Having a mother who is heavily involved in the NEA(National Education Assoc)
and ISTA (Indiana State Teachers Assoc), along with a wife teaching in
private education, here is my 10 cents worth.  Actually, ask yourself, what
is your kids education worth ?

1.  Bad teachers exist everywhere.  My son's teacher in private school last
year was worthless.  She was the principal's wife, which made it even worse.
Enough of the parents complained, she is not teaching this year.  Much
harder to get rid of a Public school teacher.  Mom has mentioned it many
times.  Unless you do something stupid, the union will keep you in and fight
for you.  Similar to the UAW in auto plants.

2.  As mentioned, Parents are the BIGGEST key.  Both positively and
negatively.  My grandma only had an eight grade education.  She encouraged
her 3 daughters to learn.  All 3 graduated from college.  Grandma's 4
grandchildren all have Masters degree's or PHD's.  Conversly, both my mother
and wife have complained about parents who don't care.  Don't encourage
Johnny, supervise him, or anything.  Then they complain when the school
doesn't 'educate' him.  Yet they are right there complaining when Johnny is
in trouble saying it is not his fault.

3.  Burnout.  Teachers, Coaches, AD's.  If they have to deal with a bunch of
problems every day, including bad kids, they eventually walk away.  Why do
you quit jobs ?  Plus they can always make more in the private sector.  The
good ones are snapped up, the bad ones can't find a decent job, so they stay
in education and put their time in.  You know these.  Out the door at 3:15
right after the kids.  Never see them at any activities or ballgames.

The government has tried to address the $ issue, but education $ are the
first thing that seems to get cut in a budget crunch.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Wonsil [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 11:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT: Don't Know Much About Geography


Yosef wrote:
> Mark Wonsil presented a very comprehensive article about the failings
> of educators. As a teacher, the child of teachers and the parent of
> teachers I can tell you horror stories about teachers that will make
> you take your babies, rap them up in cotton wadding and hide them
> away until they are twenty-six. It still misses the point.

But it asks an important question that may get to the point, "Why do good
educators, like yourself, leave the profession and the poor ones remain?"  I
think the point is that there is a systemic problem and I would guess that
simply adding more training will not change this.  Do you?

> I also do not believe that the score of a SAT will indicate the
> person's ability to teach. ...

As the owner of a rather poor SAT score and a poor history as a college
student, I'm inclined to agree with you.  ;-)  I also agree that some people
are naturally better teachers than others.  The question is: what are we
doing to keep the good people in the system?  I would also add that some
parents get just as frustrated with the system as these teachers and leave
the education system either by withholding participation or by home
schooling.

Mark Wonsil

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