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Post by Rolling Thunder on Dec 22, 2016 16:09:00 GMT -5
Public school systems need to do away with agrarian calendars and antiquated teaching methods. One teacher broadcast across the internet could teach multiple schools at a lower cost and be much more efficient when test scores are considered. Aides could take up any questions students have.
I believe the highest hurdles will be teacher unions and nostolgic parents.
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Post by robeiae on Dec 22, 2016 17:17:16 GMT -5
Public schools need to be year-round, first and foremost. Summer vacation makes zero sense.
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 17:43:58 GMT -5
The children will murder us in our beds.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 17:53:44 GMT -5
I agree with the year round thing, though I do think the younger kids need some time for free play. I don't think school should be a 9-5 year round job with nothing but study for the small fry, though that might be fine for high schoolers. (It's weird to me that kindergartners in some schools now get big piles of homework.) And they do need some breaks. But the whole summer is just too long a break -- you forget what you learned. Me, I always read like a demon and was a total geek kid, so I learned stuff over the summer. But a lot of kids don't. So yeah, we need to reconsider the school year.
But I do not think teachers broadcast over the internet will work for kids. I really don't. Some (not all) of the older kids, maybe. But you need a teacher to do more than broadcast info, grade tests, and answer questions. You need them to engage the kids, get them interested in a subject, spot out when they're losing interest or not understanding what the hell you're talking about (or when they're bored in a different way and need more advanced work than they're getting), give them individual encouragement. And they can be one hell of an important influence.
The best teachers I had were like that -- my passion for literature, history and writing are a direct reflection of the best teachers I had. I'll never forget them. One in particular encouraged my writing. I still treasure her yearbook signature "Some day I know I'll open a book and see your name as the author."
And then there was my algebra teacher. He died recently (I'll call him Mr. K), and I actually cried when I heard about it. Not only was he a hell of a great teacher and a hell of a great guy, but I owe him some personally.
Story time on Mr. K: We moved when I was in 9th grade. My new school (quite ridiculously) put me in remedial classes when I got there. They did this because I was moving from an inner city school with overall much lower test scores and they just assumed I'd have some catching up to do. Thing is, though, I'd been in a gifted group at that school. My test scores were through the goddamn roof, and I was way AHEAD of their students in every subject, not behind. You know who DIDN'T argue about this? My parents! It's bizarre, but they (I guess) figured I was exaggerating (simply bored because the new school didn't have gifted classes) or it would sort itself out or whatever.* You know who DID argue about it? Mr. K, bless his heart. Luckily, I landed in HIS remedial math class. He called me to his desk in the first week and said, "you don't belong here." I agreed, and told him what happened. He stepped in, got the powers that be to actually look at my freaking test scores, and in a day or two I was in the "regular" classes (where I was still freaking bored, by the way, but it was much better).
The other thing he did? Pushed me to go out for the school play. He was the drama club teacher; he thought I had an expressive voice, and that I'd enjoy doing it. It ended up being one of the better parts of high school for me -- I was in every play we did.
Watching a screen? I would have missed all of that. I might have learned something, yes, but I'd have missed out on a hell of a lot.
*If we hadn't moved, by the way, I would have been a student at the school where my Dad taught. Since my dad taught a lot of the "advanced" classes, I could well have ended up in one of his classes, or had to take a less good class to avoid it. As it shook out, I ended up at the clean pretty suburban school with great test scores but no gifted program. My Dad's ratty, poorer city school happened to have an excellent gifted program. I can't complain too much, since things turned out fine and I had some good teachers at my new school. But yeah, given the choice, I would have stayed.
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Post by celawson on Dec 22, 2016 17:54:08 GMT -5
The children will murder us in our beds. So will the teachers!
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Post by robeiae on Dec 22, 2016 18:00:18 GMT -5
One of the reasons it should be year round is because for the younglings, they forget too much during the summer break. They waste time reviewing and get lots of homework for the same reason. Year round would give them more free time on a daily basis.
And there would still be "breaks" and an end to the school year. Commone sense would make that end in December. A new school year would start after winter break. Seriously, this is just such obvious stuff, imo. I don't grok why it's never been implemented. As to teachers, want full time job with year-round benefits, then work year-round.
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 18:12:37 GMT -5
The children will murder us in our beds. So will the teachers! They would require more compensation. Almost as bad. (Kidding! I actually think teachers are underpaid.)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 18:17:13 GMT -5
My dad and most of his teacher friends took on summer jobs and tutoring on the side. I don't think they would have objected to full time pay and benefits.
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 18:42:08 GMT -5
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Post by Rolling Thunder on Dec 22, 2016 18:47:20 GMT -5
The flaw there, in Pennsylvania at least, is schools are paid for via property taxes. Assessed by school boards.
So in essence, I pay rent on my home. Forever. Because if I don't pay they come take it.
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 18:52:17 GMT -5
Same with Florida. It's not rent. It's not nearly that high, value-wise. It's a way of assessing an individual's ability to contribute to societal costs. I'll grant it's not always in line with actual ability, though.
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Post by robeiae on Dec 22, 2016 20:01:59 GMT -5
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 20:15:07 GMT -5
It's not poverty level, but it's not exactly prosperous. Not sure what qualifies as "decent." Not shitty?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 20:26:41 GMT -5
As I noted above, some teachers are well paid. Some are poorly paid. Some are adequately paid. It depends on the district. Everything depends on the district.
I don't think that's right, at all. I understand that a fancy, expensive private school will be nicer than a public school. But a public school should have a certain level, and to the extent their salaries vary, it should be on merit and experience. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
And unfortunately, some of the worst-paid teachers are in districts where it is most unpleasant and difficult to teach, and where good teachers arguably are needed the most.
Our family got by on my dad's salary -- we had a little house, a used car, frugal vacations, and Dad, as I mentioned, supplemented his income. In a district not all that far away, the pay was much better. Dad could have likely gotten a job there, but he liked his school. It had been his high school, and many of his fellow teachers were fellow classmates and old friends. I get that, actually. We had enough and he (until the last few years) liked his job). He preferred being able to lunch with old friends than have the extra income. I might well make the same choice, to tell you the truth. But it was odd to have two districts not all that far apart have a sizable discrepancy in teacher pay.
A friend of a friend apparently makes $100K as a teacher at a district in one of NYC's wealthier suburbs. Or so my friend tells me. I've never met the teacher friend in question, so I can't verify it. (That's actually not wealth in that area, by the way. But it's certainly a decent income, if you don't live in Manhattan or Brooklyn, where, heh, it won't get you all that far, sadly. The average one bedroom apartment in NYC rents for $3400/mo. And it ain't particularly large or fancy. And you gotta pay NYC taxes. And most landlords won't let you rent it unless you make at least 40 times the monthly rent ($136 K), so you can forget it anyway; you'll be living in the Bronx or Queens or getting a roommate or both. Anyway....yeah, it's crazy here.)
Another friend's brother and his wife teach in a kinda scary district in the Bronx. With both of their salaries together, they can afford a small one bedroom apartment in a not-very-good neighborhood, and barely make ends meet. It is some serious dedication to the notion of saving the world that keeps them there.
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Post by Christine on Dec 22, 2016 20:46:35 GMT -5
What these teachers do is astounding to me. They not only educate my kid (and do it extremely well, in my district) they allow me to make a living while he receives his education. I am in their debt. Not to mention that teaching isn't something anyone can do. I'm terrible at it. Knowing something is not the same as teaching it.
Teachers should be revered, and not just with words.
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