Teachers: they are really great

[michigancat]

I think my favorite terrible point when discussing education is "you can't just throw money at it" and my second favorite is "it's the union's fault".

[Mrs. Gooch]

Obviously there are good teachers and bad teachers. I don't know what the right way to evaluated them is though. There are always going to be students and parents who downgrade a teacher when he/she is trying to make the kid learn instead of just letting them get away with whatever they want; so letting the students/parents evaluate is not necessarily a good idea.

The other teachers know who the bad teachers are, but it's probably a conflict of interest to let them evaluate each other.

[MakeItRain]

To all the people who think that education is worse, and there plenty judging from this thread, where are you getting that information from? People have been talking about our "failing education system" for the entirety of all of our lifetimes, but it simply isn't true. This is a talking point from people pushing an agenda about teachers and unions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-actually-public-education-is-getting-better-not-worse/2014/09/18/7c23b020-3f6a-11e4-9587-5dafd96295f0_story.html

[michigancat]

To all the people who think that education is worse, and there plenty judging from this thread, where are you getting that information from? People have been talking about our "failing education system" for the entirety of all of our lifetimes, but it simply isn't true. This is a talking point from people pushing an agenda about teachers and unions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-actually-public-education-is-getting-better-not-worse/2014/09/18/7c23b020-3f6a-11e4-9587-5dafd96295f0_story.html

Thanks, I was curious about that claim, too. Although I do think our school system could improve a great deal for large segments of the population.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Obviously there are good teachers and bad teachers. I don't know what the right way to evaluated them is though. There are always going to be students and parents who downgrade a teacher when he/she is trying to make the kid learn instead of just letting them get away with whatever they want; so letting the students/parents evaluate is not necessarily a good idea.

The other teachers know who the bad teachers are, but it's probably a conflict of interest to let them evaluate each other.

Why not have principals evaluate teachers?

To all the people who think that education is worse, and there plenty judging from this thread, where are you getting that information from? People have been talking about our "failing education system" for the entirety of all of our lifetimes, but it simply isn't true. This is a talking point from people pushing an agenda about teachers and unions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-actually-public-education-is-getting-better-not-worse/2014/09/18/7c23b020-3f6a-11e4-9587-5dafd96295f0_story.html

Thanks, I was curious about that claim, too. Although I do think our school system could improve a great deal for large segments of the population.

I think public education is clearly getting better, but we seem to be pretty far behind the rest of the developed world. I just think that by taking off 2 months for summer vacation, we are unnecessarily handicapping ourselves.

[slobber]

As far as the childcare, there are track out camps all of the time. It is glorified babysitting with a fun activity.


Gonna win 'em all!

eff off

ummmm, you can call the camps what you want, but they are glorified daycare/ babysitting.


Gonna win 'em all!

[MakeItRain]

Obviously there are good teachers and bad teachers. I don't know what the right way to evaluated them is though. There are always going to be students and parents who downgrade a teacher when he/she is trying to make the kid learn instead of just letting them get away with whatever they want; so letting the students/parents evaluate is not necessarily a good idea.

The other teachers know who the bad teachers are, but it's probably a conflict of interest to let them evaluate each other.

Why not have principals evaluate teachers?

To all the people who think that education is worse, and there plenty judging from this thread, where are you getting that information from? People have been talking about our "failing education system" for the entirety of all of our lifetimes, but it simply isn't true. This is a talking point from people pushing an agenda about teachers and unions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-actually-public-education-is-getting-better-not-worse/2014/09/18/7c23b020-3f6a-11e4-9587-5dafd96295f0_story.html

Thanks, I was curious about that claim, too. Although I do think our school system could improve a great deal for large segments of the population.

I think public education is clearly getting better, but we seem to be pretty far behind the rest of the developed world. I just think that by taking off 2 months for summer vacation, we are unnecessarily handicapping ourselves.

I don't think that's true either. I will say practically, as someone who employs people from all around the world, if we are behind it certainly does not show in the work environment.

[slobber]

MIR, do you know what track out camps are?


Gonna win 'em all!

[Tobias]

uncle d, put on a helmet for this one

[MakeItRain]

As far as the childcare, there are track out camps all of the time. It is glorified babysitting with a fun activity.


Gonna win 'em all!

eff off

ummmm, you can call the camps what you want, but they are glorified daycare/ babysitting.


Gonna win 'em all!

LOL, okay bub. Do you send your kids to camp? If so there is a high likelihood that the directors hate you despite how nice they are to you. You should do a little background as to where you are sending your kids, if they are truly glorified daycare you might want to find a new camp.

[MakeItRain]

MIR, do you know what track out camps are?


Gonna win 'em all!

Uh, yeah I do. It's just a regional term, "track out" camps are exactly the same thing as school year day camps.

[michigancat]

my kids' camps are almost all awesome, I wish I could have done the crap they get to do when I was a kid.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

A unions mention 

I know you'll always marginalize it, but it is the main reason education in the US is declining. There is absolutely no need for it.

Good god

Give us your best reasons teachers need to be unionized that doesn't involve compensation.

[slobber]

The local track out camps pale in comparison to summer camps. Maybe just a regional thing? For the record, my kids are on traditional calendars.


Gonna win 'em all!

[sys]

as soon as the robots are a little more developed, we won't need to waste so many resources training children.  won't really need children either, for that matter.

[MakeItRain]

A unions mention 

I know you'll always marginalize it, but it is the main reason education in the US is declining. There is absolutely no need for it.

Good god

Give us your best reasons teachers need to be unionized that doesn't involve compensation.

Everyone should be unionized for the same reasons. Improved working conditions, protection from potentially being treated unfairly, and yes salary and benefit assurances are very important too. I know you won't care because it doesn't fit your conservative all unions suck agenda, but my wife has worked in four different districts, two with strong local unions, two without. The two with strong local unions, Wichita and Madrid, IA were much stronger districts with good teachers who care about their jobs. The two who didn't Cambridge, MA and Stratford, IA had much more issues with classroom management, class size, and turnover. The teachers were generally younger, not as skilled, or invested. If you are providing a job, any job, with a lower salary, worse working conditions, and worse benefits than other similar jobs in the area you are going to attract people not looking to make a difference but people needing to make money.