I don't know...about school choice.

[Observer]

While that's a fair assessment, I like to think that most teachers hold themselves to a bit of a higher standard.

Regardless, I think the issue at hand is figuring out how to get rid of the few who suck instead of tearing down entire districts and handing them over to profiteers with zero oversight.

 

I went to and send my kid to private school. They had to earn my parents' money and they have to earn my money. I am fortunate to be able to afford it. I know not everyone can. Private schools work well because they have to compete and because the cost alone filters out many parents who don't put a priority on their kid's education. Unfortunately private schools also filter out parents who put a priority on their kid's education but can't afford it.

 

I see nothing wrong with the charter system other than it's a program administered by the government so bound to be a mess.

 

Public schools have huge problems in protecting bad teachers and bloated administrations. And teaching to tests. And changing education approaches with the blowing of the political winds. And teaching to a low common denominator so they often suck for gifted kids. And on and on. The public school system in the US is not great.

[unbillievable]

The problem with private schools is that they keep out bad students

The problem with public schools is that they hire bad teachers.

 

to fix the problem.

We had a program where the city government paid for problem students to attend charter schools.

The good teachers left and they became juvenile detention centers.

Private (church) schools became the place to send your kids. Guess what they're proposing now?

[Keukasmallies]

In NYS, if a Superintendent and the School Board are truly focused on student success and good teaching, it's relatively easy to weed out bad teachers. In many instances the teacher's union will "support" the decision if kept abreast of the process and the evidence produced by the process. However, the union's support will not be public, nor will it keep the union from publicly speaking against the firing.

 

The union will also seek some way to ease the separation such as a letter of reference. A district must never agree to such a demand. When contacted by an employer seeking info about the fired teacher, the only statement to be made is to say, "She/He worked in our district from date X to date Y." No matter the question, that same answer must be the only response. It usually only took two questions for the light bulb to go on at the other end of the telephone.

[Dante]

 

I enjoy the irony of seeing a guy who complains about teachers gleefully bragging about how he would really just love to be one of the few shltty ones.

Props on your mad hypocrisy.

I will leaving teaching up to the unskilled under-motivated thank you. Cry to me about the pressure of teaching when you have to worry about making a payroll, satisfying customers. Managing employees and after that making sure the government mafia gets their piece of the action they didn't work for.

[3rdnlng]

In NYS, if a Superintendent and the School Board are truly focused on student success and good teaching, it's relatively easy to weed out bad teachers. In many instances the teacher's union will "support" the decision if kept abreast of the process and the evidence produced by the process. However, the union's support will not be public, nor will it keep the union from publicly speaking against the firing.

 

The union will also seek some way to ease the separation such as a letter of reference. A district must never agree to such a demand. When contacted by an employer seeking info about the fired teacher, the only statement to be made is to say, "She/He worked in our district from date X to date Y." No matter the question, that same answer must be the only response. It usually only took two questions for the light bulb to go on at the other end of the telephone.

I was instrumental in starting a private school in California quite a few years ago. It all came about because a public elementary school was being shut down

and the little urchins were going to have to go to a school that was pretty bad. Our community sort of rose up and took exception. We leased a community hall and parents were the teachers. I can tell you this--the kids really learned. I moved back to the east coast after my daughter had only two years in this school and she was probably two years more advanced than her classmates. PM me.

[Tiberius]

Anything that makes education accountable for their product I'm for. Anything that decentralizes the system I'm for. Making schools compete like everyone else seems like a good idea. I can see why teachers unions hate this. They may actually have to work a bit and we can't have that. Say to my wife all the time if I did it all again being a teacher is a great option. Glorified baby sitting. Great hours. Great vacations. Almost impossible to get fired. One of the better gigs out there.

They kind of are babysitters, but have you ever paid for daycare? Teachers and police deserve good pay, IMO. Two jobs I'd hate to have to do. Not sure how competition would help make babysitting better, but whatever

[Alaska Darin]

While that's a fair assessment, I like to think that most teachers hold themselves to a bit of a higher standard.

Regardless, I think the issue at hand is figuring out how to get rid of the few who suck instead of tearing down entire districts and handing them over to profiteers with zero oversight.

My wife has been a teacher in large schools for almost 2 decades. I can assure you that only a small percentage of teachers hold themselves to a high standard. We have a conversation every year at contract time because it gets harder to deal with every year.

 

It's the result of the vicious cycle where the government has overstepped its boundry and too many parents have abdicated theirs. It's called consequences.

[Tiberius]

So you guys think that paying teachers less, giving them less job security and pressuring them more will result in better teachers? Hmmm...I'm not seeing that happening. Are teachers better in states that have no unions?

[FireChan]

So you guys think that paying teachers less, giving them less job security and pressuring them more will result in better teachers? Hmmm...I'm not seeing that happening. Are teachers better in states that have no unions?

More money, less job security. Like zero.

[Very wide right]

School choice (vouchers) is a double edged sword.Initially its a great idea because parents have a choice to send their children to higher performing schools.Once the highest rated schools are loaded up with the slackers and bullies and their wacko parents they will be dragged down as well. The only positive would be the shot in the arm called competition.

So you guys think that paying teachers less, giving them less job security and pressuring them more will result in better teachers? Hmmm...I'm not seeing that happening. Are teachers better in states that have no unions?

A great teacher is not great because he or she belongs to a union.The problem is that the hard core union teachers literally infect the minds of their co workers to be obstinate toward the districts they work for,It produces the us against them mentality and that certainly affects the students in a negative way.