Not surprised. I live in a county in Georgia who's schools are close to losing accreditation. We find out on September first. The enrollment for this year is way down, with parents frantically trying to find other options for there seniors. If the county schools lose accreditation, no senior would be eligible for any type of scholarship or grants. Meaning no help for college. I don't have children in the schools, but I wouldn't live where I do if I did.
traxtermax wrote: Things like this should make it obvious why many teachers are against merit pay -- they don't make the rules but become responsible for those that do.
gstanton wrote: Agreeing with hobo, it is NOT "them" doing it to US. We are doing it to ourselves. School systems and boards of educations and lawyers and everything else are only doing what we allow, elect, vote on etc....
If you're not doing something about it, you are part of the problem.
Absolutely!
In our Long Beach, CA school district, a 24 year old teacher with a bachelor's degree and a teaching credential can start their 1st day of work earning at least $55,000/year.
Parents participate in the local public schools to the point that they need to be turned away! The PTA holds annual fund-raisers at my children's public elementary school earning over $1.6 million/year! That's just one public elementary school in the entire district. This "extra" money goes towards school and playground supplies, regularly updated new computers and software for every classroom, a computer lab and teacher, music instruction and teacher, a librarian, and a part-time nurse, all "officially" eliminated by the school district many years ago due to Proposition 13 and many other Federal, State, and Local funding cutbacks.
The public High Schools in the district regularly send a majority of their graduates to four year universities, and Jr. college. Many High School graduates regularly make it into Ivy League schools, PAC10 universities, and the Military Academies! They gravitate towards CalTech or Stanford, and the rest go to Berkeley, USC or the Cal State/UC schools.
There is hope folks!
If you have kids in school, or even if you don't, get involved. If you don't like the curriculum, the teachers, or the administrators you can change them! If your schools need money, make it happen!
While our country is officially moving towards a service sector economy, there is no need for our kids to grovel for scraps in a third world country. There is no doubt that there will be a more distinct separation between the haves and have-nots in the future of the U.S.A., but it's up to you where your kids will end up!
My daughter wants very much to teach when she graduates college, so she'll have to pick her schools carefully I guess, Depending what her major is, it may be a "buyer's" market and desirable positions i.e. "good" school districts, may not be as abundant as she thinks because teachers tend to stay until retirement. On the other hand, there is a high demand for several types of "special services" but many times they're in urban schools.because she would never go along with those "allowances" She'll have to pick her battles and if she refuses to change grades or do "unethical" grading, she can be charged with insobordination -- I know that for a fact, first hand in fact.
SteveRuff wrote: Retired after 30 years. I taught mostly at the middle school level but did spend 9 years teaching in high school. During that career I saw many changes, most of them not for the best IMHO. To me, the demise started several years ago with the implementation of inclusion. Students identified with learning disabilities were sent into the regular classroom with regular teachers who were ill prepared to work with them and their special needs. The result was 25 students sitting or doing busy work while the teacher spent an inordinate amount of time with the other 2 or 3.
I agree with your post, especially this part.
I found myself spending too much time with a few mainstreamed kids and realized that I was not giving the rest of the class their share. I was angry not only because I didn’t see the problem right away but mostly because the school district put me and those kids in an untenable position.
Years ago, many Special Ed kids were mainstreamed and it appeared to be a win-win for the elected school board and the school administration. It gave the appearance of educational success and compassion and it made Little Johnny’s parents feel that he now HAD THE CAPACITY TO BE IN REGULAR CLASSSES. Not only was that not true, the state saved money because regular students cost less to fund than Special Ed students. In short and for financial “gain”, the state threw these kids in regular classes and many just couldn’t handle the change.
Regular teachers were supposed to use Special Ed grading standards and that in itself, should have indicated that many mainstreamed kids wouldn't be able to meet regular class standards. As I said previously, much of public schools’ problems emanate from elected officials.
Special Education becomes more complicated when you add SED (Socially Emotionally Disturbed) to the mix, some of which are accompanied by a “wrap around” (an adult paid to follow this kid and wrap their arms around the student to contain them when they go berserk). The demands on the school system far exceed the schools’ ability to satisfy them.
Quote: All these sort of rules mean is that a teacher can no longer have the "joy" of failing a student.
I have never experienced any joy when it was necessary to fail one of my students. These rules are ridiculous but not because it takes away the "joy" of failing a student.
My solution:
1. Rename homework to "individual practice" with instructions to the parents that the work will not be graded by the teacher. Send a copy of the answer key to the parents if they want to check their child's paper or have the child check it.
2. Accept an overdue assignment. If you have time to grade it then grade it. If not, the child just has an "empty" spot in the gradebook and fewer grades to be averaged.
3. Give everybody the test twice. The second test is over the same material but in a different format, i.e., first test multiple choice, second test fill-in-the-blanks.
4.Don't give the paper a Zero...give it a 10.
"When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you're going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce."
Doug4.7 wrote: These sort of rules really would not change the way I would teach a class. So what if I don't get to fail a failing student. They get promoted. That’s the point. Maybe even an administrative promotion against your wishes. The good ones will still be good, and the bad ones will still be bad (despite their "good grades"). The bad ones sop up the effort, time and money from the “good ones”. There will still be a grade distribution, it just won't be as great as it "normally" would be. I don’t understand. Are you referring to a bell curve? There will always be a “grade distribution” of some type. All these sort of rules mean is that a teacher can no longer have the "joy" of failing a student. I’ve known a few incompetent teachers and some mediocre teachers, but I’ve never know a teacher that took glee in failing any student that tried.
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Believe it or not, I am speechless.
