[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by Boomer

wow I see the teacher-bashers are out in force. (I really need to stop starting my day by looking at TOTV.)

(I cannot get caught up in this thread. I cannot get caught up in this thread. I cannot get caught up in this thread.)

To whoever it was who said they taught as an adjunct at a college and how easy it was: Sure, it was easy. The students all wanted to be there or knew they needed to pass the class. (I bet they were all well-fed and clean and cared for, too.) They were there by choice. Adjunct is not a good comparison to teaching in a public high school.

I don’t think it is much of a stretch to look at public ed, hear the bashing, and to suspect there are those who dream of the day when kids stay home in front of screens: No faculty. No buildings. No buses. Cheap, huh? Just a talking head on a screen.

I, personally, am alarmed at the time even the youngest kids spend with their screens.(The infinitely patient babysitter that parents are too eager to hand over.) Human interaction, socialization, manners, and language development are already suffering.

Look around sometime at a young family out to dinner. You often see everybody staring at their personal device. Parents included. Very little interaction with those they love best, and yet, their individual screens pull them away from precious time together. I have seen it too many times. Screen addiction is taking its toll on our society. Therefore, it is not a big leap to imagine kids isolated with only their screens to be the public education of the future. (I guess that would happy up the teacher-bashers, those who believe in keepin’ teachers down, whether it is because it might cost them a few extra bucks or because they just need somebody to kick around or they just like to pontificate, no matter how ill-informed they may be. Who knows and why am I wasting my time bothering with this thread? Damn.)

(Geesh. For somebody trying to not get caught in a thread, I sure seem to be.. Actually, I prefer to debate in-person, but here we are, behind our screens. Ironic.)

If you are still reading this, may I leave you with another of my thoughts: I believe that funding public ed with property taxes by district has caused an insidious building of our own version of a caste system in this country.

(Well, even though I could write volumes on the topic of teachers, I am going to leave this screen now to go hang out with people I can actually see. Retired teachers among them.)

I like the part where a poster said they wouldn't even date a teacher.

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[Taltarzac725]

Love teachers. They have had profound influences on my life. Some good and some bad.

I must have liked education as I have four degrees earned at five institutions of higher learning in five different states. And took a lot of extra courses as well.

I would certainly date a teacher and some of my favorite people here in the Villages are retired teachers. One was a Spanish teacher in an Ohio high school who married an Ohio High School French teacher.

[jebartle]

Our priorities are screwed up when our teachers make a fraction of college coaches, really!!!!!

[retiredguy123]

I think they are just responding to an education system that continues to demand more and more money, while delivering poorer results, and not willing to accept responsibility for the results. Right or wrong, teachers always say they are underpaid, but they are never responsible if their students don't learn. Very frustrating for the taxpayers who pay for the system.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Snip...>wow I see the teacher-bashers are out in force.<...Snip

I completely agree.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by jebartle

Our priorities are screwed up when our teachers make a fraction of college coaches, really!!!!!

Yep.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you, that a good football coach can temporarily bring in revenue to a college/university with a good team, whereas a great teacher/professor can only produce students...that might someday positively improve everyone's lives.

Pretty easy to see, where some people...put their priorities.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

My comments were not intended to be negative. I'm just doing the math. Teachers constantly claim that they have a full time job. I disagree. If teachers want to have a full time job, then, yes, they should "clock in" the hours like other full time workers. Then, there would be no argument about whether they have a full or part time job. But, I have known teachers who didn't do any work outside of the classroom.

My wife was in education. From my observations, suffice it to say that the skill level and work ethic of teachers differs very little from any other so called “professional” job. Some work very hard and some are very good at what they do. From my observations, other employees not so much. My home State (Illinois) ranked 7th (pre-K-12) by one poll (there are many different polls/surveys and ways to rank) but always in the top 20, currently has a severe shortage of teachers. Many variables can go into teacher pay ranking and you should take into account the cost of living in a given area of the country or State. Within a State the cost of living can be very different and thus a big difference in pay for teachers.

Bottom line: Given the cost of living in Sumter County Fl., teacher pay is about average IMHO. Of course, reasonable people can disagree.