http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060316163909990002&ncid=NWS00010000000001
In an article on AOL News it is reported that dozens of teachers have quit or been fired over a scandal involving continuing education. Apparently a former high school teacher set up a company offering continuing education but did little more than sell transcripts. So teachers basically bought their credits and didn't take any classes. Parents are backing the teachers saying that it would cause too much disruption to have all of them leave during the middle of the school year.
This is a difficult one for me. I am generally a pro-teacher, pro-public school person. I know that teachers get paid less than their equals in other professions. I know that in this area at least they are required to pay for their continuing ed. classes themselves. I know that most teachers already spend upwards of two hours a day (40 hours a month) working past their contracted time. I also know that many (not all) parents only acknowledge the teacher when they believe that some wrong has been committed against their "poor innocent little Johnny" who is probably a hellion in reality. But I also see buying credits as cheating.
I remember being in high school and being ready to criticize anything a teacher did that I didn't like or didn't think was fair. High school kids are still children and they still have the absurd notion that things must always be fair. Ahh to be young. Anyway, if the teachers were allowed to stay and at least finish out the year how many kids would feel justified in cheating in their classes?
I'm curious to see what you all think.
Just a mom
2 comments:
Teachers also occupy a role of example setters. They understand (or at least they should) that when they agree to teach children, they are not just teaching them academics, but also social behavior. Kids learn from all examples, and teachers, who have daily contact with children wield a mighty influencial sword. Because of this influence, it is all the more important that a teacher set a good example and this includes not cheating on their continuing education.
Perhaps the teachers need to convince the school districts to designate training time, or reimburse their education expenses (which are deductible expenses). But Making excuses to justify improper behavior is not the answer.
hmm. I would love to not sit for endless hours in endless classes at great personal expense just to jump through the hoop to keep my certificate updated. I would love people to quit telling me how nice it must be to have "all that vacation" which I have to use taking those classes to keep my certificated updated - at my personal expense. The newest thing: the state says, ok we'll give you teachers a "raise" and you have to work extra days to get it. How is that a raise? And then the government tells us if we don't show AYP we run the risk of being closed down and fired, but we have no control over our raw materials (the students), and they have us sit in more endless classes for more endless hours every month in order to learn how to be really good teachers because apparently the universities that spit us out can't be trusted to produce quality products (us). And in a culture that feeds athletes millions of dollars a year, and takes away a 2.3% cola for teachers in order to balance the state budget, I don't know how we are going to convince the taxpayers to give the schools more money to pay for continuing ed. Don't get me started...
But I agree, we do have to set an example. BTW, only elementary teachers actually teach children. Secondary teachers teach subjects. And teachers who have held their students to a higher standard, and failed said students for plagiarism, for example, have been sued...
And while we're at it, why is it that teachers accused of sexual acts against students are put on PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, but teachers accused (not proven) of releasing WASL questions are put on UNPAID administrative leave?
BTW, I would have posted this as an entry on my own blog, but once again it is not allowing me to post. sigh.
Post a Comment