<p>I agree about the packets and teachers who tell kids to figure it out. I am sure if teachers were actually replaced with teaching packets, unions would be all over this. If kids can teach themselves everything, then why are we paying salaries? As far as the “getting kids ready for college” theory, why would anyone pay college tuition and not expect teaching to occur? On CC we are looking for good student teacher ratios, classes taught by professors and not TAs or grad students. We all hope tuition will be worth the cost and expect quality. Why should it be any different in k-12 schools? Computer based trainings would be more interesting and intetactive than these packets. I do think teachers have a challenging job, but this teacher has given up and doesn’t care. Many people go into teaching for the wrong reasons and do not have a passion for it and many do not even like children. If you have a good teacher(s), appreciate them. Not everyone is cut out for teaching, but tenure keeps many who should be doing something else, in the classroom, just passing time until retirement.</p>