Thread: RI school fired all of It's teachers, students 69% hispanic

Originally Posted by miguelina

I have to say we've been blessed with our school district, most of our immigrants are from Asia and much smarter than our kids. Having said that, we also have a large percentage of autistic children, with my son being one.

When he was diagnosed, which took forever, we made some major life-changing decisions. I now work from home, reduced hours and reduced pay. I volunteer at his school and help him with his homework every night. I am in constant touch with his teachers and follow all recommended steps they suggest. He consistently tests advanced in math, science and reading, much higher than his "normal" peers. His behavioural problems are harder to harness. We want to teach him how he can moderate/control/redirect his behaviour, outbursts, stimming, etc.

He is in second grade now and spends most of his day in his mainstream class, instead of his special ed class. The problem is that he completes his work alot faster than the rest of the class (then tends to goof off). We want him to be self-sufficient as he gets older.

I believe if I hadn't taken these steps, it would have been easy for him to slip thru the cracks. The teachers are overwhelmed and need all the help they can get. I need to know how to help him transition between school and home.

My daughter wants to teach and will be leaving for college in the fall, but not too far away. She can't bear to be away from him too long and plans to be home weekends. My niece also plans to become a teacher. We need good teachers and I thank God for ours everday.

I am glad to hear that your school district is doing it right. Some many do not.

BettyBB, for us it was a d****ed if we did, d****ed if we didn't thing. Doctors would not listen and the people who were hounding us about her lack of attendance and other issues, the school, would not listen to us either.

We had been told we could go to the school for connections to resources, but when we did, they simply ignored us and then laid blame our direction. We tried, we kicked her behind, we grounded her for months on end (thinking more discipline would help, but it did the opposite, made her more manic).

She did finish at a local community college before she was 18, and is now on medication and doing great, and, today announced that she and her husband are due to have their first together (plus her going to school)!

In our case, with the schools as a simple connection to resources (which is the help we had sought from them, not hand holding), they were completely apathetic, and this has been a huge problem all over in our state. Again, I do not blame individuals, or teachers, I blame the system and attitudes which seem to be all too prevelant our here.

However, our lesson learned was that we decided that public schools were no longer working and that the overload of too much government in our schools, too many dysfunctional kids and non-English peaking kids taking up the little bit of time and resources the schools had, our kids were better off in other educational situations.

bigtex, I wish our schools could be like they were decades ago, where parents and teachers could agree on disciplinary measures, morals, standards and basic beliefs, and that we were back to the small classrooms or even the one room school houses. However, it is not that way, schools have become too bureaucratic and full of dysfunction (kids with huge issues, disorders and lack of English skills), and I KNOW it is a burden to those who really want to help and teach. I sympathise with you and what you must have to deal with, I would rip my own hair out watching the many come through who's parents care so little.

A local cop told us once, from his point of view on bad kids (some had jumped our son and his friend for money), he said "dysfunction breeds dysfunction" in referance to the parents.

Originally Posted by bigtex

Originally Posted by Bettybb

At my brother's school district in Canada, a teacher would make a home visit for each student, before the start of every school year. That way the teacher could better understand the chlld's home environment, and had an opportunity to discuss with the parents what they could do to assist their child academically.

Most teachers here teacher 200+ kids each day. Seems a little unrealistic that we would ever have the time to make a home visit to each of the kids we teach. Especially during the summer when we don't get paid. Not certain how willing you are to work for no pay but I certainly won't. I like kmy job and am very passionate abotu it but I do this as a profession. Not out of charity.

In the private sector, anyone who is salaried, rather than hourly, often does additional work without pay. I do it, and everyone in the private sector I knows does it. Even private school teachers go in on their summer vacation, without pay, to set up for the next year. Plus, with the downsizing going on in our economy, and this has been happening for years, people in the private sector are routinely asked to double their work load, for no more money.

I do see where visiting 200 families at their home would be too time consuming. However, there is no reason that the school cannot require the parents show up to register their kids, and at that point, the teachers can explain to the parents what their role is.

Having a contract for the parents to sign, agreeing to do certain things, like make sure their kids are at school every day, on time, and have a quiet time at home to do their homework, could also prove to be beneficial.

Our school distict even has seminars for parents on various issues. Sure the died in the wool non involved parents are not going to participate, but if you provide the info to people who really just don't know better, you can get results.

A good truant officer also helps. The one at my son's school helped reduced absences considerably.

Even committed parents, if uneducated, can flounder in our system.

Again, at my son's school, for his class, there was a program called Gear Up. They (basically two people) worked from the Freshman year onwards, to get kids to enroll. The goal was to get the kids to college. My school went to the ghetto school, almost entirely Hispanic, recent immigrants (legal and illegal), with a 40% turn over of kids each year. These kids are the poorest of the poor. The area is gang central. The parents are non-involved.

Gear Up worked daily through the four years to keep these kids on track, with a one to one personal approach. They required mandatory periodic meetings with the parents. When it came time to start looking at colleges, they hand held each kid through the process, including sending post it notes into the classroom to remind kids of due dates. They arranged a college tour on the southern part of the state. The provided free PSAT and SAT prep. They brought the parents into the computer lab, sat them down and made sure they filled out the financial aid forms corectly. Guess what, 95% of the kids in the program went to a four year college, and almost all were the first in their family to do so.

[quote:3rf618gb]To further the problem, we have 1/3 of our kids that move out of the district and another 1/3 that move in.

It was 40% at my son's schooll when he was there. I don't know what it is now, but I imagine it is the same. However, the scores keep going up. Why? The District, the School Administration and the teachers all working together to make it happen.

In our state, Districts with the same demographics as ours, have a 36% drop out rate for Latinos. Our District rate is considerably lower.

[quote:3rf618gb]The root of the problem is parents for the most part don't get involved with raising their children any more. Not much a teacher can do about that, we still have to teach them. Good bad, special problem, dangerous or even high on controlled substances.

I agree the lack of parental involvement is a real problem and it is much, much harder to teach these kids. But the solution is not throw up your hands and say oh, well, not my problem.

Our District and my son's school is proof that programs can be instituted that make a difference.

No child should be a throw away kid, just because a teacher doesn't want to change the way things are done.

What might even help further solve the problem is if people like you start teaching. It's awfully to throw stones at teachers when you have never bother doing their job. Yes, teachers are an awfully easy target to throw stones at. Especially by parents who are looking for someone to blame for them not being there to raise their own kids.

[/quote:3rf618gb][/quote:3rf618gb]

I have been a PTA President in Middle School and High School and on the PTA District Counsel. I have taught classes, on a volunteer basis, at the High School level and assisted teachers in the classroom, on a volunteer basis at High School level.

As a parent I have done my utmost to support my children and to support my children's teachers, school and school district.

I have tremendous admiration and respect for most teachers. I have seen teachers, and administrators do an outstanding job with the most difficult of student populations. It can be done, if there is the will to do it.

However, I have seen the destruction caused by the teachers union. It has to stop.

I also know that there are some awlful teachers out there, some teachers who think they should be held to no standard at all, who just blame the parents for everything, and resist any attempt to improve education for the students. Those teachers should be fired.

Originally Posted by miguelina

I believe if I hadn't taken these steps, it would have been easy for him to slip thru the cracks. The teachers are overwhelmed and need all the help they can get. I need to know how to help him transition between school and home.

Exactly, we try to do our best but if parents don’t take a proactive stance for their own kids education no one is to blame but them.
In our kids education we do just that. Ours is an honor student and like most kids will blame a teacher when his grades are bad. That doesn’t mean we do and it certainly doesn’t mean that we are not going to investigate. I his 8 years of being in public schools he has only had two teachers we felt were bad. Instead of blaming the school district and blaming all teacher for being incompetent we insisted that our chide be move to another class. Problem was solved for us.

Now I a sure people would say that schools should get rid of these teachers but that is easier said than done. Who is going to take their place? Teachers aren’t a dime a dozen like most expect. You don’t just walk out of college and all of the sudden you are a competent teacher. As in any business, the one to blame for failure of an employee is the management. It is their job to insure employees are successful. In schools it is the principals’ job to insure teachers are successful. Many times that is not happening. Why? Because, like counselors, our school’s administration are so bogged down with meetings and federal/state paperwork they don’t have time to walk out of their office to actually be a manager.

Originally Posted by vistalad

Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with the No work for no pay idea. The problem is that once 'Bama is finished with 'Bamacare, he's going to focus on implementing his nutball education reform proposal. The same parents who are now not providing emotional support for their children's education will have the power to close the school. That's lose-lose.

Here is the part about No Child Left Behind that most people don’t realize. This horrible model was developed right here in Houston, Texas by none other than HISD’s past Superintendent Rod Paige. Rod became good friend with then Governor of Texas Bush. Once Bush got to be President he took Paige to Washington with him and appointed him Secretary of Education. Why? Because Rod Paige had a dream which included goals for the Houston ISD that called for fundamental reform through decentralization, a focus on instruction, accountability at all levels, and development of a core curriculum. He introduced teacher incentive pay, which rewards teachers for raising test scores. Yes get those state accountability score up and you make money. Thus kids know how to take a standardized test but didn’t know enough to pass their class work and eventually graduate.

Soon HISD became involved in cheating to meet these goals. Paige was a hero all over the USA because HISD had effectively increased state test scores and virtually eliminated dropouts in some of Houston worst inner city schools. Many touted the "Houston Miracle" accomplished under Paige where student test scores rose under his leadership. Later on, while Paige was Secretary of Education a 60 Minutes report exposed many dropout rates touted in the "Houston Miracle" as false; deliberate fraud occurred at Sharpstown High School, for instance. Not only were dropout rates falsified, but Houston area teachers admitted to raising test scores (for which they received cash bonuses) by cheating. This all uncovered by a friend of mine I worked with that was an assistant principal at Sharpstown. Still Obama thinks this is a good idea. Still teachers’ pay and jobs are tied to accountability testing. Still there is cheating going on and learning is not happening. We teach to the accountability test and not the subject. Good teachers would never go to a inner city school district because they know in a matter of a year they will be fired over low test scores. So these kids are left to learn from often times, new teachers and those who should have left the business years ago. No one in their right mind would want to put their job on the line to teach these kids. You should hear some of the horror stories that take place with the discipline issues in these schools. Teachers get assaulted robbed and verbally assaulted on a regular basis. How do I know? If you remember back over a year ago, I was one of 100 teachers at an inner city school in HISD that got released because the school had failed the TAKS test 6 years in a row. This is a school that is 98% Hispanic and over 60% illegal alien. They paid us all two year salary to resign and go away and in the mean time HISD played a shell game and hired new teachers at half the price to do the same job and get the same results. The tax payers pay again. I had no problem getting a new job in another district and all of the sudden an a star educator. Imagine that.

As for the AFL-CIO and teachers unions. I have nothing good to say about teacher unions. They do nothing to help teachers and only serve to help themselves. They are usually as deep in school corruption as the school districts themselves. Here in Houston, the HFT is tied at the hips with the cronyism in Houston ISD. They get some of the same kickbacks the school district receives from insurance companies and contractors. They both scratch each other’s backs. Teachers have no representation what so ever. All teacher unions do is take money from teachers. I would rather take the same $40 a month and apply it to a retainer for an attorney. You would be better off if some legal matter came up and you needed help.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

You might consider reading up on it so if you come across a kid who may well be in full manic phase, you could give a heads up to the parents.

I am not certified by the state to deal with ED children. We can’t get into areas we are not certified to teach. But I do have some familiarity with bi-polar.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

You misunderstand me. I am not saying teachers should be doctors. I am saying they should have basic knowledge about diseases that can impact a child's ability to learn. Check out AmericanElizabeth's posts to see how in far too many cases, parents are treated... ridicule, denial, evasion and blaming it all on the parents!

Bettybb, a teacher’s job is to teach, not understand emotional diseases. If a arent has a child that needs to be understood then erhaps the parent should meet with the teacher and let them know. If a child has an issue like this it is not up to a teacher to diagnose. This is like saying your grocer should diagnose emotional issues. The one I blame is her doctor. That is their field of expertise. Our son’s school nurse did a test in school that literally predicts the onset of diabetes. For some reason she thought that he displayed that symptom ad told us we needed to get him checked and had to give her the results. I won’t tell you how badly I reacted to that request. This is our child and we are fully capable of taking care of him. I don’t need a NURSE telling me what is in the best interest of our child, nor seeing my son’s medical records. This is private information. As it turned out, he had gone to the doctor the month before and had a full check up. The medical doctor said he did not have diabetes or any other disease. But that is not the school’s business or the nurse and I resented them getting involved in our personal business of raising my kid. Parents are the first response for their own kids. They have to take a vested interest in their child’s well being. It is not the duty of our public schools to raise children or diagnose problems. We are here to teach, to educate so they can graduate and go on to college.

As a special education teachers once a medical doctor or psychologists has diagnosed a problem, parent has agreed to their child receiving special education services, a diagnostician proposing a plan, the ARD committee meeting to set up any modifications and accommodations, and the teacher receives an IEP, then the education process can take place. General education teachers are not allowed by federal and state law to modify or accommodate a child’s education without the child receiving special education services. Teachers are trained and certified to teach a specific subject matter and not trained or certified to diagnose or accommodate learning difficulties outside the realm of a mainstream setting. Violate laws like this and you will surely find yourself being dismissed. Special education teachers tell the general education what is to be done to meet a child’s needs and are now there in the classroom to assist.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

But in terms of parents who do not 'step up to the plate"... well what are schools and teachers doing about it?

The fact is, with the influx of Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal), there are many kids whose parents are barely literate and have not a clue about what it takes to bring a child in a first world county.

Schools and teachers are doing all we can. A little parental help would be nice. But when you have 90% of your parents that raise their kids like rats what can a teacher or school do? No doubt you have never experience what it is like in a mostly Hispanic school district. I can assure you it is like night and day comparing that and the school district we live in that is mostly white. Parents here work and raise their kids to be better and have more opportunity that what our parents gave us. Parents in the low income Hispanic schools think a little differently. They believe that if it was good enough for them it is surely good enough for their kids. Like another poster mentioned, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink it. Same in education. My son learns at school and make good grades because my wife and I make sure he grew up knowing how important an education is to his success. My wife is a college graduate and I have a master’s degree. We check on our son’s grades daily and are at the school anytime there is any issue. One of us participates in every activity that happens I school. He plays football, was in band, and is involved in as much as he can in school. Why, because his success depends on us being responsible, not the school. If they can help that is great but we accept responsibility first and will blame ourselves if it does not happen.

Illegal alien and low economic parents don’t understand this vision. They raise their kids like rats. They let them start driving when they are old enough to reach the gas pedal, no driver’s license, no insurance. They have no idea what time they come home or where they go. There is fighting and drug use in the homes and the parents (as I have been told many times) think their kids are wasting their time in school. They need money at home because most are unemployed, and need help to pay the bills. So what do they do to help themselves? The keep having more and more kids. Do they know their kids are doing drive by’s, drugs and active in gangs? Heck, many of them are gang bangers themselves. They preach to their kids about how they never went to school and they can make plenty of money on the streets. How many times do I have kids that parents are in jail, their brothers are in jail or dead and most of their relatives meet the same fate. No one is home to make kids go to be in bed by 9:00 so they won’t sleep in class. No one is home to worry about them even going to school. The kids have no problem cursing a teacher out or even taking a swing at one they just do care to listen to. Yet we have to somehow get them to come to school long enough and stay awake enough to learn what they need to know to pass state accountability exams so we can keep our jobs. Ask of help from home and it’s common to get this reply, “I can’t control them at home so what do you want me to do?â€

Originally Posted by AmericanElizabeth

bigtex, I wish our schools could be like they were decades ago, where parents and teachers could agree on disciplinary measures, morals, standards and basic beliefs, and that we were back to the small classrooms or even the one room school houses. However, it is not that way, schools have become too bureaucratic and full of dysfunction (kids with huge issues, disorders and lack of English skills), and I KNOW it is a burden to those who really want to help and teach. I sympathise with you and what you must have to deal with, I would rip my own hair out watching the many come through who's parents care so little.

I completely agree with you. Most of the current inventions that have made this country so successful were invented by people of our generation Obviously our schools and parents didn't do such a bad job of raising us. But politician always want to fix what is not broken, don't they.

If only we could get back to what it was when we went to school and get smaller classes, discipline. morals and allowing teachers to teach class.

Although I am required by law to spend 250 minutes a week with my case load, the state always finds reasons to keep me out of the classroom doing teacher training and buried in paperwork. They don't feel the need to put a substitute in my place when I am out. So I guess I am involved in feel good position so everyone can be happy. In the mean time, the kids get left behind.

Originally Posted by AmericanElizabeth

A local cop told us once, from his point of view on bad kids (some had jumped our son and his friend for money), he said "dysfunction breeds dysfunction" in referance to the parents.

YES!!!! Once we get to deal with most of our parents we always say " the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree."

Let me tell you a story about one of my colleagues. We had a kid in school that was homeless. The father was in Chicago and the 17 year old had never met him, the mother was a drug addict on the streets unable to take care of her responsibility. Several teachers banded together and gave this kids a place in their home. He bounced around from teacher to teacher until one of them decided to take him in. He and his wife and 3 daughters treated this kid like one of their own. They bought him clothes, a cell phone, took him to the eye doctor, medical doctor and dentist. Helped him with his problems and helped him with his school work. Other teachers in the school donated money. We all did this out of the goodness of our hearts. This is how teachers are. Seven months later, the teacher, after suspecting something was going on looked at the kids cell phone and after reading a few text messages discovered the now 18 year old, only a few months from graduating, was selling drugs out of his home. Great way to pay someone back huh?

The teacher confronted the kid and the reply was "fXXX you, this is worse than living in jail." The the kid stormed out of his home and never returned to school. The whole family has been devastated. They only wanted to give a kid something his own parents never gave. In stead they got stabbed in the back. Imagine the police finding drugs in this teacher's home? Now the family si worried about what this kid might do to them. He has three elementary age daughters and a wife.

These are the types of things teachers do but no one ever know about it. This how we pay for caring. Will we stop? Certainly not. That is why we get into teaching. Teachers have always been stepping up to the plate, it's parents who often bother. You are no doubt one of the good ones that teachers in our school cherish.

AmericanElizabeth, I could literally tell you stories like this for days. Many of them I have been involved with or teachers and coaches I have worked with. It is heart breaking what we have to do to help kids when parents don't give a crap. Yet we as a profession seem to be the whipping boy for many parents, the media and politicians. How many times I have had to sacrifice time with my own kid to give to kids who don't have a family that cares. How many times my own family has been there for kids who need some to care about what they do. Yet I am a target. Its about time teachers all over the USA start speaking out.

Congratulations to you daughter and your family! Will this be the first grandchild?

I am so glad your daughter is doing well on medication. My daughter has had her ups and downs with the bi polar disease. It is a constant worry.

You make many good points about the school system. There is no question that lack of good parenting really puts kids into a bad position and makes the teacher's job far more difficult. But there really are too many teachers and administrators who just throw up their hands, blame the parents, lack of money and everyone else, and do nothing to make the situation better. You came across the attitude when trying to get help for your child.

I've seen a school District, working with the school administration and the teachers do it right, and educate these kids Bigtex thinks are lost causes. It can be done. But not when you have administrators and teachers and a teacher's union that have decided they won't even try.

I think the solution is more parental control over the system, and more accountability.

Bigtex;

At least we agree about teachers unions. They are part of the problem,

Originally Posted by Bettybb

You might consider reading up on it so if you come across a kid who may well be in full manic phase, you could give a heads up to the parents.

I am not certified by the state to deal with ED children. We can’t get into areas we are not certified to teach. But I do have some familiarity with bi-polar.

You should read my posts more carefully. I did not say teachers should 'diagnose" or "treat" kids with physical problems that are impeding their learning. I said teachers should have general knowledge about medical conditions that could be causing a problem and suggest to parents to have their kids checked out if there might be a problem. From your post, I gather if you suspect a kid needs glasses, you would turn your back and say "not in my area of expertise" so I will say nothing.

P.S. Bi polar disease is a physical condition with both physical and emotional symptons, not simply an emotional condition as you describe.

Schools and teachers are doing all we can. A little parental help would be nice. But when you have 90% of your parents that raise their kids like rats what can a teacher or school do? No doubt you have never experience what it is like in a mostly Hispanic school district. I can assure you it is like night and day comparing that and the school district we live in that is mostly white. Parents here work and raise their kids to be better and have more opportunity that what our parents gave us. Parents in the low income Hispanic schools think a little differently. They believe that if it was good enough for them it is surely good enough for their kids.

You obviously have not read my posts. I suggest you do so.

You are 100% wrong about my not knowing what a Hispanic school district is like.

I have seen our school district, my son's school administration, and the teachers do a great job with exactly the kids, and parents, you are complaining about. I know those kids, and most are really good kids, with basically marginally literate parents. Give most of them a chance, give them support, and they rise to the occasion. I have witnessed it.

Obviously, the district and school you were in had very poor leadership. In fact, from the cheating you describe, it sounds like the administrators and teachers had no moral values. You have to admit the whole crew should be fired. That is exactly why parents need to be given more control over the school system.

The harsh reality is that these kids need to be educated and it is the school's job to find a way to do so. That is called responsiblity. That is what competent profesionals do. Throwing in the towel is cop out.

Let’s start taking kids at the 9th grade and giving them an opportunity to either go to college or got learn a trade. The objective it to help everyone be successful.quote]

Here I agree with you. We should absolutely have a trades option in the school system.

[quote:2of7rdxf] We do our best but we are hamstrung by state and federal guidelines often created by politicians and attorneys who know nothing about education. When things don’t go right teachers are left holding the bag and become the fall guy for the politicians who told them how to teach.

I agree that Education, Inc, and that includes the politicians with their education committees, state ed departments, county ed departments, school districts, school administrators, teachers unions and teachers have created a totally dysfunctional system. We need to simplify it, and put in accountability. All that is really needed for an effectice school system (like the Catholics do), is a couple of administrators, teachers and a janitor, and accountablity to parents. That is why Charter schools are so often successful where the traditional school system has failed.

I think what would help education more than anything is for each person who has to pay school taxes to have to send a week being a substitute teacher. Go into a school and walk in a teacher’s shoes and see what is really going on. See what we see and do what we do. I can promise you that your eyes will open much wider

[/quote:2of7rdxf]

Again, please read my posts. Been there, done that. That is why I can say with confidence, that the Rhode Island school system was absolutely right to fire those teachers.

In my towns 74%+ hispanic school system the kids may go to school at 7 am for breakfast and they can receive after school care until 6 pm. They also have free preschool in the schools and all day kindergarten. The parents are not raising or feeding the children-the schools are.

The 74% hispanic figure is from the 2007-2008 school year. I'm sure it's much higher now.

Originally Posted by Mayday

In my towns 74%+ hispanic school system the kids may go to school at 7 am for breakfast and they can receive after school care until 6 pm. They also have free preschool in the schools and all day kindergarten. The parents are not raising or feeding the children-the schools are.

The 74% hispanic figure is from the 2007-2008 school year. I'm sure it's much higher now.

Exactly! This is what school have been turned into. Free child care centers, fee food, free transportation to and from home. If you don't like how your kids are being raised, you always have a teacher and the free school to blame. Never mind you raise you kids like rats.

Far too many people remember "land of the free" and hold their hands out every day claiming to be victims and expecting America to give them something. Somehow we have completely forgotten the "home of the brave" that goes with the above statement.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

.
From your post, I gather if you suspect a kid needs glasses, you would turn your back and say "not in my area of expertise" so I will say nothing.

Actually my feeling is that if I notice a kid that I may only see 50 minutes a day, 5 day a week needs glasses how come the parent didn't notice a long time ago. What is going on with the parents that they can't detect problems in their own children. Why have we become so dependent on teachers to raise our kids? Pretty poor parenting if you ask me. Of course, unlike teachers who have to be certified tested and retested, any dummy can lay down and have a kid. Then pass off any responsibility to teachers and not feel bad about it. Illegal aliens do this every day. Problem is when Americans pull the same low life scams.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

.You are 100% wrong about my not knowing what a Hispanic school district is like.

What school district do you live in? Perhaps all the school districts who are being bled dry by illegals in Texas, Arizona, Florida and California need a lesson in how to properly accommodate these peole?

Originally Posted by Bettybb

The harsh reality is that these kids need to be educated and it is the school's job to find a way to do so. That is called responsiblity. That is what competent profesionals do. Throwing in the towel is cop out.

Oh we have found a way to. And its at the expense of good kids who are there to learn. We spend more money on special ed and and LEP students than we send on gifted and talented or main stream students. Of course there is only so much money to go around and these kids are much more important. We give free child care, free after school care, free transportation, free school supplies, free health care, free eye glasses, free medical care, all so the parents can stay home doing nothing but having more anchor babies. Nothing against special ed, but when 99% of them here are illegal aliens or anchor babies I have big problem. Especially giving them priority over regular children. How much sense does it take for an adult to understand how expensive it is to raise and take care of a child? Yet they keep having more and more.

We do our best but we are hamstrung by state and federal guidelines often created by politicians and attorneys who know nothing about education. When things don’t go right teachers are left holding the bag and become the fall guy for the politicians who told them how to teach.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

All that is really needed for an effectice school system (like the Catholics do), is a couple of administrators, teachers and a janitor, and accountablity to parents. That is why Charter schools are so often successful where the traditional school system has failed.

Charter school are so effective because parents don't want their kids going to school with street rats and illegal aliens. The same reason we moved to the suburbs in an all white neighborhood. As for Catholic schools, my wife was raised in a nun school. She can attest to the horrible education she got. I certainly agree with you about the need for smaller neighborhood schools and cutting expenses by getting rid of all the many high paying salaries in administration. I think Rush Limbaugh got it right almost 20 years ago when he said he could solve the education system by going into a school an firing anyone that didn't directly have some to do with educating children. You should see the list of almost 1000 administrative employees in Houston ISD that make over $100,000. The are over 20 that make over $200,000 and the top makes over $400,000. Anyway, cleaning up the education system is not going to be accomplished with politicians and others who have no idea how a school is run.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

Rhode Island school system was absolutely right to fire those teachers.

I guess that is a matter of opinion. When parents, the media, politicians and administrations keep dumping on teachers how many people do you think are going to want to continue getting into this field. Most claim we are already not able to draw the best because of low salaries. Then people always say, Oh I wish I could get paid $40K a year and have all of those holidays. More ignorance.....no teacher gets paid for ANY day they don't work. We get holidays at OUR expense. We also have to pay for education which is required by most states to keep certified. We get very little for retirement other than what we put in ourselves. I insurance is extremely high so we don't don't get the benefit packages most professional jobs do. we have to undergo more background checks than a government employee would go through, including being finger printed and drug tested. We get arrested for anything and we lose our job. How many of our politician can say that? To make matters worse, our bosses treat us like their enemy, the public thanks we are all lazy and don't deserve to have a job, the media can't wait to get dirt on us, and politicians all think they know more than us and we get treated like uneducated idiots. I have had my certification grades and salary posted for the past 10 years in the Houston Chronicle. It won't be much longer now that we all have to be finger printed that my complete background will all appear in the Houston Chronicle. All of this and teachers can't even expect to get a cost of living pay increase each year. The public doesn't care again because they think we don't deserve to be paid. After all we all do this because we love kids right?

Yep teachers have become Americas whipping boy. I am sure all of those Rhode Island teachers deserve to be unemployed. Now what consequences is the administration of that school district going to have to pay. It is they who developed the curriculum and told the teacher how to teach. It is they who failed the teachers and the kids. How about the state education board? Like I said, teachers are an easy target.

Soon all the free ride will be over. We will all be putting our kids in private school because no adult in their right mind will teach in a public school and put up with this type of ridicule. Like I said, thank goodness I have few years left to retirement. Unfortunately my family will have to take my pittance of a retirement savings and move to Mexico to be able to afford to live.

Oh, I am a football coach too. I know how badly we are resented. We are the worst because we make so much more than teachers, right? However, how many times have I provided the male guidance for kids that don’t even know who their father is. Yes, I probably deserve to be fired too. Oh, wait, I was already given 2 years salary to leave a failing school. Even though at the time I taught PE. I sure was responsible for test scores wasn’t I? But some parents were sure glad to see us take all the blame for them not taking the time to step up to the plate.
Last November we had senior night at one of our football games. All of the senior football players had their parents escort their kids on the field at half time to be honored. The kids were so proud, yet several parents didn’t have the time to show up for their own kid to feel good about this moment. What a shame! Parents like You should be there to see the hurt and tears in these kids eyes. So what do teachers and coaches do? We escort the kids onto the football field so at least they will have someone to be there with them. Yes its people like us that are getting fired and applauded by parents like YOU. I hope you rest well at night and just hope your job has more stability than mine.