Homework.....Government cover-up?

[DJ]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

lakeman,<br /><br />I agree. Having homeschooled, I got double dipped. I still had to support the public schools and dish out my own money for: curriculums, materials, off site classes, etc.<br /><br />I also agree on the "critical" thinking aspect. Some of my best teachers were those that taught you how to find the answer, not give it to you.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

I agree 100% with Kenny. The majority of the teachers today are greedy and don't want to work. I see it everyday. They work 180 days and pull 85,000 a year here. Not a bad gig if you can get it.Here is an article that is 3 years old. salaries are up since then. <br /> <br /> http://www.detnews.com/2000/schools/0006/04/schools-67817.htm

 

[jimchere]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Well here in Rhode Island some county teachers are on strike because to keep the county fiscally sound they might have to do a co-pay on their health insurance! I'm in the military, and have to co-pay for both myself (when not deployed) and my wife. If I'm deployed, I get sent to a carrier or LHA or some other big deck ship and get operated on by some guy just out of med school...fine and I don't bi** about it. But these people here are whining about having to pay 5%! Not to mention, they get paid quite well for working 8 months a year. That's what the NEA union gets you! By the way, that same teachers union was the one that proposed all educators teach our children that the attack on our homeland Sep11 was our fault and we should be forgiving. What the he**? See other topic...don't even get into the Ivory Tower that so many of these "teachers" live in.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Hi All and thank you for your input. But, some of you have no idea what it takes. I've been teaching 8th graders for 2 years now and if you want to know stress that's where you can find it.<br /> I'm seriously considering leaving the teaching profession because of the crap it involves. There are two main problems: 1) The kids these days have attitudes that take up so much of the day that the other students don't learn as much as they're supposed to.2) The state sets such high standards that there is no way these kids can reach them, so they constantly feel like failures and it's not fair, so the kids get that " I don't give a sh*t attitude and I don't blame them, but I have to keep pushing them because I have people breathing down my neck that we're behind. I mean, heck, Kindergarten isn't even about crayons anymore, it's about writing. 5 years-olds having to write a sentence. It's too much! So, you parents are stuck with getting it done or your child will fail and you definitely don't want that. I feel for you all. Regarding homework, the school district requires set hours of homework, for example, 8th grade is supposed to have 2 hours of homework every night. So, it's not the idea of the teacher. <br /> I feel for you all but it's really bad out there and stressful. I didn't know what stress was until I went to college. Kids these days are feeling it at 5 yrs. old. So, if you have complaints don't blame the teacher. It's not their fault. Blame your state government who is setting these standards.<br /> One more thing... Teachers don't get 2 months off really. To renew their credential every 5 years they need to take 30 units of upper division college classes and noone helps with that. So that sad excuse of a paycheck pays for that. Just thought I'd let you know.<br />Bassy

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

With all due respect Bassy but you said "sad excuse for a paycheck"?? 80,000 a year is far from a sad excuse for a paycheck. Yes the districts do have a required home work for each grade level. But I think 2 hours for 8th grade is excessive. I do blame a lot of these teachers for the problems with the public school districts. The vast majority of them here want a job that is nothing more than a talking head reciting set curriculum and then want nothing to do with it when things don't go as planned. This I believe is why a lot of kids just get pushed through the system.,,, Stress!! Who doesn't have it??? If we all threw in the towel because of stress no one would be working.

 

[DJ]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Bassy,<br /><br />I feel for what you are going through. You sound like a conscientious person. Unfortuneately, many of your counterparts may not be. They have (mostly) succumbed to the pressure and do what they are told to do.<br /><br />My mother and mother in laws'experience is just what you describe. There are curriculums and agendas being forced down peoples throats by peoople that have spent less than a year in a classroom.<br /><br />The whole promotional requirement in the educational system is broken. Administrators are promoted because of another degree they have put in their portfolio. The promotions have nothing to do with ability. Some of these people don't know when to get out of the rain, yet they run a school district. <br /><br />Higher education doesn't always mean that someone is smarter. It may show some determination, but that maybe about it, in some cases.<br /><br />Granted, I have a college degree and I'm proud of it. I earned it in 3 1/2 years, as opposed to four or five. I was also blessed to have many instructors that taught me how to think and how to find information. I do not think that happens much anymore.

 

[jimchere]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

After a little thought I need to add a bit to my above statement. First off, I think educators definitively earn their pay. They work hard. Its the teacher's union that pushes an agenda NEA that hacks me off because its a lackey for the...uh-oh...new term...radical anti-morality feel good its okay left.<br />Is 80k too much salary for an educator? Maybe, maybe not, depending on where you're at.<br />Perhaps our teachers in the public school system are just "thumb-screwed" down to teach revisionist history, immorality=Aok stuff by the union crowd (and we know who runs the teachers union). Now when I say union I mean only the teachers union, not industrial ones. Now the other part of the problem: Irresponsible parents who think it is the job of the public school system to feed, clothe, and raise their children... Whereas I think the bulk of the problem exists. Typical result of a culture that loses its morals (they're "against the first amendment, after all"), elects its representatives as such (particularly on the local level), and continues to think that consequences for deeds are a myth that won't affect them, and when it does, some big governmental element bails you out.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

$80,000? I wish. Try $30,000.<br />Flahthead, you may be thinking of the administrators. They do make the big bucks,$75,000 and up.

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

My wife was a school teacher for 32 years - 6th grade for the last 1/2 of that. If she assigned much homework at all, it was something that'd keep the kids busy for 20-30 minutes maybe... prerequisite for the homework the kids were going to be gettin once they got into 7th grade. She was the one with all the homework. I remember many a night, she'd be up grading papers and preparing lesson plans and classroom decor until midnight or later. As for the 80k spoke of earlier, her last raise brought her up to 37k, and that was with 31 years on the job and a Master's Degree. That was in 2000.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Bassy click on the link I posted. The teachers make 70,000 to 85,000 a year here and the administrators are all in the triple digits. My taxes out outrageous and the kids are scoring low on the sat's

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

I graduated in 1978. Illiteracy was somewhere around 30 percent in those days. That meant that many people could not read or write when they graduated. I don’t know what the current figures are for illiteracy but I bet they are a lot lower now.<br /><br />When my kids go to school the first parent teacher conferences are two weeks after the beginning of the school year. This conference is designed to tell the parent where our child is at and what we need to do to help our child progress or advance at his or her grade level. I want my children to advance and when I give them help with their homework I am forced to spend quality time with them. If I have to study to understand the subject in order to give my kids good advise so be it.<br /><br />I think one of the biggest obstacles that teachers have to do deal with is that they can not give children any discipline. When I was in 6th grade four guys were throwing a tennis ball in class before the teacher showed up. Each throw got progressively harder until Tammy Munsterman stood up at the wrong time and got a face full of tennis ball just as the teacher walked in. He grabbed our ears and practically dragged us to the back of the room and made us face a wall for an hour. After that the four of us had to sit in the back of the room with our desks facing the wall for one week. I was so scared that he was going to tell my parents (which he didn’t). Teachers have no control on unruly kids today because of lawsuits from their parents. I think the switch should come back and more kids would be worried about sore fingers.

 

[timothyl]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Well, were should I start. First of all, I recently decided to go back to school to become a High School History teacher. Best thing I have ever done even if I halved my salary. I now make over $30,000 a year by a grand total of $47.<br /> Yes I get paid for 180 days a year and yes I am constantly making vacation plans, and yes I give a fair amount of homework. However, of the 180 days a year that I am paid for, I work 10-12 hours a day grading, planning (have to keep the students interested, not to mention myself), calling parents, sponsering clubs, counseling, tutoring, finishing my masters, the list goes on.<br /> I teach four classes a day with 32 students in each class. Thats 96 kids that you have to somehow manage to keep focused. They all have problems. Many have no parents to help with their homework. I have several whose families are homeless. Believe it or not, many don't want to even be at school, and I have several students that have the reading ability of second graders (Remember, I teach High Schoolers). Some broke up with their boy/girl friends while others wish they had a boy/girl friend. Many have to work untill midnight at jobs, or they have ball practice, or competition to practice for. Add to the mix the students that want to learn, those that could not get along with a goldfish, and those that are desperatly seeking attention. Imagine trying to keep on your toes so that the kids are entertained, out of trouble, and opefully educated, all while insuring that no child is left behind.<br /> All these things plus ones own family make this a difficult job. Perhaps that is why teachers are always planning vacations. But the funny thing about those palnned vacations is that few can afford to go on those vacations.<br /> Add all these problems together and when you balance it with the sense of inexplicable gratification one feels when a student just stops by to ask "how you are doing" or they trust you enough to tell their problems to, or tell you something important in their lives, you will see that it is no contest.<br /> Yes there are some teachers that should not even be human beings, much less teachers. Yes we would like more money, and but this is true in any profession.<br /> Sorry for the rant but in answer to the original post concerning whether or not homework is a government conspiricy to educate parents, maybe its simply a government conspiricy to get parents to spend time with their children so that these kids will not have all of the problems they now have. And by reducing these problems and anxieties. teachers can finally teach and everyone will get their tax dollars worth.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

and since i've hashed this out with flathead once before - please let me remind everyone...<br /><br />just because PENN has teachers making an avg salary of $80k - THAT IS FAR FROM THE AVG for the rest of this nation... <br /><br />it is pathetic in my opinion, similar to the salaries of most firefighters, officers of the law & soldiers.<br /><br />and the comment about reciting set curriculum... wouldn't it be nice if a teacher gets to use the same materials (they bought) each yr. sometimes that happens. those 'plans' they teach by have to be completed, approv & rated by state specialists (hello summer vacation) before they can be used for the yr. i'm not talking about the first term plan - the whole YEAR- as in every 55min segment of every day... they sometimes can use them repeatedly, IF the school admin doesn't change the stds...

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

I have heard the notion of getting rid of grades<br />(not grading) and putting kids in classes based<br />on ability and not age and it appeals to me very<br />much.<br />In 7th grade, we sent our eldest son to private<br />school where they tested him. his english/vocab.<br />was off the chart... college level at least.<br />we eventually pulled him out due to policy reasons<br />(his harry potter book was written by a devil<br />worshiper) and he is now back in public school<br />entering 10th grade. most kids in his class are<br />at grade level or below and he spends his days<br />bored out of his mind!<br />I make an effort to further his skills myself...<br />only wish he could be in a system that allowed him<br />to further himself while in school.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Flahthead, Wow! I had no idea! Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />tlands, Yep, that's my life too. It's a difficult job, but those days when you see that student light up because he/she gets it, there is nothing better! It's just the best feeling! <br /> I propose one thing... parents spend one hour of their year in their child's classroom and see things from the child's point of view and see what the teacher does. Then you can tell us what we're doing wrong. Yes? I believe that would help the parent's/teacher's relationship. It's just an idea. Parent support is key to the child's success.<br /> I've been in this conversation before with my older brothers and they feel the same way as the few of you do that teachers have it made and are just babysitters. We don't discuss it anymore, due to them not being able to consider anything besides their side. Oh well. Don't waste another breath.<br /> I do appreciate the opinions and thoughts of you all. I'm learning so much.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

I really don't want to sound like a teacher basher here. I know a lot of teachers inside of work and outside of work. I have some good friends that are teachers as a matter of fact my god sons mom is a teacher. There is for sure many dedicated teachers out there that have nothing more on their minds then the well being of the students. Yes it is a hard job when you take it seriously. I guess I just get bent out of shape when I think about the way the teachers around here have it so good yet they whine and cry all the time, usually about something that has to do with themselves and not the kids, and when they have the nerve to walk the picket line well that just about tears it for me Djohns said they get promoted just because of a degree not on ability,, how true. Another thing I think they need to put into action is merit raises. They tried to enact it here a few years ago but of course the union shot it down. So its the same old same old, the best teachers get the same increase as the ones that basically sleep on their feet all day. Got to protect the bums you know. If they handed out pay increases based on performance I think things would start to be a bit better. At least thats the way things work here. Honestly our districts around here have become a joke. I am glad my youngest is done school now. Although she went else where for her final three years of schooling.

 

[timothyl]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?

Flahthead, I agree that alot of teachers are "asleep on their feet" so to speak. I also know several that are scared they may be judged on their students achievements. I work with individuals that simply amaze me with their abilities to motivate students and their knowledege. On the otherhand, it makes my blood boil when I think of the sheer incompetance of others. I "work" w/ an individual that told me he teaches World War One and Two as being the same because he feels the "kids are to dumb to know the difference". That caused quite a ruckus when I as a new teacher told him he was as useless as teets on a Boarhog and refused to collaborate with him.<br /> Then again, I also irritated a few teachers when, in a meeting, I suggested that the board freeze all teacher pay increases and put the money into classroom supplies. I still can't figure out why teachers would rather have more money and gripe because they have to pay for any supplies they need.<br /> Being a ex-Coastie (Coast Guard) helps in that I have always had to deal with people that were "educated beyond their intelligence". Then again, I guess some of those people said the same thing about me.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Homework.....Government cover-up?