<p>The Onion on the benefits of teaching: <a href=“http://www.theonion.com/infograph/index.php?issue=4102[/url]”>http://www.theonion.com/infograph/index.php?issue=4102</a></p>
<p>I love it dmd I printed it out for the teachers to post on their bulletin board
( So I wonder what the height requirement is?)</p>
<p>Glad you like it–my son sent it this AM (I was pleased because he was up early–turned out he was on his way to bed!). </p>
<p>This reminds me: how is your daughter doing with the whole organic chem and elem teaching year?</p>
<p>Thanks for asking. It is a little hard lately, she is feeling like she doesn’t want to be a “child” but she is still having a hard time dealing with all the little details. ( Her loans never got properly deferred so she is getting bills)
She is getting As in the ochem class, although she is horrified at some of the lack of procedures( gloves are optional and they don’t always use hoods) although she has one of the better teachers for her lab.
She doesn’t spend much time on campus cause then she has to rush over to the grade school, but except for being disenchanted with preschoolers ( they take turns between the “little” kids and the “big” kids, she enjoys it.
She is planning on seeing friends this weekend, she has been seeing them every month from Reed, either they come up or she goes down, but I can’t tell if that is making it easier or harder for her.
I think it is just a lot of winter angst, I wish it would just snow so the newscasters would actually have something to talk about!</p>
<p>“Excessive teacher salaries are partly responsible for the ridiculous property taxes on Long Island. On a typical $500,000 suburban home, taxes run $12,000, about 3 times that of most “expensive” suburban locales in the US. And I doubt that the teachers there are any better.”</p>
<p>I do not think that teacher’s salaries are the main culprit for escalating property taxes. The biggest problem is the absolute mismanagement and lack of accountability of most school districts. In most districts cronyism is rampant, especially in the highest levels of administration. Positive actions are usually suffocated by the effective counter-measures of unionized members. The members of the old guard protect themselves and their lazy livelihood by doling out favors to a select group of new acolytes. This type of environment does little to encourage the good teachers but does wonders for an army of deadweight whose only interest is to abuse the system. </p>
<p>As long as we will allow school districts to play with their budgets and ask for increases at will, no solution will come. More money should be allocated to teachers while the fat should be cut out. School districts should publish one tellling statistic: number and cost per hour of schooling that was effectively taught by a full teacher. It would provide a good number to compare with the private schools that always seem to do a lot more for a lot less money. </p>
<p>Lastly, I am not expert on property taxes, but I think that the taxes in Texas for a house valued at $500,000 are well above $12,000 and probably closer to 3% of value. Obviously, there is no income taxes in Texas.</p>
<p>This thread is certainly interesting. Every teacher who graduates wants to teach in a nice suburban district like Dublin (Columbus area) Beachwood (Cleveland area) or Jackson (Canton/Akron area) but why does noone want to teach in the inner city? I know the answer is an obvious one (students don’t want to learn, teacher burnout) but what is the answer for finding qualified teachers in for example the Cleveland Public Schools where they are facing a $30,000,000 deficit and only 3 in 10 students end up graduating?</p>
<p>my daughter attends a high school in the inner city that has National Merit scholar numbers comparable to the private prep school that Paul Allen and Bill Gates attended.
Everyone ( mostly) is encouraged to take challenging courses, they try hard to support students and families. They also have widely recognized music programs and more clubs and activities than any school in the area.</p>
<p>( I don’t think that private schools at least around here are doing more with less, the public schools get about ? 7,000 per student, the private school tuition is about $19,000- granted the class size is smaller, but still)
The school ( inlcuding and especially the parents) work hard to raise funds and grants for programs like readright and african american scholars to support all kids.
The classes are really big ( some have 37) and some kids do slip between the cracks, but the energy is wonderful. Of course while I am fairly happy with her school ( although not so happy with our district) I don’t think Seattle can compare to Cleveland in innercity terms.</p>
<p>UUMMM ever wonder where all of the past and present schooled/colleged students wound be withOUT teachers - where do people think good teachers come from??? From all walks of life and from all levels of education - including state and ivy schools - if someone is destined to be a teacher - let them!!! - help them!!! don’t discourage them. It is a personal decision on which college they attend and the financial situation they are in - if one can afford an ivy - so be it - they can be just as good a teacher as a state college educated teacher. How many of you have actually asked your kids teachers where they got their education??? Ya - I know many times it is posted in some book somewhere - but does that really make such a difference???</p>
<p>Making the decision financially regarding which school to attend and the possibilities of becoming a teacher - well - compare that to any other profession - you will find the same arguments. The cost of the education does not the education or teacher make - it is the education itself - which can be achieved at good teacher prep college program - it is the individual themselves who make the decision of what kind of teacher they will be - because in most parts of this country it won’t matter where the went to school as long as they have taken the right path to achieve a position in a REAL JOB as a teacher.</p>
<p>Regarding the teacher shortages in critical locations or fields of study:</p>
<p>I also believe there are problems with the methods of computing teacher salaries. It is true that many starting salaries are poor. But after 20 years, they are quite good with great benefits, compared to other professions (see my previous post). At the same time, I see little incentives for working in tough areas, jobs well done, or methods to compensate teachers who have experience outside of the system. You can teach in a great school district, and you would be paid similar to those in a very tough school district. (no incentive to work at the tougher locations). It is my understanding that local teachers’ salaries are computed based on a strict point system which calculates the number of years experience within the school system and education level achieved. The good: you know exactly where you stand, and how to move “up the ladder”. The bad: There is little incentive to excel. You could be a mediocre teacher with 10 years experience, and will make the same salary as a great teacher with 10 years. The superintendent in our district even once said at a board meeting that they prefer to hire new graduates rather than those with experience, because it is more cost effective. Worse yet, I was surprised to learn that there are tenure type rules in place even at the high school level. I always thought that could only be found at the college level! </p>
<p>There is also no method (of which I am aware) to compensate anyone for life experience outside of the education system. Before I went into college, I seriously considered becoming a math teacher. I loved math. But, I was discouraged and told “there’s no future in education”. So, instead I pursued a professional degree. Now many areas are begging for math teachers, so I looked into switching careers some time ago. I’ve had limited experience in the classroom, but enjoyed many activities outside of school with students (teams, scouts, teaching gifted students in specialty classes, etc.). I also assumed my master’s degree and professional background with architectural and engineering classes could be a benefit to any math curriculum. Instead of being encouraged, I found major obstacles – as in told that I would need to go back to college for 4 years, and once finished, would start at the beginning of the pay scale in any school district. It seemed there was one path only to enter the education system. I decided we needed to save for our own children’s education before I could justify spending it on myself (again). Absolutely no encouragement at all. I bet there are others out there who might also consider teaching as a career if there were some method to encourage mid-level career changes without starting at the bottom. It seems such a wasted opportunity.</p>
<p>
The person on this board who can solve that will be President of the United States.</p>
<p>Some of us don’t want to be president of the US. </p>
<p>But here’s my answer to how to improve the educational system: put every single administrator in every single school system to work in the classroom half time.</p>
<p>We can all say that we respect teachers but the truth is the profession is not well respected. In many places teachers are expected to follow scripted lesson plans, have little control over their supplies and are constantly told to respond to the newest trend favored by the politicians or school district administration.</p>
<p>The salary structure is weak because it doesn’t lend itself to rapid promotion and that is a problem that is difficult to address. People can disagree with my opinion but the facts indicate that fewer teachers are staying on into their 60’s and that a majority are bailing out as fast as they can because the bureaucracy is overwhelming and they are tired of taking the blame for poor reading scores in a society that spends more money on cable tv than it does on books. The teacher shortage will worsen because intelligent people are not inclined to become underpaid scapegoats. Look at the enrollment of schools…the higher the SAT the lower the chance of getting them to enroll in an education school.</p>
<p>I think a good way to look at salary isn’t the lowest or the highest, it is where is it between 5 and 10 years out. Many of my teacher friends have 25 year old children making more than they do after 30 years in education. </p>
<p>Teaching is a job, it is a profession, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my children until more funds and decision power are returned to the classroom.</p>
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<p>Im there with you
OMG I am way more involved with the Seattle school district than I think I should have to be, but if we could get every single person who works at district headquarters to volunteer in the classroom or even tutor after school once a week, I think they would have a better idea what they are doing. I have heard the school districts attorney say things like they are going to court ( after they have lost an major appeal) again , but even if they win THEY DON"T HAVE TO DO THE THING THEY ARE GOING TO COURT TO TRY AND WIN! ARGH.
They just want to be right- they have no idea of the impact the money that they are taking away from the kids is having.
I agree get them in the classroom.</p>
<p>Great points on this thread. </p>
<p>I would have become a high school teacher many years ago if only one of the following conditions had been satisfied: (a) the pay had been better or (b) administrations had not been so dictatorial regarding curriculum, testing etc. Now, state and federal governments are taking over where those administrations left off and making things even worse.</p>
<p>Teachers can and will make good lives for themselves, but getting into debt early and making a career where the housing cost/teacher salary ratio is bad are two mistakes to avoid. And it is not a profession for people that like to spend money and acquire a lot of things.</p>
<p>As for the overall level of teacher compensation, I agree with those who say good teachers are underpaid and poor ones are overpaid.</p>
<p>There is a lawyer thread and a doctor thread so I am bumping up this thread.</p>