary increases, instead of just having the patience to make it through another year? How sad. What a strange world we live in.
It is so sad, we have nothing but the basics to offer these kids, so why keep them around for four years when they could finish everything we offer in three? They're poor kids, why the he11 do they need the arts, home ec, music, advanced science, enrichment English or social studies anyway, those things are just for the rich kids in Carmel, Zionsville, and Lawrence....
They don't have the intellect (remember the bell shaped curve and IQ) to benefit from being exposed to things like sarcasm.
Look at the bright side...charter schools can kick bad kids out and unresponsive parents. Of course who knows where those kids will end up because there will be no more "drop your kid off to be babysat at the ole public school and pick him or her up at 5:30pm."
Any predictions on how the Indiana State Teachers Association and the IEA will respond to Daniels' big plans for education during his next two years in office?
It sounds as if he wants to put the teacher unions out of business. And if they don't make an effort to maintain the integrity of teacher contracts (that are bargained), I can't imagine many teachers wanting to stay in the union and pay the dues.
I'm not a teacher, just a taxpayer wondering what teachers think may happen to the teacher unions.
"I love how some people who do teach think they are above reproach and that their job is too complicated for a normal person to understand."
Not to understand but to be evaluated and critiqued as the SOLE evaluator.I don't see plumbers assessing airline mechanics. Blaming teachers for kids who don't care to learn is just plain wrong that is unless you just are looking to dismantle public education and cut salaries and benefits. Don't be cowardly and give some answer when we know they don't give a DAMN about these kids either or they wouldn't put them 40 to a classroom in 98 degree weather while the rich kids go to school in palaces.
"Many school systems in Indiana may be finished. The crowd that spews the message that public schools are bad and we need to let private companies run them is in control."
Some of us left the private sector for teaching in order to get away from the number crunching, heartless, greedy, manipulative tactics we saw in the corporate world so we could make a difference in someone's life. Now there seems to be no escape from the endless data and paperwork that is used and misused all for corporate gain and nothing else...sad, very sad indeed.
"I can't imagine many teachers wanting to stay in the union and pay the dues.I'm not a teacher, just a taxpayer wondering what teachers think may happen to the teacher unions."
I'd say three out of 22 per school still pay dues. The rest can't afford them or see any reason. Downtown does what they want. The union exists only as part of the blame game. Bad teachers can get tossed easily, just assign them the worst kids at the beginning of the year. All unions are a joke unless it's the cops union. They can protect a member from most any crime.
Whatever. There will always be people who are pro and people who are con for the union. I personally think it's good to have SOMEBODY fighting for the rights of the teachers. I've seen principals who target teachers to harass and persecute, principals who don't care and just like to sit on that comfy chair in the office. I feel secure in knowing that someone has my back since my principal sure doesnt'.
The Republican machine wants to take apart public education and turn it over to business, business has one objective, to make money. So they won't want to pay teachers a livable wage, and won't really care if kids are actually educated or not, as long as they can pass those tests. It is a sad day in our country. We are headed toward a two class system, the upper class and everyone else, good bye middle class. Eventually this will be our downfall, class warfare.
All someone needs to do is look at the amount of money and the number of hands holding it, in the last 30 years more and more money in less and less hands...Think about that the next time you hear about the Republicans wanting tax cuts for the wealthy.
Long ago my uncle told me you can't earn enough money to be rich, your money has to be working too. Do you have enough money to let it "work" or are you just scraping by, while people who make millions pay a pittance of a percentage of taxes. LaBron James pays ALL his FICA taxes during the first quarter of the first game he plays each season, why isn't this FICA tax a percentage, the rich have tax breaks the rest of us can only dream of...Do you think that the little extra percentage of taxes he'd have to pay if the ceiling were raised or all income was taxed for FICA would cause LaBron any financial discomfort?
You are displaying a complete lack of understanding of basic economics. Capitalism is what created the middle class. It's the increased government involvement in the economy that keeps the natural checks and balances of capitalism from working. For every rich guy that you envy, there are 100 qualified people who would sell his product or perform his service for less if it weren't for some law or regulation or government contract. Socialized education has been a miserable failure. We've tried it for over 100 years. A competitive, market-based education system can't possibly be any worse, and it's likely to be better because if parents and teachers are unhappy, they have other options.
That is the most convoluded argument that I have read that attempts to justify very wealthy people being entitled and the rest of us should be happy eating their crumbs......what an elitist.
I'm an old, Caucasian man. Not a teacher and never have been. I do have a relative who is a teacher and this person is often (unjustly) treated terribly while on the job. Teachers have become the punching bags of the right-wingers in this country, including The Indianapolis Star.
Back in the '60s and early '70s, I organized and fought for civil rights, fair housing laws, and to get us out of the Vietnam War.
I saw a lot of disturbing things from the Power Elite in this country back then, but I never dreamed I would live to see the day in this country when the greed of the mega-wealthy runs absolutely rampant and unchecked. We are entering into a time when the middle class is dying and we will be left with only rich....or poor.
I'm a political independent these days, but I think the Republican Party has become an evil force in this country.
Corporate and individual greed is literally killing people. Daniels wants to give more rich people tax cuts, but we read in the paper that parents of severely mentally handicapped young people in Indiana are being told by state workers to take their children to HOMELESS SHELTERS! Also, he is planning to cut unemployment benefits for people who are just trying to survive and stay off the streets.
Gov. Daniels, you should be ashamed of yourself! You are supposed to be a church-goer. Apparently, you have never read the Book of Matthew in the Bible. You and your Republican cohorts need to take some time to read the "sheep and the goats" passages in that Book.
It's time for middle class, working class Americans to wake up and smell the stench before it is too late.
People, economics isn't politics. It's science and history. There was no middle class before capitalism. So no matter how much you shout that capitalism is elitist, it will never be true. Socialized programs CREATE the divide. Charitable programs that help the poor are one thing. But government takeovers of entire industries, including education, do not help the middle class. They drag down the middle class.
That is not true, the middle class made America the economic system of the world. Now that the middle class has lost its footing, the economic system will fail under the GOP.
Love the Lebron comments on his taxes. According to capitalism we are paying these guys what the market warrants. Yeah right- same with Britny Spears, country music, rap, Danica Patrick and reality tv. They are paid their value as well. No one is ever OVER-paid. Great country strange culture.
Just teachers, according to some people. "must be nice to make a years salary for 2/3 of year's work" "Every 5 years you get an accumulated year off." "Wish I could get off work at 3"
I respect teachers. But I don't think teachers deserve some special protection from economic forces at the expense of the rest of the country.
As far as Democrats being for the common man, that's a political slogan, and it's utter bullshit. Socialist policies exploit the poor and working class for political and personal gain. Politicians don't care about you. Politicians just pander to different groups to get into power. 90% of us would be better off financially if the government got out of the economy. And despite the screams from the radical right, safety nets for the poor are not what are hurting this country. Safety nets for the middle class and wealthy are what is hurting this country. Socialized healthcare. Socialized retirement. Socialized education. An absurdly large military (we could cut it in half and still have the largest military budget per capita in the world).
Excuse me, firefighters, police, social service agencies, prisons, park services, some hospitals, mental health agencies, teachers, universities, and the list goes on and on...
What range of personal earnings qualify a person as middle-class?
The Star did a piece about 2 or 3 years ago saying the minimum wage needed to maintain a family of four at just above the poverty line was $16.00 to $17.00 an hour...this is an estimation, I can't recall the specific dollar amount
Here is an interesting activity for eighth graders on the poverty line. http://www.tolerance.org/activity/calculating-poverty-line
Since when did the word Tax become a four letter word, when you read the word tax cut, substitute SERVICE CUT and decide if you really want a service cut...think of the guy a few months ago who lived in an unincorporated area, he did not pay his "fee" to the adjoining taxed area for fire protection, so when his house caught fire the firemen showed up with marshmallows to make sure the neighbors property (who had paid the fee) did not catch fire...sometimes we think in a penny wise and pound foolish way about taxes.
All this tough luck for kids whose parents don't care is this type of thinking. Remember that if we don't educate these kids they won't be prepared for the future, so it is in all of our best long term interest to insure all kids get a good education. Pay now for education or later for prison, welfare, and crime.
$16-$17 an hour is not "just above the poverty line." It's middle class, at least here in Indiana. The median household income in Indiana is $41,567 (right about $20/hr). About half of Indiana households make between $35,000 and 75,000. About 1/4 make less than 35K, about 1/4 make more than 75K. Raising minimum wage to $17/hr would not end poverty. It would cause inflation. Prices would rise to accommodate the increase in labor cost. The dollar would be worth less.
The guy was a freeloader who did not want to pay his fire protection fee......until his house was on fire and then he wanted to pay it quickly.....if everyone had that selfish philosophy then there would be no fire department, fire trucks, firefighters, etc to come to collect the fee and put out the fire. Sorry he lost his house but HE nade a decision and had to live with it.
The new scale for middle class is home value of #250,000, combined income of $125,000, and children in college. Rich is 25 million of assests, liquid and not real estate as many homes are reduced in value.
Magic Number for Happiness: $75,000 a Year Article Stock Quotes Comments (1) MORE IN PERSONAL FINANCE » EmailPrint Save This ↓ More
+ More Text Edited By NIKKI WALLER
Money can't buy happiness, but a study shows that we can earn it.
The study, which analyzed Gallup surveys of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009, suggests that there were two forms of happiness: day-to-day contentment and overall satisfaction with one's place in the world. While a higher income brings little day-to-day contentment, it does boost people's overall satisfaction.
The study, conducted by Princeton University economist Angus Deaton and famed psychologist Daniel Kahneman, found that there's a specific dollar number, or income plateau, after which more money has no measurable effect on day-to-day contentment.
As people earn more money, their day-to-day happiness rises. That is, until you hit the magic number: $75,000 a year. After that, it's just more stuff, with no gain in happiness.
That doesn't mean wealthy and ultrawealthy people are equally happy. More money does boost people's overall satisfaction all the way up the income ladder. People who earned $160,000 a year, for instance, reported more overall satisfaction than people earning $120,000, and so on.
"Giving people more income beyond 75K is not going to do much for their daily mood...but it is going to make them feel they have a better life," Mr. Deaton told the Associated Press.
He added: "As an economist, I tend to think money is good for you, and am pleased to find some evidence for that."
However, $75,000 in New York doesn't buy as much as it would in, say, South Dakota. Based on cost-of-living index values from Kiplinger.com, the happiness salary would vary widely across the nation. For example, New Yorkers would have to earn $163,000 a year to achieve the $75,000 happiness level; in Chicago, $84,750. It took the least amount of money to achieve happiness in Fort Smith, Ark., and Pueblo, Colo., where a $62,000 salary buys $75,000 worth of happiness.
You people are on crack. 3/4 of the population makes under 75,000. That's not "middle class." That's wealthy. If 3/4 of the population is unhappy, maybe the problem is unrealistic expectations.
My husband and I make combined about $75,000, I definitely would put us at comfortable, certainly NOT rich. IF something happened to him I surely could not make it to support my 2 children and myself.
I wasn't referring to the Cadre as punishment. I was stating that I'd prefer to be a Cadre member as opposed to toiling away day after day in an out of control school. Is it possible to request such a flip?
Of course, having more money makes one happier or more content. You don't have to worry about paying the bills each month, you can afford a decent car, you can plan a nice vacation, you can save for big emergencies, you can afford a life insurance policy for your spouse just in case the worst happens, you can invest money to watch it grow, you can make charitable donations, you can pay for your kids' tuition, and you just sleep better at night. A salary of $75K for a family of four would be cutting it mighty close for achieving a level of contentment.
If you read the article about money and happiness it says that once you reach about $75,000 a year you generally are happy that does not increase when you make more than that. So there is a direct correlation between making that amount of money and happiness and making less and being unhappy. And it is probably a lower threshold for Indiana, because our housing costs are so low, I have a friend who just moved here from NYC, and is paying half the rent for three times the space, boy is she happy.
One of the big things items this upcoming legislative session will be the issue of education reform. In order to move Indiana forward, this state is really going to have to step up its reform efforts. One of the big things it can do is to revamp collective bargaining. I've been reviewing some of the silly and outrageous provisions that are in current teacher contracts from across the state. And to be honest, I frankly don't know which one is more ridiculous, the teachers who asked for the provisions or the idiotic school boards that agreed to them. Here's a sample...
During a Reduction in Force, a teacher with tied seniority will be dismissed based on: birth date, blind draw, roll of a die, the sum of the last four digits of the social security number. The higher sum of the two is granted the greater seniority.
Principals have no authority to appoint teachers to classrooms. Teachers choose their own classroom assignments based on seniority. Each teacher submits to the Board their top 3 choices. The Board shall then work down the seniority list in assigning classes. If a less senior teacher prefers a class already requested by a more senior teacher, the Board shall move on to the less senior teacher’s second preference, and so on, until all teachers receive their most desired available pick. Then, the Board shall repeat for two more cycles to assign as many teachers as possible to their respective preferences.
No material may be sent to a prospective outside employer without the consent of the teacher.
No staff meetings on Mondays, except in emergencies.
Sixteen (16) days in each even-numbered year and twenty-four (24) days in each odd-numbered year shall be available for released time for teachers to work on legislative matters, including visits to the Indiana General Assembly and related activities which may include meetings with the Legislative Liaison Office.
A teacher has the right to displace a less senior teacher in another subject area to avoid involuntary transfer.
Association has equal say as to which teachers are hired for summer school.
Teachers offered summer school positions based on seniority.
Teachers may not be required to report more than 20 minutes before the class day begins.
Teachers hired before 2008 pay only $1.00 for health insurance.
The classroom teacher is solely responsible for the evaluation and measurement of pupil progress, retention and promotion.
No teacher evaluation shall be based on ISTEP scores.
Teachers with 5 years of experience will not be subject to evaluation, with exceptions.
Teachers with 5 years of experience may only be evaluated once every 3 years.
Open houses may not exceed one per semester at secondary schools and two per semester at elementary schools
That's just a sample from across the state.
While I have no problem with people negotiating reasonable working conditions, no one can be serious about some of the stuff you see written above.
In fairness to all, please cite which contracts have these clauses. Remember also that these are not rules imposed by the union but negotiated by the union and school boards. Both sides must agree or these clauses would not appear in a contract.
I'm not a teacher. But I believe these contracts have involved "the law of supply and demand" in the past, or at least have been influenced by that "law." Unions were able to get some of these concessions because school boards knew they needed to be able to bring in teachers and keep their current teachers satisfied. This was because, in fairly recent years, there were significant teacher shortages in urban and very rural areas in Indiana. Now, with all of the state budget cuts, there are no real teacher shortages. However, I predict that within 5-10 years there will be massive teacher shortages all over the state due to older teachers getting out as soon as they can and younger people being scared off by all of the additional teacher harassment that is coming thanks to Mitch Daniels and his Republican cohorts. In other words, I believe the pendulum is going to swing back to teacher shortages. But then, with these new Mitch Laws coming, school boards will be handcuffed from negotiating provisions in contracts with teachers that will bring new teachers into their districts and help them keep the ones they have. What this all boils down to is a balance is needed. Should completely worthless teachers be protected from dismissal? No. But should average and above-average teachers be subjected to the unchecked whims and personality issues of inept building or program administrators? No. School boards and superintendents can be flexible if they choose to be, but state laws are not. Daniels is bringing in laws.
To the person above who thinks teachers have an easy job...
We can't leave until 4 P.M., not 3 P.M., and we take work home to complete in the evening and on the weekend.
We work a whole year in 10 months, and spend a good chunk of our own money to make it happen.
To the person who said 3 in 22 teachers are dues paying union members...
If that's true, how does IEA get the right to negotiate? I believe 60% is a more accurate estimate for IPS. Does anybody know the actual percentage?
If the state takes over the school district and we are working for a private management firm, do we regain the right to strike?
Cops can't strike either, but rent-a-cops can. I'd say all chips are on the table again. The state has violated their obligation to negotiate a contract in 'good faith' and thus we regain the right to strike.
Let's put a professional sounding spin on that phrase. Rather than saying "We can't leave until...", let's say "Our regular hours are from ___AM to ___PM."
We really must distance ourselves as educators from a manufacturing hourly wage mindset. Saying "We can't leave until 4 PM" sounds like we're working in a factory, and we're hanging around the exit door waiting for 4 PM to arrive. Surely, that describes no professional educator nor any professional service provider.
The right for public employees to strike somehow has a bad sound to most people. We're paid from public monies, not private or corporate funds. If educators go on strike, it's equivalent to playing an "if-then" game of bribery with the very folks who pay our salaries -- the public, the general taxpayers, our next door neighbors.
We are salaried licensed professional employees who provide professional services, not hourly wage earners. There's a vast difference. We can't have our cake and eat it, too.
People who are in 'licensed' professional careers do not strike. How many attorneys, doctors, CPA's, dentists, certified professional engineers, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, or physical therapists can you name who go on strike? I cannot name one; however, if I could, I'd make note never to seek professional services from that person.
I know of many episodes in American history (some recent) when professionals have gone on strike - including doctors, nurses and the famous air traffic controller strikes of the Reagan era. Professionals, including teachers, are human beings, not slaves. The Ruling Elite in this country have nearly been successful in stripping rights away from all workers. Teaching is just a new frontier for them. Can you hear me, Mitch? We have too many sheep-le in this country, half sheep and half people. Ready to be led around in the pasture by the rich and powerful. Stand up and demand your rights as working professionals. Demand your rights as human beings.
Does anyone really believe that today's taxpayers, many of whom have been out of work for months and months, will give public school teachers a kind ear when we say we're treated as slaves and do not enjoy rights as human beings?
Personally, I'm keeping a low profile about my public funded teaching position and its benefits when around most of my neighbors.
To the elitist above, factory workers are treated better than we are as teachers. They also have better working conditions and fringe benefits. I don't care what title you call me. All I want is to be treated fairly and appreciated for all I do.
@To the elitist above, factory workers are treated better than we are as teachers. They also have better working conditions and fringe benefits. I don't care what title you call me. All I want is to be treated fairly and appreciated for all I do.
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Go find a job in a factory if you believe you will be treated better and appreciated more. Have at it!
I have worked in a factory and taught for many years. I have experienced both and factory workers are treated well most of the time and the fringe benefits are far better. No foreman or supervisior in a factory would dream of ever treating an employee in manner that Eugene White does.
I haven't been here for a few days, so I know I'm late to the party...but, good God, some of you people are scary. I don't know who is posting, but if some of you ARE teachers, then there's a major problem...especially the nitwits claiming that "capitalism" is the problem, and if this is what you are teaching in school, the sooner you are out, the better.
Capitalism is not the problem- people are the problem. The people that run the system only care about what makes them look good. The people in government only care about test scores- not education. Too many people in the classroom care only about getting to summer vacation and/or retirement. And, most importantly, too many people in our classrooms, and their parents, don't care about education- and, in the parents case- are undereducate and illiterate themselves, so they've never learned the valuse of an education.
That is what has to change, and there's no easy way to do that.
"Don't be cowardly and give some answer when we know they don't give a DAMN about these kids either or they wouldn't put them 40 to a classroom in 98 degree weather while the rich kids go to school in palaces." _______________________________
You said a mouthful there, hoss.
Mitch-U-Cation is not about improving things for kids. It's about saving the state money by getting rid of experienced teachers and promoting Mitch's upcoming presidential campaign.
This was posted on another thread. I didn't write it, but I agree with it, and it is a good rebuttal to the blame-the-victim mentality of blaming poor kids and their parents for our failure to deliver on the promises of public education.
"Yeah, I don't buy the idea that it's impossible to teach kids that things have value unless their parents also think it has value. Think of the things most kids (urban or rural, rich or poor) value and most of it is not taught by parents, and much of it is directly taught against by parents. Outside forces have convinced these kids that certain things have value, whether it's silly bandz or music or fashion. Traditional progressive teachers will probably hate this analogy, but we need to SELL education to these kids. If Nike can get poor kids to spend money on shoes, why can't we get poor kids to value education for free? Because Nike is doing a better job of teaching these kids right now than we are. I swear to God I think the best thing teacher education programs could do to improve teacher quality is require a marketing class or two!"
Mitch Daniels is on the exact same page regarding educational reform as President Obama. Both gentlemen see a dire need to change the paradigms of our current state of public school education. Both gentlemen realize that doing things the same old way will get nothing other than the same old results -- failure.
Both gentlemen support choice. Both gentlemen support accountability. Both gentlemen support options for students.
Personally, I find it refreshing to witness a bi-partisan initiative focused on a single goal.
@"If Nike can get poor kids to spend money on shoes, why can't we get poor kids to value education for free? Because Nike is doing a better job of teaching these kids right now than we are. I swear to God I think the best thing teacher education programs could do to improve teacher quality is require a marketing class or two!" _______________________________________
Hey, I agree and believe you're onto something important. The most engaging teachers are part entertainer, part performer, and part intellectual. They have the uncanny ability to hook the kid's attention with lively, enthusiastic presentations of otherwise dull content material.
My two adult children were raised on Sesame Street where they were captivated by colorful entertaining characters who provided lively, yet very instructional, performances. I'm now 60+ and still enjoy the performance aspect of teaching teenagers by grabbing their attention with something 'off the wall' and totally unexpected from 'an old white woman'.
I'm not alone out there. There are a bunch of us aging, crazy-ass baby boomers who received excellent undergrad and graduate school educations (in both the Liberal Arts and the Content Areas) who still get a natural high from reaching kids with dramatic, engaging, and entertaining strategies.
A lot of today's kids are pitiful. But there are those who do want to learn but can't because of those pitiful students. Schools system needs to be revised. There should be test for schools instead of just what class to take next semester. The leadership and tard White "NEED" to organize a ranking system for schools and students. (Kinda like China)
Coming from an 11'th grade student...Who really wants a hot pocket...
11'th grade student here. By the way i love teachers. They allow me to become what i want. So the fag who thinks teachers jobs are easy, (iv'e looked into it) i can say it's not. Thank you teachers for your hard work! Don't give up on the good kids....please.
I've been in IPS for 20+ years and we have always been told it would be pied out to the townships. Let's get serious, we loose 1000 kids a year. The state is taking over 3 secondary schools next year. IPS will never be over, it will keep getting smaller and smaller. Fort Wayne will be the largest school system in Indiana by next year. And, FW only lost 20 some kids last year. Why? Because the admin knows how to treat the parents right!
Oh Really! FWCS bred Dr. White, heck we'd take him compared to the clown we have at our hands. Fort Wayne's district is growing due to the illegals and the refugees. The white kids just move out the suburbs and the area county schools.
Many school systems in Indiana may be finished. The crowd that spews the message that public schools are bad and we need to let private companies run them is in control.
ReplyDeleteI love how people who don't teach, have never taught get to tell us how to do our jobs. Do we go to the Capitol and tell them how to do their job???
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad sad time to be an educator.
I love how some people who do teach think they are above reproach and that their job is too complicated for a normal person to understand.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same as any other job. A person doesn't need to know how to teach in order to be unsatisfied with the results. Teaching experience isn't required to see that what's going on isn't working and that something needs to change.
Just an FYI to all four posters, there ARE educators who are Republican and there ARE educators who are part of the reform movement. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteFrom the get-go, President Obama and Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, have beat the drum for school reform just as loud or louder than Republicans. Obama and Duncan have supported the growth of Charter Schools and stricter school accountability since Obama's 2008 election. Let's wake up! School reform is a bi-partisan initiative at this point.
ReplyDeleteNo longer can we say educators will be 'saved' by Democrats. Educators now are chastised equally by Democrats and Republicans -- at the national level and the state level.
Copied and pasted from today's IndyStar Online:
ReplyDelete"One education reform that Daniels had not talked about before was letting high school students who have completed all requirements for their degree to finish at 11th grade, and give the students the money the state would have otherwise spent on them. That money could be used for college or, Daniels said, some other educational endeavor."
Makes good sense to me as a teacher.
I love it, many teachers will be hired for $30,000 by the private companies who will be hired by Mitch. Years of service will not matter, or degrees the teachers hold, just the bottom line. The few public schools left will get the expelled and thrown out students by the hundreds each year. How many students are ready to take on college level courses at 16 or 17 years old, a handful.
ReplyDeleteWow... you mean that teachers will suddenly have to prove that they have the skills to earn their salary increases, instead of just having the patience to make it through another year? How sad. What a strange world we live in.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad, we have nothing but the basics to offer these kids, so why keep them around for four years when they could finish everything we offer in three? They're poor kids, why the he11 do they need the arts, home ec, music, advanced science, enrichment English or social studies anyway, those things are just for the rich kids in Carmel, Zionsville, and Lawrence....
ReplyDeleteThey don't have the intellect (remember the bell shaped curve and IQ) to benefit from being exposed to things like sarcasm.
Look at the bright side...charter schools can kick bad kids out and unresponsive parents. Of course who knows where those kids will end up because there will be no more "drop your kid off to be babysat at the ole public school and pick him or her up at 5:30pm."
ReplyDeleteAny predictions on how the Indiana State Teachers Association and the IEA will respond to Daniels' big plans for education during his next two years in office?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if he wants to put the teacher unions out of business. And if they don't make an effort to maintain the integrity of teacher contracts (that are bargained), I can't imagine many teachers wanting to stay in the union and pay the dues.
I'm not a teacher, just a taxpayer wondering what teachers think may happen to the teacher unions.
"I love how some people who do teach think they are above reproach and that their job is too complicated for a normal person to understand."
ReplyDeleteNot to understand but to be evaluated and critiqued as the SOLE evaluator.I don't see plumbers assessing airline mechanics. Blaming teachers for kids who don't care to learn is just plain wrong that is unless you just are looking to dismantle public education and cut salaries and benefits. Don't be cowardly and give some answer when we know they don't give a DAMN about these kids either or they wouldn't put them 40 to a classroom in 98 degree weather while the rich kids go to school in palaces.
"Many school systems in Indiana may be finished. The crowd that spews the message that public schools are bad and we need to let private companies run them is in control."
ReplyDeleteSome of us left the private sector for teaching in order to get away from the number crunching, heartless, greedy, manipulative tactics we saw in the corporate world so we could make a difference in someone's life. Now there seems to be no escape from the endless data and paperwork that is used and misused all for corporate gain and nothing else...sad, very sad indeed.
"I can't imagine many teachers wanting to stay in the union and pay the dues.I'm not a teacher, just a taxpayer wondering what teachers think may happen to the teacher unions."
ReplyDeleteI'd say three out of 22 per school still pay dues. The rest can't afford them or see any reason. Downtown does what they want. The union exists only as part of the blame game. Bad teachers can get tossed easily, just assign them the worst kids at the beginning of the year. All unions are a joke unless it's the cops union. They can protect a member from most any crime.
Oh if only IPS and teacher's unions could be completely finished! What a huge step towards success that would be. I'll wait with anticipation.
ReplyDeleteWhatever. There will always be people who are pro and people who are con for the union. I personally think it's good to have SOMEBODY fighting for the rights of the teachers. I've seen principals who target teachers to harass and persecute, principals who don't care and just like to sit on that comfy chair in the office. I feel secure in knowing that someone has my back since my principal sure doesnt'.
ReplyDelete"Oh if only IPS and teacher's unions could be completely finished! What a huge step towards success that would be. I'll wait with anticipation."
ReplyDeleteThey need to dissolve this union and join the cops union...Now that's job protection!! You can get away with assault and murder.
The Republican machine wants to take apart public education and turn it over to business, business has one objective, to make money. So they won't want to pay teachers a livable wage, and won't really care if kids are actually educated or not, as long as they can pass those tests. It is a sad day in our country. We are headed toward a two class system, the upper class and everyone else, good bye middle class.
ReplyDeleteEventually this will be our downfall, class warfare.
All someone needs to do is look at the amount of money and the number of hands holding it, in the last 30 years more and more money in less and less hands...Think about that the next time you hear about the Republicans wanting tax cuts for the wealthy.
Long ago my uncle told me you can't earn enough money to be rich, your money has to be working too. Do you have enough money to let it "work" or are you just scraping by, while people who make millions pay a pittance of a percentage of taxes. LaBron James pays ALL his FICA taxes during the first quarter of the first game he plays each season, why isn't this FICA tax a percentage, the rich have tax breaks the rest of us can only dream of...Do you think that the little extra percentage of taxes he'd have to pay if the ceiling were raised or all income was taxed for FICA would cause LaBron any financial discomfort?
You are displaying a complete lack of understanding of basic economics. Capitalism is what created the middle class. It's the increased government involvement in the economy that keeps the natural checks and balances of capitalism from working. For every rich guy that you envy, there are 100 qualified people who would sell his product or perform his service for less if it weren't for some law or regulation or government contract. Socialized education has been a miserable failure. We've tried it for over 100 years. A competitive, market-based education system can't possibly be any worse, and it's likely to be better because if parents and teachers are unhappy, they have other options.
ReplyDeleteThat is the most convoluded argument that I have read that attempts to justify very wealthy people being entitled and the rest of us should be happy eating their crumbs......what an elitist.
ReplyDeleteI'm an old, Caucasian man. Not a teacher and never have been. I do have a relative who is a teacher and this person is often (unjustly) treated terribly while on the job. Teachers have become the punching bags of the right-wingers in this country, including The Indianapolis Star.
ReplyDeleteBack in the '60s and early '70s, I organized and fought for civil rights, fair housing laws, and to get us out of the Vietnam War.
I saw a lot of disturbing things from the Power Elite in this country back then, but I never dreamed I would live to see the day in this country when the greed of the mega-wealthy runs absolutely rampant and unchecked. We are entering into a time when the middle class is dying and we will be left with only rich....or poor.
I'm a political independent these days, but I think the Republican Party has become an evil force in this country.
Corporate and individual greed is literally killing people. Daniels wants to give more rich people tax cuts, but we read in the paper that parents of severely mentally handicapped young people in Indiana are being told by state workers to take their children to HOMELESS SHELTERS! Also, he is planning to cut unemployment benefits for people who are just trying to survive and stay off the streets.
Gov. Daniels, you should be ashamed of yourself! You are supposed to be a church-goer. Apparently, you have never read the Book of Matthew in the Bible. You and your Republican cohorts need to take some time to read the "sheep and the goats" passages in that Book.
It's time for middle class, working class Americans to wake up and smell the stench before it is too late.
To the old Caucasian man: I wish we could clone you on election day. Thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there aren't enough old white guys who don't understand economics voting in elections. - rolling eyes Heavenward-
ReplyDeletePeople, economics isn't politics. It's science and history. There was no middle class before capitalism. So no matter how much you shout that capitalism is elitist, it will never be true. Socialized programs CREATE the divide. Charitable programs that help the poor are one thing. But government takeovers of entire industries, including education, do not help the middle class. They drag down the middle class.
ReplyDeleteGo into any inner city area in any major city in America and tell me that capitalism is a wonderful economic system.
ReplyDeleteIt is a failed economic system. A heartless and soul-less economic system based upon greed and narcissism.
It is based upon myth and myopic selfishness. It is also a racist system.
That is not true, the middle class made America the economic system of the world. Now that the middle class has lost its footing, the economic system will fail under the GOP.
ReplyDeleteBig question for me is:
ReplyDeleteHow much money does a person have to earn to be classified as 'rich'?
What range of personal earnings qualify a person as middle-class?
Poverty income is defined by the government, so we know that one, but the other two are so unclear.
Love the Lebron comments on his taxes. According to capitalism we are paying these guys what the market warrants. Yeah right- same with Britny Spears, country music, rap, Danica Patrick and reality tv. They are paid their value as well. No one is ever OVER-paid. Great country strange culture.
ReplyDeleteJust teachers, according to some people.
ReplyDelete"must be nice to make a years salary for 2/3 of year's work"
"Every 5 years you get an accumulated year off."
"Wish I could get off work at 3"
I respect teachers. But I don't think teachers deserve some special protection from economic forces at the expense of the rest of the country.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Democrats being for the common man, that's a political slogan, and it's utter bullshit. Socialist policies exploit the poor and working class for political and personal gain. Politicians don't care about you. Politicians just pander to different groups to get into power. 90% of us would be better off financially if the government got out of the economy. And despite the screams from the radical right, safety nets for the poor are not what are hurting this country. Safety nets for the middle class and wealthy are what is hurting this country. Socialized healthcare. Socialized retirement. Socialized education. An absurdly large military (we could cut it in half and still have the largest military budget per capita in the world).
And what was the downfall of the USSR? Too much military spending and a war in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteHey, the government never created jobs....except all those decades with Nasa and career military folk...gotcha!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me, firefighters, police, social service agencies, prisons, park services, some hospitals,
ReplyDeletemental health agencies, teachers, universities, and the list goes on and on...
Exactly. THAT is where 50% of your income is going, not to the food stamp and free lunch people.
ReplyDeleteWhat range of personal earnings qualify a person as middle-class?
ReplyDeleteThe Star did a piece about 2 or 3 years ago saying the minimum wage needed to maintain a family of four at just above the poverty line was $16.00 to $17.00 an hour...this is an estimation, I can't recall the specific dollar amount
Here is an interesting activity for eighth graders on the poverty line.
http://www.tolerance.org/activity/calculating-poverty-line
Since when did the word Tax become a four letter word, when you read the word tax cut, substitute
SERVICE CUT and decide if you really want a service cut...think of the guy a few months ago who lived in an unincorporated area, he did not pay his "fee" to the adjoining taxed area for fire protection, so when his house caught fire the firemen showed up with marshmallows to make sure the neighbors property (who had paid the fee) did not catch fire...sometimes we think in a penny wise and pound foolish way about taxes.
All this tough luck for kids whose parents don't care is this type of thinking. Remember that if we don't educate these kids they won't be prepared for the future, so it is in all of our best long term interest to insure all kids get a good education. Pay now for education or later for prison, welfare, and crime.
$16-$17 an hour is not "just above the poverty line." It's middle class, at least here in Indiana. The median household income in Indiana is $41,567 (right about $20/hr). About half of Indiana households make between $35,000 and 75,000. About 1/4 make less than 35K, about 1/4 make more than 75K. Raising minimum wage to $17/hr would not end poverty. It would cause inflation. Prices would rise to accommodate the increase in labor cost. The dollar would be worth less.
ReplyDeleteDid the guy with the house fire have homeowner's insurance?
ReplyDeleteThe guy was a freeloader who did not want to pay his fire protection fee......until his house was on fire and then he wanted to pay it quickly.....if everyone had that selfish philosophy then there would be no fire department, fire trucks, firefighters, etc to come to collect the fee and put out the fire. Sorry he lost his house but HE nade a decision and had to live with it.
ReplyDeleteI HATE school #60. It's completely out of control. I'd rather be placed in the Cadre than be at that cesspool of doom.
ReplyDeleteYou speak of the cadre as if it's punishment.
ReplyDeleteYes, the members never know from one week to the next where they'll be assigned, and they haven't a clue as to their future next year, but....
-No lesson plans
-No staff meetings
-No Parents In Touch
-No papers to grade
-No evaluations
-No AYP stress
-No report cards
-No parent conferences
-No hall/lunch/bus/cafeteria duty
I'd trade in a heartbeat, if I was closer to retirement.
The new scale for middle class is home value of #250,000, combined income of $125,000, and children in college. Rich is 25 million of assests, liquid and not real estate as many homes are reduced in value.
ReplyDeleteMagic Number for Happiness: $75,000 a Year
ReplyDeleteArticle
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Edited By NIKKI WALLER
Money can't buy happiness, but a study shows that we can earn it.
The study, which analyzed Gallup surveys of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009, suggests that there were two forms of happiness: day-to-day contentment and overall satisfaction with one's place in the world. While a higher income brings little day-to-day contentment, it does boost people's overall satisfaction.
The study, conducted by Princeton University economist Angus Deaton and famed psychologist Daniel Kahneman, found that there's a specific dollar number, or income plateau, after which more money has no measurable effect on day-to-day contentment.
As people earn more money, their day-to-day happiness rises. That is, until you hit the magic number: $75,000 a year. After that, it's just more stuff, with no gain in happiness.
That doesn't mean wealthy and ultrawealthy people are equally happy. More money does boost people's overall satisfaction all the way up the income ladder. People who earned $160,000 a year, for instance, reported more overall satisfaction than people earning $120,000, and so on.
"Giving people more income beyond 75K is not going to do much for their daily mood...but it is going to make them feel they have a better life," Mr. Deaton told the Associated Press.
He added: "As an economist, I tend to think money is good for you, and am pleased to find some evidence for that."
However, $75,000 in New York doesn't buy as much as it would in, say, South Dakota. Based on cost-of-living index values from Kiplinger.com, the happiness salary would vary widely across the nation. For example, New Yorkers would have to earn $163,000 a year to achieve the $75,000 happiness level; in Chicago, $84,750. It took the least amount of money to achieve happiness in Fort Smith, Ark., and Pueblo, Colo., where a $62,000 salary buys $75,000 worth of happiness.
—Robert Frank and Phil Izzo WSJ.com
I'm at the top of the IPS payscale, 30+ years, Masters' plus. I need an increase of $8000 to be happy.
ReplyDeleteShould we use the results of the Gallup/Princeton University survey as an explanation as to why IPS educators are, for the most part, unhappy?
ReplyDeleteIt does explain a great deal.
You people are on crack. 3/4 of the population makes under 75,000. That's not "middle class." That's wealthy. If 3/4 of the population is unhappy, maybe the problem is unrealistic expectations.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I make combined about $75,000, I definitely would put us at comfortable, certainly NOT rich. IF something happened to him I surely could not make it to support my 2 children and myself.
ReplyDeleteWe make together $65,000 and we are middle class. My brother-in-law makes $70,000 and is poor. It is all in how you use your money!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't referring to the Cadre as punishment. I was stating that I'd prefer to be a Cadre member as opposed to toiling away day after day in an out of control school. Is it possible to request such a flip?
ReplyDeleteSure, escpecially since the money for the cadre is gone at the end of the year. Dumbass.
ReplyDeleteIt's spelled "especially." DUMBER-ass.
ReplyDeleteOf course, having more money makes one happier or more content. You don't have to worry about paying the bills each month, you can afford a decent car, you can plan a nice vacation, you can save for big emergencies, you can afford a life insurance policy for your spouse just in case the worst happens, you can invest money to watch it grow, you can make charitable donations, you can pay for your kids' tuition, and you just sleep better at night. A salary of $75K for a family of four would be cutting it mighty close for achieving a level of contentment.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the article about money and happiness it says that once you reach about $75,000 a year you generally are happy that does not increase when you make more than that. So there is a direct correlation between making that amount of money and happiness and making less and being unhappy. And it is probably a lower threshold for Indiana, because our housing costs are so low, I have a friend who just moved here from NYC, and is paying half the rent for three times the space, boy is she happy.
ReplyDeleteOne of the big things items this upcoming legislative session will be the issue of education reform. In order to move Indiana forward, this state is really going to have to step up its reform efforts. One of the big things it can do is to revamp collective bargaining. I've been reviewing some of the silly and outrageous provisions that are in current teacher contracts from across the state. And to be honest, I frankly don't know which one is more ridiculous, the teachers who asked for the provisions or the idiotic school boards that agreed to them. Here's a sample...
ReplyDeleteDuring a Reduction in Force, a teacher with tied seniority will be dismissed based on: birth date, blind draw, roll of a die, the sum of the last four digits of the social security number. The higher sum of the two is granted the greater seniority.
Principals have no authority to appoint teachers to classrooms. Teachers choose their own classroom assignments based on seniority. Each teacher submits to the Board their top 3 choices. The Board shall then work down the seniority list in assigning classes. If a less senior teacher prefers a class already requested by a more senior teacher, the Board shall move on to the less senior teacher’s second preference, and so on, until all teachers receive their most desired available pick. Then, the Board shall repeat for two more cycles to assign as many teachers as possible to their respective preferences.
No material may be sent to a prospective outside employer without the consent of the teacher.
No staff meetings on Mondays, except in emergencies.
Sixteen (16) days in each even-numbered year and twenty-four (24) days in each odd-numbered year shall be available for released time for teachers to work on legislative matters, including visits to the Indiana General Assembly and related activities which may include meetings with the Legislative Liaison Office.
A teacher has the right to displace a less senior teacher in another subject area to avoid involuntary transfer.
Association has equal say as to which teachers are hired for summer school.
Teachers offered summer school positions based on seniority.
Teachers may not be required to report more than 20 minutes before the class day begins.
Teachers hired before 2008 pay only $1.00 for health insurance.
The classroom teacher is solely responsible for the evaluation and measurement of pupil progress, retention and promotion.
No teacher evaluation shall be based on ISTEP scores.
Teachers with 5 years of experience will not be subject to evaluation, with exceptions.
Teachers with 5 years of experience may only be evaluated once every 3 years.
Open houses may not exceed one per semester at secondary schools and two per semester at elementary schools
That's just a sample from across the state.
While I have no problem with people negotiating reasonable working conditions, no one can be serious about some of the stuff you see written above.
Let the school reform begin!!!!
In fairness to all, please cite which contracts have these clauses. Remember also that these are not rules imposed by the union but negotiated by the union and school boards. Both sides must agree or these clauses would not appear in a contract.
ReplyDeleteI don't know which one is more ridiculous, the local teachers unions who asked for such provisions or the school boards that agreed to them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a teacher. But I believe these contracts have involved "the law of supply and demand" in the past, or at least have been influenced by that "law." Unions were able to get some of these concessions because school boards knew they needed to be able to bring in teachers and keep their current teachers satisfied. This was because, in fairly recent years, there were significant teacher shortages in urban and very rural areas in Indiana. Now, with all of the state budget cuts, there are no real teacher shortages. However, I predict that within 5-10 years there will be massive teacher shortages all over the state due to older teachers getting out as soon as they can and younger people being scared off by all of the additional teacher harassment that is coming thanks to Mitch Daniels and his Republican cohorts. In other words, I believe the pendulum is going to swing back to teacher shortages. But then, with these new Mitch Laws coming, school boards will be handcuffed from negotiating provisions in contracts with teachers that will bring new teachers into their districts and help them keep the ones they have. What this all boils down to is a balance is needed. Should completely worthless teachers be protected from dismissal? No. But should average and above-average teachers be subjected to the unchecked whims and personality issues of inept building or program administrators? No. School boards and superintendents can be flexible if they choose to be, but state laws are not. Daniels is bringing in laws.
ReplyDeleteTo the person above who thinks teachers have an easy job...
ReplyDeleteWe can't leave until 4 P.M., not 3 P.M., and
we take work home to complete in the evening and on the weekend.
We work a whole year in 10 months, and spend a good chunk of our own money to make it happen.
To the person who said 3 in 22 teachers are dues paying union members...
If that's true, how does IEA get the right to negotiate? I believe 60% is a more accurate estimate for IPS. Does anybody know the actual percentage?
If the state takes over the school district and we are working for a private management firm, do we regain the right to strike?
Cops can't strike either, but rent-a-cops can. I'd say all chips are on the table again. The state has violated their obligation to negotiate a contract in 'good faith' and thus we regain the right to strike.
@We can't leave until 4 P.M., . . .
ReplyDeleteLet's put a professional sounding spin on that phrase. Rather than saying "We can't leave until...", let's say "Our regular hours are from ___AM to ___PM."
We really must distance ourselves as educators from a manufacturing hourly wage mindset. Saying "We can't leave until 4 PM" sounds like we're working in a factory, and we're hanging around the exit door waiting for 4 PM to arrive. Surely, that describes no professional educator nor any professional service provider.
The right for public employees to strike somehow has a bad sound to most people. We're paid from public monies, not private or corporate funds. If educators go on strike, it's equivalent to playing an "if-then" game of bribery with the very folks who pay our salaries -- the public, the general taxpayers, our next door neighbors.
We are salaried licensed professional employees who provide professional services, not hourly wage earners. There's a vast difference. We can't have our cake and eat it, too.
People who are in 'licensed' professional careers do not strike. How many attorneys, doctors, CPA's, dentists, certified professional engineers, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, or physical therapists can you name who go on strike? I cannot name one; however, if I could, I'd make note never to seek professional services from that person.
I know of many episodes in American history (some recent) when professionals have gone on strike - including doctors, nurses and the famous air traffic controller strikes of the Reagan era. Professionals, including teachers, are human beings, not slaves. The Ruling Elite in this country have nearly been successful in stripping rights away from all workers. Teaching is just a new frontier for them. Can you hear me, Mitch?
ReplyDeleteWe have too many sheep-le in this country, half sheep and half people. Ready to be led around in the pasture by the rich and powerful. Stand up and demand your rights as working professionals. Demand your rights as human beings.
Does anyone really believe that today's taxpayers, many of whom have been out of work for months and months, will give public school teachers a kind ear when we say we're treated as slaves and do not enjoy rights as human beings?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm keeping a low profile about my public funded teaching position and its benefits when around most of my neighbors.
To the elitist above, factory workers are treated better than we are as teachers. They also have better working conditions and fringe benefits. I don't care what title you call me. All I want is to be treated fairly and appreciated for all I do.
ReplyDelete@To the elitist above, factory workers are treated better than we are as teachers. They also have better working conditions and fringe benefits. I don't care what title you call me. All I want is to be treated fairly and appreciated for all I do.
ReplyDelete________________________________________________
Go find a job in a factory if you believe you will be treated better and appreciated more. Have at it!
I have worked in a factory and taught for many years. I have experienced both and factory workers are treated well most of the time and the fringe benefits are far better. No foreman or supervisior in a factory would dream of ever treating an employee in manner that Eugene White does.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been here for a few days, so I know I'm late to the party...but, good God, some of you people are scary. I don't know who is posting, but if some of you ARE teachers, then there's a major problem...especially the nitwits claiming that "capitalism" is the problem, and if this is what you are teaching in school, the sooner you are out, the better.
ReplyDeleteCapitalism is not the problem- people are the problem. The people that run the system only care about what makes them look good. The people in government only care about test scores- not education. Too many people in the classroom care only about getting to summer vacation and/or retirement. And, most importantly, too many people in our classrooms, and their parents, don't care about education- and, in the parents case- are undereducate and illiterate themselves, so they've never learned the valuse of an education.
That is what has to change, and there's no easy way to do that.
"Don't be cowardly and give some answer when we know they don't give a DAMN about these kids either or they wouldn't put them 40 to a classroom in 98 degree weather while the rich kids go to school in palaces."
ReplyDelete_______________________________
You said a mouthful there, hoss.
Mitch-U-Cation is not about improving things for kids.
It's about saving the state money by getting rid of experienced teachers and promoting Mitch's upcoming presidential campaign.
This was posted on another thread. I didn't write it, but I agree with it, and it is a good rebuttal to the blame-the-victim mentality of blaming poor kids and their parents for our failure to deliver on the promises of public education.
ReplyDelete"Yeah, I don't buy the idea that it's impossible to teach kids that things have value unless their parents also think it has value. Think of the things most kids (urban or rural, rich or poor) value and most of it is not taught by parents, and much of it is directly taught against by parents. Outside forces have convinced these kids that certain things have value, whether it's silly bandz or music or fashion. Traditional progressive teachers will probably hate this analogy, but we need to SELL education to these kids. If Nike can get poor kids to spend money on shoes, why can't we get poor kids to value education for free? Because Nike is doing a better job of teaching these kids right now than we are. I swear to God I think the best thing teacher education programs could do to improve teacher quality is require a marketing class or two!"
Mitch Daniels is on the exact same page regarding educational reform as President Obama. Both gentlemen see a dire need to change the paradigms of our current state of public school education. Both gentlemen realize that doing things the same old way will get nothing other than the same old results -- failure.
ReplyDeleteBoth gentlemen support choice. Both gentlemen support accountability. Both gentlemen support options for students.
Personally, I find it refreshing to witness a bi-partisan initiative focused on a single goal.
@"If Nike can get poor kids to spend money on shoes, why can't we get poor kids to value education for free? Because Nike is doing a better job of teaching these kids right now than we are. I swear to God I think the best thing teacher education programs could do to improve teacher quality is require a marketing class or two!"
ReplyDelete_______________________________________
Hey, I agree and believe you're onto something important. The most engaging teachers are part entertainer, part performer, and part intellectual. They have the uncanny ability to hook the kid's attention with lively, enthusiastic presentations of otherwise dull content material.
My two adult children were raised on Sesame Street where they were captivated by colorful entertaining characters who provided lively, yet very instructional, performances. I'm now 60+ and still enjoy the performance aspect of teaching teenagers by grabbing their attention with something 'off the wall' and totally unexpected from 'an old white woman'.
I'm not alone out there. There are a bunch of us aging, crazy-ass baby boomers who received excellent undergrad and graduate school educations (in both the Liberal Arts and the Content Areas) who still get a natural high from reaching kids with dramatic, engaging, and entertaining strategies.
Kudos to you! :) We need a million of you!
ReplyDeleteA lot of today's kids are pitiful. But there are those who do want to learn but can't because of those pitiful students. Schools system needs to be revised. There should be test for schools instead of just what class to take next semester. The leadership and tard White "NEED"
ReplyDeleteto organize a ranking system for schools and students. (Kinda like China)
Coming from an 11'th grade student...Who really wants a hot pocket...
11'th grade student here. By the way i love teachers. They allow me to become what i want. So the fag who thinks teachers jobs are easy, (iv'e looked into it) i can say it's not. Thank you teachers for your hard work! Don't give up on the good kids....please.
ReplyDeleteIPS may very well be finished. There's a rumor about White making a deal to divide the system out to the townships.
ReplyDeleteHow can he "make a deal" to split IPS into the townships?
ReplyDeleteWaiting for details...
ReplyDeletewow almost one world one governement
ReplyDeleteI've been in IPS for 20+ years and we have always been told it would be pied out to the townships. Let's get serious, we loose 1000 kids a year. The state is taking over 3 secondary schools next year. IPS will never be over, it will keep getting smaller and smaller. Fort Wayne will be the largest school system in Indiana by next year. And, FW only lost 20 some kids last year. Why? Because the admin knows how to treat the parents right!
ReplyDeleteI'm still puzzled as to why tracking is illegal... When IPS future stands on the gallows.
ReplyDeleteOh Really! FWCS bred Dr. White, heck we'd take him compared to the clown we have at our hands. Fort Wayne's district is growing due to the illegals and the refugees. The white kids just move out the suburbs and the area county schools.
ReplyDelete