Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?

JakeStarkey

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Aug 10, 2009
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Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.
 
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If you know nothing about Tubman or Claude McKay, same problem.

School systems are not broken, necessarily, though some arein drastic overall.

The struggle between local elites and DC for control need to be resisted by people interested in education rather than power.
 
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Interesting article: Thanks for Posting the link!

:clap:

Brings up many interesting points. The one I thought was most worth discussion was in the final paragraph of the review:

This isn't to say that all teachers are good. There are certainly bad teachers, and Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove. But the existence of bad teachers doesn't justify our two-century-and-counting moral panic. There are bad accountants, but we don't define "accountant" as an identity to be policed in order to solve our nation’s economic woes.

It is somewhat redundant a thesis: Teachers are scrutinized more than accountants because they are "in loco parentis," or responsible for our children in our absence, and if Teachers are irresponsible, union rules make it difficult to remediate the situation. The fact that Teachers are not accountants is obvious, but the reviewer seems to want to equivocate the two in an effort to excuse some imaginary absurdity described as a "two-century-and-counting moral panic." Ridiculous. If there is a "moral panic" teachers' unions have brought it upon themselves.
 
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This is easy. The biggest reason is because teachers are the easiest target. Second, k - 12 teachers in some places make $40 - 50 thousand dollars per year and in the whiners eyes they should be making $15 thousand. Teachers in America are and have generally been viewed as bad people. It has been this way since I was little. It will never change.
 
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Most honest paragraph about teaching that I've read in a long time:

"This is an especially pernicious dream since, as Goldstein says, one of the consistent findings in education research is that first-year teachers are not very good. In teaching, Goldstein notes, there is a learning curve, and "the curve is steep." If we want to improve schools, one of the quickest ways is to reduce turnover; skilled veteran teachers may be schools’ most valuable resources. Because of that, many of Goldstein's recommendations at the book's conclusion are focused on making teaching more attractive as a long-term profession. That involves increasing teacher pay, but it also means giving veteran teachers more responsibilities—for mentoring, for developing curricula, for working with peers to develop and evaluate programs. It means treating teachers as professionals to rely on, rather than as suspects to be policed."

I haven't even taught for that many years (15 years in education), but I've noticed that every two to four years, there is a flurry to implement a new set of standards (and standardized test), a new high-tech tool, and/or a new curriculum. And usually, it involves micro-managing the teacher. The trainer says, in what's supposed to be a reassuring way, "Just follow this guide!" but it is resented, especially by veteran teachers, and any who don't want to feel like mindless automatons who simply need to be "programmed" correctly.
 
There is no guarantee of a "long term profession" in education.
That decision rests with administrators and school boards.

Tenure is most often granted not based on quality, but on the social, familial, religious, and/or fraternal status of the teacher. I've discussed this with numerous educators (and some administrators) both active and retired and without exception they all agree.

It's a corrupted system of nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism.

Fuck 'em all.
 
Th
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Interesting article: Thanks for Posting the link!

:clap:

Brings up many interesting points. The one I thought was most worth discussion was in the final paragraph of the review:

This isn't to say that all teachers are good. There are certainly bad teachers, and Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove. But the existence of bad teachers doesn't justify our two-century-and-counting moral panic. There are bad accountants, but we don't define "accountant" as an identity to be policed in order to solve our nation’s economic woes.

It is somewhat redundant a thesis: Teachers are scrutinized more than accountants because they are "in loco parentis," or responsible for our children in our absence, and if Teachers are irresponsible, union rules make it difficult to remediate the situation. The fact that Teachers are not accountants is obvious, but the reviewer seems to want to equivocate the two in an effort to excuse some imaginary absurdity described as a "two-century-and-counting moral panic." Ridiculous. If there is a "moral panic" teachers' unions have brought it upon themselves.
There are many states with no union, therefore the state has an easier time to fire teachers. Are they the top states in education?
 

You ae one of those marginalized males who don't get it, and resent those who know better than you, and have done far better than you, aren't you?

I observed the other day a school principal teach a class on identify uncertain functions using algebraic equations.

She showed them how to use the process, then demonstrate the process, then explain the process, and then solve 3 problems, each more difficult than before.

They got them right.

You nutters are going to lose this battle, as you always do.
 
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There is no guarantee of a "long term profession" in education.
That decision rests with administrators and school boards.

Tenure is most often granted not based on quality, but on the social, familial, religious, and/or fraternal status of the teacher. I've discussed this with numerous educators (and some administrators) both active and retired and without exception they all agree.

It's a corrupted system of nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism.

Fuck 'em all.

This is often true, as it is in the private sectors, and in the militry and other government entities.

It is called 'being human.'
 
There is no guarantee of a "long term profession" in education.
That decision rests with administrators and school boards.

Tenure is most often granted not based on quality, but on the social, familial, religious, and/or fraternal status of the teacher. I've discussed this with numerous educators (and some administrators) both active and retired and without exception they all agree.

It's a corrupted system of nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism.

Fuck 'em all.

This is often true, as it is in the private sectors, and in the militry and other government entities.

It is called 'being human.'
I believe it is a rampant epidemic in education, and education is the last place this practice belongs.
 
Then the state boards and the departments of education at the colleges and the administrators out of the way, and let teachers teach.
 
Th
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Interesting article: Thanks for Posting the link!

:clap:

Brings up many interesting points. The one I thought was most worth discussion was in the final paragraph of the review:

This isn't to say that all teachers are good. There are certainly bad teachers, and Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove. But the existence of bad teachers doesn't justify our two-century-and-counting moral panic. There are bad accountants, but we don't define "accountant" as an identity to be policed in order to solve our nation’s economic woes.

It is somewhat redundant a thesis: Teachers are scrutinized more than accountants because they are "in loco parentis," or responsible for our children in our absence, and if Teachers are irresponsible, union rules make it difficult to remediate the situation. The fact that Teachers are not accountants is obvious, but the reviewer seems to want to equivocate the two in an effort to excuse some imaginary absurdity described as a "two-century-and-counting moral panic." Ridiculous. If there is a "moral panic" teachers' unions have brought it upon themselves.
There are many states with no union, therefore the state has an easier time to fire teachers. Are they the top states in education?

Hey, I'm just quoting the author/expert: Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove.

The claim is that teachers are hated, however, it appears they are hated a little more when they belong to a union. Whether or not "Top states in education" have unionized teachers or not, is immaterial to the OP. In appreciation for your attempt to derail the thread, I'll note;

1. There are a variety of ways to define "Top States in Education."
2. Teachers' union affiliation is ONE variable among MANY that may (or may not) contribute to successful education.
 
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There is no guarantee of a "long term profession" in education.
That decision rests with administrators and school boards.

Tenure is most often granted not based on quality, but on the social, familial, religious, and/or fraternal status of the teacher. I've discussed this with numerous educators (and some administrators) both active and retired and without exception they all agree.

It's a corrupted system of nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism.

Fuck 'em all.

This is often true, as it is in the private sectors, and in the militry and other government entities.

It is called 'being human.'

I prefer the term, "Reality."

Unless you run your own business in your own country, you will have issues, and even then you can have difficulties (Saddam, Hitler, Pol-Pot, Donald Trump, etc)
 
Th
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Interesting article: Thanks for Posting the link!

:clap:

Brings up many interesting points. The one I thought was most worth discussion was in the final paragraph of the review:

This isn't to say that all teachers are good. There are certainly bad teachers, and Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove. But the existence of bad teachers doesn't justify our two-century-and-counting moral panic. There are bad accountants, but we don't define "accountant" as an identity to be policed in order to solve our nation’s economic woes.

It is somewhat redundant a thesis: Teachers are scrutinized more than accountants because they are "in loco parentis," or responsible for our children in our absence, and if Teachers are irresponsible, union rules make it difficult to remediate the situation. The fact that Teachers are not accountants is obvious, but the reviewer seems to want to equivocate the two in an effort to excuse some imaginary absurdity described as a "two-century-and-counting moral panic." Ridiculous. If there is a "moral panic" teachers' unions have brought it upon themselves.
There are many states with no union, therefore the state has an easier time to fire teachers. Are they the top states in education?

Hey, I'm just quoting the author/expert: Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove.

The claim is that teachers are hated, however, it appears they are hated a little more when they belong to a union. Whether or not "Top states in education" have unionized teachers or not, is immaterial to the OP. But I'll in appreciation for your attempt to derail the thread, I'll note;

1. There are a variety of ways to define "Top States in Education."
2. Teachers' union affiliation is ONE variable among MANY that may (or may not) contribute to successful education.
Actually it IS material...if union teachers are being held up as worse teachers because they cannot easily be fired...it would stand to reason that states with easily fired bad teachers (states with no unions) would have a better educational track record.
 
I believe it is a rampant epidemic in education, and education is the last place this practice belongs.

While you're point is well taken, why would "nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism" cause teachers to be more hated than cops, garbage men, or workers for the county Parks and Recreation dept?
 
Th
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?
Healthcare has its critics, but few of them are calling for doctors to be replaced. Education is different—and as a new book reveals, it has been throughout U.S. history.

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers - The Atlantic

As long as we have parents who refuse to be involved in their children's education or those parents who wish to impose ultra liberal or far right reactionary values on the rest of us, the war will continue.

Interesting article: Thanks for Posting the link!

:clap:

Brings up many interesting points. The one I thought was most worth discussion was in the final paragraph of the review:

This isn't to say that all teachers are good. There are certainly bad teachers, and Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove. But the existence of bad teachers doesn't justify our two-century-and-counting moral panic. There are bad accountants, but we don't define "accountant" as an identity to be policed in order to solve our nation’s economic woes.

It is somewhat redundant a thesis: Teachers are scrutinized more than accountants because they are "in loco parentis," or responsible for our children in our absence, and if Teachers are irresponsible, union rules make it difficult to remediate the situation. The fact that Teachers are not accountants is obvious, but the reviewer seems to want to equivocate the two in an effort to excuse some imaginary absurdity described as a "two-century-and-counting moral panic." Ridiculous. If there is a "moral panic" teachers' unions have brought it upon themselves.
There are many states with no union, therefore the state has an easier time to fire teachers. Are they the top states in education?

Hey, I'm just quoting the author/expert: Goldstein recommends adjusting union rules to make such teachers easier to remove.

The claim is that teachers are hated, however, it appears they are hated a little more when they belong to a union. Whether or not "Top states in education" have unionized teachers or not, is immaterial to the OP. But I'll in appreciation for your attempt to derail the thread, I'll note;

1. There are a variety of ways to define "Top States in Education."
2. Teachers' union affiliation is ONE variable among MANY that may (or may not) contribute to successful education.
Actually it IS material...if union teachers are being held up as worse teachers because they cannot easily be fired...it would stand to reason that states with easily fired bad teachers (states with no unions) would have a better educational track record.

But Union teachers are NOT being held up as worse teachers.

Where did you see that union teachers are being held up as worse teachers, simply because they are in a union?
 

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