Overpaid, useless whiners feel like failures

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

proud2BlibKansan (90,483 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

Teacher Morale Lowest in 20 Years

In a recent survey of the nation’s teachers, more than half expressed reservations about their jobs, according to the New York Times, the highest level of dissatisfaction since 1989. Nearly one-third said they were likely to leave teaching within the next five years (three years ago only 25% expected to leave teaching within five years). Many expressed concerns about job security, increased class sizes, cuts to programs and services.

The annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher revealed other anxieties and concerns pervasive among teachers. About 40% were pessimistic about achieving further gains in student test scores and many expressed anxiety about the increasing use of these scores to evaluate them. Over 75% of teachers said their schools had suffered budget cuts last year, with 50% experiencing layoffs at their schools. Nearly one-third said their schools lost arts, music or foreign language programs.

Considering the increasingly vitriolic attacks on teachers unions, the equally absurd accusations that teachers are to blame for every malady afflicting public education, real and imagined, along with the declining pay and working conditions, it is surprising that only 33% are planning on leaving the profession in the next five years. However, this is likely an artifact of the terrible state of the economy. There just aren’t a lot of jobs out there, making quitting a very risky prospect. Furthermore, teachers who have tenure and seniority have considerably more job security than they would if they found a new job, increasing the risks of quitting.

http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2012/03/teacher-morale-lowest-in-20-years.html

Sorry, but I do not buy into the hype about teachers being oh-so-special just because their teachers. Certainly no more special than members of the military when he have to deal with douchenozzles like Jesse Ventura, John Kerry, John Murtha, Charlie Rangel and Tom Hardin. If people want to discuss teachers as a monolithic, union-based political bloc then I shall critique them according to their deeds as a monolithic, union-based political bloc. To wit:

you're a bunch of overpaid, ineffective, money-grubbing tools who don't deserve your jobs. You hold the American people -- your bosses -- hostage, using their children to pry unceasing, ever-increasing ransoms from already financially strapped families so you can work 9 months a year and retire 10 to 15 years ahead of the rest of us. And thanks to your so-called dedication the nation that put a man on the moon now ranks in the lower 30s in math and science.

**** you and your morale. Somebody ought to smoke the shit out of you twice a day every day until scores come up. You're abject failures. You deserve to feel like abject failures. In no other industry could a company produce so much crap and still remain in business.

The closest thing you come to being profeessionals is whoring yourselves to the Democrats. Even half of those who want to do the right thing lack the balls to tell the unions to ****-off or the parents to paddle little Johnny's ass until he learns to sit and and shut the **** up. If the military was run like the unionized teachers we would have succumbed decades ago. The aforementioned shitbags are the exceptions that prove the rule.

OK, I'm done now.

[obumazombie]

Oddly enough, with the recent changes I have seen in the military, it seems more like it is being run like a failing union/ social experiment laboratory.

[BlueStateSaint]

This is why The Heiress will go to private schools, just like I (and my three siblings) did.

[Rebel]

Education in America: Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems

By Marquis "Motionn" Campbell

Imagine the idea of only being able to land an occupation/career based on your geographical location. Picture being restricted to working in your direct municipality. You’re confined to companies, jobs, and industries only in your direct vicinity. Sounds pretty extreme, right? If you’ve got at least one brain cell (which is certain if you’re anything but a DIE-HARD liberal), then that answer should be a quick “yes”. No one should be limited in such an important function as employment, based on where they live. So, uh…. Why are we still doing it with education in this country? More importantly: Why do liberals insist on blocking the efforts to provide school vouchers to students in low-income families? Pardon my conspiracy-theorist rhetoric, but these Democrat actions appear to be a poor attempt at keeping children in failing schools. Their motive? More money of course, which will fatten up the pockets of those greedy unions and ineffective administrators.

Our society has placed a high level of importance on improving public school systems nationwide. Unfortunately, liberals have used the diminishing state of our educational institutions for personal gain. As with most “problems” (“Global warming”, for example), the Far-Left have taken the stance that the best solution would be to throw more taxpayer money at the problem. How are they doing this? I’m so glad you asked. The highly-unionized Left invariably projects the idea that more funding is essential to the betterment of a failing school system’s performance, as it will open up more financial freedom. Their lobbyist arguments usually center around class-size, underpaid teachers, projects and administrators for remedial students, and more expensive (but “advanced”) academic curricula. In actuality, their aim is to steer funding into undeserved pensions for “tenured” teachers and fat cat administrators who get paid to watch a district’s performance drop year after year. Not only do THOSE positions siphon funds from the taxpayers, but their bodyguards as well – the UNION MACHINE!  Their position against private and charter schools is very uniform, but expressed in different ways. Many argue that evil capitalist cronies are simply trying to siphon money away from the children that need it in the public school system. Others argue that by removing the few good students that exist in a sub-par school district, the poor teachers will be left to contend with a bunch of hopeless, behaviorally-challenged kids. All of these arguments (and others) are more crap-loaded than the diaper of a toddler on a spinach diet.

More at link.

[VivisMom]

This is why The Heiress will go to private schools, just like I (and my three siblings) did.

It's worth every freaking penny. Tuition for K is 5900 at Viv's school, and it will be a bite in the shorts but worth every cent.

[BlueStateSaint]

It's worth every freaking penny. Tuition for K is 5900 at Viv's school, and it will be a bite in the shorts but worth every cent.

It's a hair under $5200 at Ellen's (Catholic) school, which is a far cry from the very near $9200 I'm spending on her age 4 year at the Christian day care we have her at.

Hey--anyone see the piece on FNC yesterday(?)--it was maybe 45 seconds at most--about the Lutheran school teacher in a suburb of Chicago (IIRC)?  She just turned 100 years old!  From what the report (and her peers, supposedly) have said, she's a sharp one, still.  What does she attribute her longevity to?  "The Good Lord," she said.

Anne, choke on that one.

[thundley4]

One of my former teachers is still teaching 33 years after I graduated high school. Mine was a small rural school, and now this teacher is teaching at a Methodist college.  Some teachers do it for the love of teaching, but they are few and far between.

[FiddyBeowulf]

Excellent rant. ^5.

[AllosaursRus]

One of my former teachers is still teaching 33 years after I graduated high school. Mine was a small rural school, and now this teacher is teaching at a Methodist college.  Some teachers do it for the love of teaching, but they are few and far between.

Unfortunately, I think most of my teachers have long ago headed to the classroom in the sky. It's too bad. Back when I went to school, they weren't afraid to bust yer butt in class, in front of God and everyone else!

The difference in education is astounding! Even though we live in a very conservative state, my grandchildren's education compared to mine is pathetic! Kids can run around during class, just refuse to do the work, and yet the teachers will still at least give them a "D" in order to move them along and make them someone else's problem.

I was takin' Trig by the time I was a junior! I started physics as a sophomore!  I don't think they even offer either in high school any more! Least I haven't heard of it lately!

[delilahmused]

Yep, if you can't afford private school, homeschool. Too risky putting your child in public school. I know public school teachers who have their own children in private school.

Cindie

[cmypay]

Working in the Academic Support center of our local community college, I see every single day the massive failure of the schools. I have students who graduated high school within the last year that cannot write a complete sentence, much less an essay. Students who somehow passed math in high school come to me unable to do simple fraction problems, and yet they graduated! If I did my job like that, I would be fired. Every semester, my boss looks at our pass/fail rate. Minimally, I must be able to show the student makes progress toward improving their basic skills. Something's got to give! We, the taxpayers, are paying teachers a salary (more than many military make) to work 182 days for six hours a day and they bitch that it's not enough. Where is their responsibility for what they are producing?

[DefiantSix]

Unfortunately, I think most of my teachers have long ago headed to the classroom in the sky. It's too bad. Back when I went to school, they weren't afraid to bust yer butt in class, in front of God and everyone else!

The difference in education is astounding! Even though we live in a very conservative state, my grandchildren's education compared to mine is pathetic! Kids can run around during class, just refuse to do the work, and yet the teachers will still at least give them a "D" in order to move them along and make them someone else's problem.

I was takin' Trig by the time I was a junior! I started physics as a sophomore!  I don't think they even offer either in high school any more! Least I haven't heard of it lately!

Mine too; unfortunately it doesn't help that the best teachers I had when I was in school were the ones out with the kids smokin' behind the gym, rather than the ones who couldn't be bothered.

[thundley4]

Mine too; unfortunately it doesn't help that the best teachers I had when I was in school were the ones out with the kids smokin' behind the gym, rather than the ones who couldn't be bothered.

My Civics/American History teacher gave me a bottle of whiskey at the end of my senior year. I was the last of my brothers and sisters to be in his class and after having the other five , he was glad to be done with us.

[DefiantSix]

My Civics/American History teacher gave me a bottle of whiskey at the end of my senior year. I was the last of my brothers and sisters to be in his class and after having the other five , he was glad to be done with us.

I actually have my Physics teacher to thank for putting me on a career path that was the best square peg/square hole combination I could have hoped for.  Prior to getting busted in his class for drawing/doodling (and subsequently being encouraged into his Drafting and CAD classes), the closest thing I had to a career goal was to be a gun smuggler.

And yes, he was one of the ones out smoking between classes behind the gym.

[thundley4]

I actually have my Physics teacher to thank for putting me on a career path that was the best square peg/square hole combination I could have hoped for.  Prior to getting busted in his class for drawing/doodling (and subsequently being encouraged into his Drafting and CAD classes), the closest thing I had to a career goal was to be a gun smuggler.

And yes, he was one of the ones out smoking between classes behind the gym.

I don't think I had any bad teachers.  It was a small school and by the senior year every teacher knew every student by name . The school was so small that there was under 350 students in the entire system, K-12.

[longview]

Sorry, but I do not buy into the hype about teachers being oh-so-special just because their teachers...
 
...OK, I'm done now.

^5

Most teachers are merely reaping what they have sown.

[Rebel]

My Civics/American History teacher gave me a bottle of whiskey at the end of my senior year. I was the last of my brothers and sisters to be in his class and after having the other five , he was glad to be done with us.

[VivisMom]

Yep, if you can't afford private school, homeschool. Too risky putting your child in public school. I know public school teachers who have their own children in private school.

Cindie

I don't know any public school teacher that has their kids in public school. They know how bad it is!

It's a hair under $5200 at Ellen's (Catholic) school, which is a far cry from the very near $9200 I'm spending on her age 4 year at the Christian day care we have her at.

Is that for all day? The 1/2 day Catholic preschool Viv is at is $3195. I was too afraid to ask how much the full-day was!

[BlueStateSaint]

Is that for all day? The 1/2 day Catholic preschool Viv is at is $3195. I was too afraid to ask how much the full-day was!

All day.  Our public school system only has a half-day program, and it's so big that I could easily see my daughter getting "lost in the flood."

(Bally will know what that little reference is.)