Guvmint schools

[SuperScout]

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning, and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self-esteem.

You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.

Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap.

I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps.

You want me to do all of this and then you tell me ... I CAN'T PRAY?"

[Army_Brat84]

Good points, however, if you factor their salary for working nine months of the year, it comes out to be much better. The starting salary for a new teacher with just a bachelor's degree is not bad when you consider the person is usually single, young (22-24), and it's their first real career. The problem with teaching is the unions because districts can't pay good teachers more and bad teachers less, everyone (like socialism) gets paid the same. What happened to the schools that taught you what it meant to be an American, not a hyphenated American, but an American, with a sense of right and wrong and commitment to duty and God? What happened to schools that produced graduates who were the best in the world? I'll tell you what happened, the hippie counterculture and their obsession with self-esteem.

[Packo]

Brat,

I taught for years. You don't get paid for grading papers at night, having to go to dances and football games, putting together lesson plans, going over your lessons for the next day, attending after school meetings, missing your lunch as you stand in the lunch room....shall I go on? I can. How about what it cost to go to college? How about having to take classes to keep your license up? How about having to get that Masters, or basically stay at the same pay grade? What about what someone with a business type degree will earn within 5 years compared to a teacher? Try teaching some time. If it's that easy, and the money sooooo good, everyone would be doing it. Now, do I also agree about the NEA and a bunch of other things you say....yep, but don't give me this 9 months a year bullshit. You have a choice as to take your pay over 9 or over 12. Most teacher have always worked extra jobs in the summer. I tended bar to make ends meet.

Pack

[SuperScout]

Roger your last! I was solicited by the "Troops to Teachers" deal, and had landed a full-time substitute teaching gig at a nearby middle school. For the next year, I was offered a full-time position, and they would pay for all my "Education" courses, plus a $5k signing bonus, if I would teach for two more years. My assignment was basically 6th grade English, but once I realized that the school district had no discernable means of handling disciplinary problems, I decided that I would rather low-crawl naked through 4 miles of broken beer bottles than be a teacher.

Most government schools are intellectually, morally, and spiritually bankrupt, which is why more and more families are opting for home-schooling, or paying for private schools. Every taxpaying parent with school-age children should be given a voucher that is redeemable at the school of their choice; let the market place be the judge of what works in the best interests of the child.

[Jerry D]

What Paco said is so true my father was a school teacher and he Retired as soon as he was eligible when all those things Paco and Brice said were always being added on to their schedule.

[Advisor]

Here's a prescription for bad guvmint schools.

Don't vote for your school board..just bitch. Don't stay in contact with your child's teacher. Expect the school to be 100% responsible for your child's education. Concentrate on your career and getting stuff..don't spend quality time with your child. Criticize and don't contribute. Stand aloof and don't be involved.

We get the schools we want and deserve. If we really wanted our schools to work we'd dig in and fight to change 'em. 'Cept that would interfere with watching Idol or other, more important things.

[Army_Brat84]

Pack, I will grant you those points and admit that what I said came out wrong as I was focusing on a new teacher (someone around my age with no experience) and not the underpaid good veteran teachers. You really don't want to get me started on college costs though (private school is NOT cheap). I do find it funny that there is always a lot of talk about teachers needing more pay, but what about the troops. I think an Army PFC putting his neck on the line is worth more than what they are paid even considering the housing and other benefits that are SUPPOSEDLY the compensation for lower pay. Here's a novel idea. Public education goes private, with lower paid administrators and higher paid teachers and the rest of the money that has gone into the bloated system that is our education system go to the troops.

[Packo]

Brat, our troops have never been paid so high or had such benefits in history. When I began working for the Marines, I made the same as a Lt.Col. I now make the same as a Marine Capt and have way less benefits. I'm always in favor of giving more to the military. Ask most of the guys here what they made as recruits. I think after taxes and manditory War Bond, cleared about 68.00 $ a month. (yes, the decimal's in the right place) Even adjusted to 1968, it was a pitance...believe me. The only way you'll ever attract a hugh amount of best and brightest is to pay them for their work. As we see in today's military, more are willing to work for the better pay. See who'd sign up for $200 a month. Not many. Education will always be what it is. Because of the low pay and now the horrible working conditions in most guvmint schools, you'd be crazy to teach. I believe that many get in to try and change things and be a real teacher, but the real good ones get frustrated and abused, and leave. I have taught at a University, part time, for 15 years. I'm retiring from all of it soon, but after teaching at that level I've seen two things. Our guvmint schools aren't getting anywhere close to gettin' the job done. Most of the papers I get from students are on a 5th grade level, at best. The other thing is, I'd never teach below the college level again, ANYWHERE!

Pack

[b3196]

1967 141.00 a month as an E-4 with combat pay. Oh Yeah...tax free
bOOger

[DMZ-LT]

1969 = 2Lt = $241.00 month , but they fed me and gave me housing in a BOQ and they gave us uniforms.Luckies cost $2.00 a carton. I didn't think I could spend that much money in a month. However never give a hooker $20 to go get the room while you wait in the bus station