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Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 | 2:02 a.m.
Another view?
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What profession is mentioned more in political debates than teaching? A profession that requires a college education to procure a position and ongoing education to keep it is now regarded with utter disdain by a vast amount of society.
Patient, kind people who love to help children are somehow now scapegoats.
People have mistaken our kindness for weakness. We are not volunteers — yes, you have to pay us. There are a certain number of teachers needed to teach a certain number of students. Simple math. Same as there are federal, state, county and city employees needed based on population needs. When some politicians look at the spreadsheet and see a lump sum that goes to pay teachers, it seems like an audible scoff can be heard. As far as I am aware, not one politician donates his or her service for free or reduced rates. Why should I?
In reply to Tiffany Pellegrini; I would agree to all the pay and benefit increases that the teachers are demanding if, as a whole, teachers were effective. More school funding, smaller class sizes do not contravene a slew of ineffective teachers.
Just agree to take yearly proficiency examinations. This is would be a beginning, but not an end result.
Look, I've worked for the government the majority of my adult life. When it comes to subjects such as this, I can't be fooled. I know the realities.
I worked in prisons for over three decades. Prison guards were always demanding better pay and benefits. At one hearing, a guard expressed to legislators, "We reapply and qualify for our careers each year by attending refresher courses in which we have to pass written and physical tests to maintain our eligibility." I responded by saying, "That system is corrupted, as our agency turns a blind eye to all the student cheating and academic fraud committed." Guess what? Three days later my status as an active academy instructor was put in limbo. The agency did not want to confront the issue. This is probably a conservative number, (no pun intended), but approximately thirty-five percent of refresher students were committing some level of academic fraud.
Prison guards wanted so desperately to be called corrections officers, but as a whole, they have not earned the title. (At least they had not when I retired in 2008). This includes increases in pay and benefits. Prison guards historically get the so-called bum rap title, low wages and benefits for good cause. This not to say they were not extremely good people working in the system. However, the "bad apples" were protected, and the entire group pays the penalty. The same applies to school teachers.
Government employees in all faces should have to face rigorous and just examinations to continue their employment on a yearly basis. As well, for teachers, their individual records in their students' academic achievements, or lack of, should be an added part of the requalification process.
Until such time, teachers, just like prison guards will wear the grim occupational label that has been earned, with low pay and benefits.
I'm a Democratic voter, and a supporter of labor unions. But, in this case, with teachers, there is too many essential occupational concessions and improvements that need to be made first, as a team, before this bum rap goes away.
Tiffany says "When some politicians look at the spreadsheet and see a lump sum .."
Buying vote using teachers is wrong
The Obama plan the hire 100,000 teachers in Washington DC, and picking where to send them out to for swing district votes is wrong
After a year the money runs out and these teachers will be fired by Obama but will be after the election
I don't disagree with the point of your letter. But I will answer your question about politicians donating their service free. Governor Mitt Romney. He collected no salary as Governor for his 4 year term. His Lt. Governor didn't either. For the Governor, it amounted to $140,000 per year. He recycled the funds back into the state budget and to his staffs' salaries and bonuses.
Also, Forbes magazine recently did a study and estimated that by entering public service, Mr. Romney lost almost $2 Billion in personal wealth accumulation. It looked at the companies under the management of Bain Capital, their profits and losses since Romney left, and the share Romney would have received. $2 Billion lost.
I opine as president, Romney will waive his pay too. Do the math.
CarmineD
Governor Romney made an excellent point at the first presidential debate in Denver. If President Obama didn't allot $90 Billion of taxpayers' funds to green energy companies, mostly big time democratic donors, there would have been enough money to hire and employ 2 MILLION teachers nationwide. Sadly, most of that taxpayer money went to companies that have gone out of business or on the verge of doing so. President Obama and fact checkers never disputed the governor's claim.
CarmineD
This bears repeating again and again and again
" If President Obama didn't allot $90 Billion of taxpayers' funds to green energy companies, mostly big time democratic donors, there would have been enough money to hire and employ 2 MILLION teachers nationwide. "
What other job in Las vegas would a person spend 5 or more years getting a bachlers or masters degree, and start out with a pay of $33,000 a year. This does not take into account that most teachers take out student loans for tens of thousands of dollars to educate themselves,which they have to(loans) pay back.
Teachers have always been underpaid,and it seems they have to beg for pay and benifit increases,most of the time.It's time to wake up and pay our teachers a better wage and benifit package that they deserve.I can think of a lot of other jobs of clark county workers that pay much more with no college degrees required.
We should not only have a teachers day honoring them for a job well done. But maybe a teachers month were we highlight a different teacher every day for his or her contribution to help educate our children in this tough job.
To the writer, Tiffany Pellegrini, when any profession is politized, their relevence soon becomes distorted, and then is subjected to all manner of attacks. Historically, this is especially true for those who are public servants, because their positions are funded by the taxpayer.
One way to address being a "scapegoat" is to take control of the dialog/conversation and redirect the conversation to one of redefinition and change. In other words, talk about what change you WANT to see, and what you want others to start thinking about. There is no power is being or feeling like a victim, so, to coin a popular phrase, "Flip the script." People who denigrate and devalue others in order to elevate themselves are bullies.
Politicians who bring up education and teaching, really need to be specific about the problems they see and expound exactly their position, and HOW they intend to solve any perceived problems. Voters need such information to decide, then hold them accountable to perform what they said. Otherwise, to save one's sanity, one should dismiss them. Thankfully, all this election stumping is soon coming to an end and reality will be taken off pause and life will resume.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
The GOP cries "class warfare" every time the wealthiest 2% is threatened with a tax increase. Yet they have no problem villifying middle class worker such as teachers. Another of their favorite targets seems to be firefighters and police officers.
The Republicans would have us believe that the heroes of 2001 are today's greedy villains and the greedy villains of 2008 are today's heroes.
Give teachers true authority in the classroom, instead of ceding it to administrators and a miraculous transformation will begin. The teachers who are mailing it in will be exposed by the parents and the teacher that inherits the kids in the next grade level.
If a kid needs to be held back in first grade three times till "Juanny or Mary" gets it, so be it. It will take a half a generation to fix, but the results will be amazing.
Teachers are an extraordinary national resource that helps keep America being the most sought after address on the planet.
Imagine if they were left to do their jobs and the principals were there to assist them in these tasks instead of trying to dictate to them and "catch them" doing something wrong?
Our education system is in shambles. First culprit is parents. Children learn how to behave at home, not act school. Second culprit is teachers and administrators. And teachers along with their unions trying to milk their communities. Teaching has to be a passion, not a job.
Joan,
If you think teacher's are milking the system thru their union,you are way off target.The teachers are under paid and well educated for what they get in return.Could it be that you are speaking of teachers in another state other than Nevada?
Teachers have the choice to go into the profession or go into another profession. The perks are generally good benefits ( health ins,pension ) and about 3 months a year off from work allowing them to peruse other things. Some teachers go on to be professors at higher education centers, others become part of the administration. I personally think parents should give much more of their time to help teachers. The pay is what it is, and there are plenty of new entrants into the pool so as a teacher you must work harder then others to achieve your goals like any other job or profession.
@ Star: That was one of the best posts I've ever read on this site. Extremely impressed by your words. Thank you.
@ Chuck: Las Vegas is one of the least educated cities in the nation (referring to adults). I suspect you won't be impressed too often.
Tiffany: We OBJECT to paying for teachers for 25% of the kids who are ILLEGALS. We object to paying for CSR since it's not needed and ineffective. We object to paying for teacher retirements that are 4-5 times what the private sector provides. We object to job protection despite performance. We object to the FAILURE TO PERFORM the job, failure to get decent results--graduates who can read and write.
@Roberta - You object to EVERYTHING!! I read your comments all the time. Do you ever find any comment you agree with? Or would consider, maybe just ONE TIME? It doesn't appear so.
To say you object to paying teacher's for the 25% of illegals is silly. According to you, teachers should stand at their door checking birth certificates of every student instead of a cheery comment or a hello. And for those not carrying proof of citizenship....what's your suggestion?
Absolutely ridiculous. Where did you get that statistic, anyway? Where did you find that magical 25%? 3 of my kids (all adults now) are prior CCSD students. So you're telling me that 25% of their peers were not citizens? Wow.
You get what you pay for in life. If you want goods or sevices for free or very cheap, that is exactly what you'll get....
With 46% of the public believing the Bible's creation theory and 4.5 hrs/day being the average time a TV is turned on, the learning process at school is being destroyed. Understanding the technique of using rationality to achieve a decision verified by reality rather than from a look up table out of a memory archive requires discipline.
I believe that many creation theories, say the Big Ten, should be explained but not taught. There is the Ying and the Yang of the Chinese; the Scandinavian theory of the two Gods, Muspell and Niflhiem; the Mayan's theory of the original people, Tepeu and Gucumatz; the pyramid builders of Egypt. Many will be surprised to learn that Islamic Creation Theory is nearly the same as the Bible. Scientologists also have a creation theory which is a real kick and should not be left out.
The students should compare several theories in essay form and compare the origins of each, including that of the First Expansion, or Big Bang as it is known. They will immediately see that all theories except one depend solely on culture, belief and Era of conception. They might even concoct their own creation theory to balance against the others.
Learning mythologies does not instruct with the rationality required for mathematics, deductive reasoning - or the philosophy of the Greeks. If parents want their children to learn they cannot use the home environment to degrade that of the classroom.
Bill Nye, the Science Guy was right when he said that teaching Creationism is not appropriate for Children. However, it is not dangerous when many Creation theories are explained, not taught and compared together. Home life should also be improved to accommodate academics over sports and video games.
@ Tom Allison...
"You get what you pay for in life. If you want goods or sevices for free or very cheap, that is exactly what you'll get...."
BINGO!!!
@ SunJon...
"Home life should also be improved to accommodate academics over sports and video games."
You mean, actual PARENTING???
A true lost art here in America.
The letter writer is correct...
and the patently absurd notion of commenter 'Joan Respondi' that "Teaching has to be a passion, not a job" is beyond the pale...
Most teachers ARE extraordinarily 'passionate' about their gigs...but 'passion' does NOT PAY THE BILLS, nor does it inspire brilliant young college-bound minds to choose teaching as a profession in large enough numbers; the MATH doesn't ADD UP. If you're going to pay a King's ransom for a college education, you ought to be COMPENSATED in kind in the workforce...or at least have a shot at it at some point in your career.
Until we VALUE teachers to the extent that we should, we will get exactly what we bargain for.
I don't believe many folks put the blame for the failure of public schools to do their job primarily on teachers. Rather, it's a combination of things from administrators on down. The waste in the public school system is phenomenal; from bussing to "counselors." Every school day, I see a neighbor waiting with her kid for a school bus to pick up the rug-rat. When they leave, she gets in her car and drives off, presumably to work. Why can't she, along with thousands of parents, drive their own little tykes to school, then continue on to work or shopping or whatever else it is they do? Why has a parental responsibility become one for taxpayers? Then there are the modern day "Witch Doctors" employed by the school system. A kid scrapes his/her knee and a "grief counsler" has to make kissy-kissy with it? Millions wasted on nonsense and the nanny-state that could be used to upgrade the facilities and pay the frontline, the teachers, more. It's why we need more, not less, freedom of choice in which parents send their children to facilities that actually spend their money, effort and time on education - not on "feel-good" political correctness and indoctrination!
After nearly a full week of Parent/Teacher conferences, one thing becomes abundantly clear: education and learning are the summation of parts. Throughout a lifetime we learn---from every experience that crosses our path. It is true that some parts have more influence on the individual than others.
Even though there will always be negatives in life, the fact remains that the positives, still are there to celebrate: the high school graduations, the college graduations, the productive life that ensues. There are so very many people who contributed to each and every one of us, our "education", that where would one begin to thank? You cannot single out any ONE contributing factor in success. Success is summation and the climax of the experience. It stops when we cease to be.
We all are "teachers" to someone in life's way. Some formally make teaching their preoccupation/profession and path for life, others continue to informally educate all those around them.
Our American society has always seem to put a pricetag on what "someone is worth." Each person has a valuable contribution they share to others to make the world a better place, or a person, a better person. How can you put a "price" on that?
We hope that the good we share with others will be the good that is carried on into successive generations. Any and all good we do will surely outlive us all. For that we celebrate.
There is no doubt in my mind that the writer and Commenters here all share because they care. They bring forward seeds of constructive thought meant only to educate and improve our human condition. Thank YOU!
Blessings and Peace,
Star
@Star 7:23 a.m.
I absolutely loved reading your comments. They were so refreshing. Lovely change of pace. Thank you for sharing. This is one comment I will save and read again.
Blessings and Peace to you as well
@Star October 24, 2012 6:43 a.m.
Excellent advice. Fantastic and inspirational.
Thank you :)