Teachers. Your unions have done you well, but.....

Patriot · February 23, 2011, 12:06:14 PM

...the folks who pay the bills that your union has racked up on your behalf only have so much to give you.

Providence plans to pink slip all teachers
By Linda Borg
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE — The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms.

In a letter sent to all teachers Tuesday, Supt. Tom Brady wrote that the Providence School Board on Thursday will vote on a resolution to dismiss every teacher, effective the last day of school.

Full article: http://www.projo.com/news/content/providence_teacher_layoffs_02-23-11_MCML6R3_v17.1a1cc6d.html

Lookatmeknow!! · February 24, 2011, 09:29:02 AM

I don't know what to say about this! Not that it surprises me, but man that would be a tough one to bite!!!

Diane Amberg · February 24, 2011, 09:48:57 AM

It probably doesn't really mean much. We had the same thing for while back in the 80's.The pain was we couldn't leave anything in our rooms over the summer. We had to pack it up and take it all home because we didn't know who would get Riffed. Many were called right back but some were shifted involuntarily to other schools, some of which were far away or in Wilmington proper which amounted to a pay cut as they have a city wage tax. Some teachers who had jobs where their own children were enrolled were messed up if they were forced to move because they were used to taking their kids to school with them. As far as how much the teachers make. Do other jobs with benefits count the benefits as part of the salary in order to inflate it? It's real had to pay a mortgage or buy gas with health car. Better take a look at all public sector jobs....courts, police, sewer workers, municipal snow plow and trash pick up drivers and on and on. Sadly it's become fashionably to pick on teachers.

Varmit · February 24, 2011, 12:41:26 PM

Given american student standings in comparison to the rest of the world...why wouldn't we pick on teachers? Frankly, when you look at the results...they suck! So why shouldn't their pay be cut or them laid off? We have seniors graduating HS that can't read past an 8th grade level...that pretty much sums up or school system.

Diane Amberg · February 24, 2011, 05:21:05 PM

Elk County is graduating seniors that can't read past an 8th grade level? How do you know that? Shame on the parents for letting that happen. Who would you fire? The seniors' teachers? Reading teachers? Usually reading is not taught past seventh grade. Perhaps you should have remedial reading at the high school level and give a reading exam before they are allowed to graduate. How about laying that on the parents too. As I have said many times, I can't teach or help a child who isn't in school. Some of the inner city schools that drag the averages down have terrible truancy problems. The rest of the world doesn't try to teach everyone. Kids are washed out very early in many countries as they have to pass tests every few years to stay in school.The parents are held responsible for the success of their children. Look at Japan.

Varmit · February 25, 2011, 05:25:01 AM

I wasn't speaking of Elk County, but the US as a whole. Truancy may be a problem but the fact remains that our educational standards are well below par.

Lookatmeknow!! · February 25, 2011, 08:02:37 AM

I am just asking, Varmit do you know what the Kansas State Standards are? Have you looked at them? Do you know what kids are learning and at which grade they are learning it? I am not trying to be rude, I just do not think that you understand the amount of things kids are taught these days. Do you know how much time a teacher spends preparing their lessons, grading papers, and aligning what they have to teach to the state standards? But most teachers don't teach for the pay check, they teach because they love it. They love the kids they teach and their job. But do you really think that parents aren't to blame for some of what they learn in school? I believe they are. If you have a kid that misses dozens of days, how is a teacher to teach them? The parents are the ones that will have to help them make up the work and get caught up, do you think they do this? Plus, if you have a parent that is to busy with their own life and are not involved in their childs, then how do you expect a child to want to learn and get something out of school? I ask these questions cause I feel that teachers get the bad rap all the time when it comes to education. Yes, they are the ones that teach the materials, but its the government at state and federal levels that pick and choose what they want them to teach. I have a kindergartener who at the beginning of the school year didn't want to go to school. She cried for a month, kicked and screamed as I had to take her and physically pull her off of me. I was at the point as a parent that I wanted to just keep her home with me. But the teacher in me knew that she would be fine once I left. She was reading by November. She is doing really well in school and now loves it. She isn't even 6 yet. So to me, she is doing wonderfully. I think that we need to look at the government and what they enforce the teachers to teach, not the teachers.

redcliffsw · February 25, 2011, 08:18:02 AM

You seem to be saying that you support the "independence" of the local school from the Fed's and State.

How about teachers being "independent" too by not joining with unions and associations?

Varmit · February 25, 2011, 08:25:31 AM

Ang, I understand what you're saying about the parents and such. However, that is not the case a majority of the time. Most kids don't miss dozens of days each year. As for state standards, if a person wants a true evaluation of their effectiveness all they have to do is look at the finished product. How many times have we seen a young person that can't count back the proper change, read and understand simple instructions, summarize the basic concept of an article they've read?

As for a child wanting to go to school and get something out of it..I see that as a huge part of a teachers job. They have to connect with the kids and present the material in a way that appeals to the kids. If their only job is to simply teach the material then we could really cut costs and eliminate them altogether and replace them with computers.

I think teachers and schools in general are getting a bad rap because of lower standards. From what I've seen they are merely marking time and not challenging their students enough.

I understand that the teachers have to follow the federal guidelines and such, but seems to me that if they really cared about their students then they would tell the Fed.s and the unions to stick it. Push for higher standards and unite with the parents that do care.

greatguns · February 25, 2011, 09:27:54 AM

How many parents today sit down and help their children with homework? Or do they just sit down and come up with the answers so we can get it done and get on with life. In my life I had some really good teachers and some not so good. Luckey for me when I had one that wasn't so good, my parents sit me down at home with my book and taught me what I wasn't getting at school. I love the blame game.