Importing Work Ethic Volume 24325
Here we go, this has been in my mind lately. Our nations greatest import right now is worker who want to work. Alas, we come back to the fucking teachers union. BTW, the teachers union loves Prince Tenderheart WalksOnWater.
via: Democrat = Socialist
The trend is most evident in poor urban and rural districts, according to educators. Segun Eubanks, director of teacher quality at the National Education Association, the United States’ largest teachers union, says many of those districts have trouble keeping teachers for reasons including low pay, disruptive students, and a lack of books and materials.“American workers are not willing to do the work for the conditions and pay we offer,” he says. “So we’re recruiting them for the same reasons we recruit farmworkers and day laborers.” article here…
I read the article and it is full of little wonderful nuggets…
Kate Walsh, NCTQ president and a member of the Maryland State Board of Education, says it has become more common to hire overseas. “All poor districts have a harder time recruiting,” she says. “Anytime you’re teaching poor kids in the inner city, it’s very hard to get teachers to stay.”Walsh says foreign teachers can enrich students’ education by exposing them to other cultures. Eubanks agrees but says the U.S. must address the underlying shortage by training more teachers and improving schools.
You know I wouldn’t have any problem training more teacher as long as it came with the stipulation they can never join the teachers union. That works for me.
Filipino teachers are a good fit because English is one of the country’s official languages and its academic system is similar to the U.S. system.He acknowledges that there can be clashes over teachers’ accents and cultural differences. Filipino teachers, for example, come from a culture where teachers are revered, he says. “When they come here, they have to learn about our culture and the urban culture and the culture of poverty and the challenges our children have,” he says.
Danilo Danga, 33, is in his fourth year teaching special education at Baltimore’s Calverton Elementary/Middle School. He taught English and social studies in the Philippines for eight years.
At first, he says, students disrupted class and cursed at him, yelling “Shut up, Jackie Chan!” and other taunts.
Colleagues advised him to assert himself and offer rewards for good behavior. He did. Among the rewards was Filipino chicken adobo he cooked himself.
“Each year is becoming better and better,” he says. “I’m excited to come to school every day despite all the challenges.”
First, if schools were not so fucking afraid of hurting delicate sensitivites on these little beligerent fuckers they would snatch them out of their chairs and humiliate the shit out of them. Then call their parents and humiliate the shit out of them. But noooooooooo.
I particularly love the offering of rewards for good behavior. You know what? Fuck you. There is a standard of behavior that simply not up for discussion. It is like rewarding kids for making straight A’s. Yeah, congrats for doing a great job, but if it is what you are capable of then it is to be expected. Rewarding a kid who is a C student and because of determination and hardwork makes a B is worthy of reward. It is like rewarding your kids for not setting the house on fire. Fucking stupid shit.
Wait until this guy’s school is sued because one of those little bastard’s parents find out he was eating something they do not approve of. The article mentions that teachers are revered in the Philippines. We have all seen the pictures of poverty in that part of the world. I wonder how many of these teachers, the ones teaching to the “culture of poverty” think to themselves, “You call this poverty? They all have shoes and clothes and something to live in other than a fucking box.” Just saying.
8 Responses so far
October 23rd, 2008
7:51 pm
First you hear the protest about jobs going overseas but now they’re importing teachers. WTF?
October 23rd, 2008
10:54 pm
The teacher’s union loves to say that the educational system needs more money. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! They spend the most per child in D.C. and they have one of the worst school systems, if not the worst.
I have been pissed about this for so long and have such strong feelings about the teacher’s union that I can’t articulate fast enough how they are destroying the educational system. In short, many teachers in the union feel that the system is there to support them by supplying a job and benefits. The administration in almost every system is bloated beyond recognition. They forget the educational system’s only mission statement should be about the children. Not benefits for teachers. Not legal support for crap teachers. Not 2 administrators for every ten teachers (many administrators make over $100,000). Not teacher work days and planning periods so they never have to take work home. Etc. Etc.
I have a Masters in Secondary Ed. Biology Education. I thank God everyday I can afford to send my kids to excellent private schools. I honestly feel badly for those parents who must send their children to a public school (who don’t want to). Of course I know that some districts are much better than others.
October 23rd, 2008
10:55 pm
I haven’t even started on the parent’s who support their kids bad behavior.
October 24th, 2008
12:40 am
Well, speaking as your Secretary of Education… (yeah another long-winded comment)
My SIL WAS a middle school teacher in Augusta, GA until she was assaulted by a student. She taught fucking Home-Ec. and a little bastard punched her. She finished out the year and just couldn’t do it anymore. I could link to a story on it, but I don’t think she’d like that. There was a record number of assaults on teachers that year in Augusta, if I recall.
My niece is a teacher at my kids’ elementary school. (She is an uber Republican not impressed with her own union…) We live in what would be considered by some to be an affluent area. She teaches second grade and has proven in her career that she has a way with the “difficult and/or disturbed” kids. The crap she has seen and the lack of power to do anything about it… You can’t tell the parents that their kids are fucked up (and it’s their fault) even if it is glaringly apparent. It takes an act of congress to get CPS involved and even then they do nothing. Oy! I could share some specifics that would shock even you, Jen. Even in our “good neighborhood” and at the elementary level it can be a disheartening job. Luckily for her, she feels that she affects more kids positively than the few that she can’t save. So far. Oh yeah, and even in an area that is mostly middle- to upper-middle class, there are many students whose parents don’t even bother to buy them school supplies – EVER – not even a pencil. My niece regularly hits the sales at WalMart and Office Depot that they have for teachers so that SHE can provide her class with supplies so that they can do basic work. Just imagine how it is in the areas where it’s low-income. I always try to buy extras of certain things so that the teachers don’t have to buy quite so much. I would never even consider that to be a problem in an area like ours if I didn’t know some of the teachers personally. How pathetic and sad is that? Same folks that never show up for conferences, etc. Can’t be bothered, I guess.
We moved from our last house because of what was happening at the elementary that the boys would have attended. Another district PAID our district (again, somewhat “affluent”) to take the “worst-of-the-worst” of their district because they didn’t have the “means or resources to deal with their special needs” or some shit. These kids were kids that were in and out of juvie, or just waiting to turn ten to go to juvie. I only really knew about it because one of my boys had speech therapy there a couple of afternoons a week (around dismissal time) and I witnessed these thugs abusing the teachers on a regular basis. The fifth graders that I observed screaming and physically intimidating these teachers looked to be at least 13 years-old and the size of grown men and women. The teachers didn’t even try to hold it together in front of the parents (me) that might be witnesses and screamed and pushed these students right back. My kids were really scared and confused by this (the boys were only four). Mind you, these trouble kids were not residents of our school district. Their district doesn’t even have personal property tax.?! This was all happening on MY DIME with the paltry sum that the other district was paying them to bus in these criminals. During this time, teachers there started taking early retirement, transferring, moving to other districts, quitting… many residents were not privy to this information – yet. I saw this, determined that my kids were NEVER going to go to school there, decided that it was cheaper to sell, buy another house at a lower interest rate and get thee out of Dodge than keep our house and pay for Parochial school (damn that’s expensive!). We moved and the shit hit the fan shortly thereafter. We just squeaked by before it affected our property value.
Then, there’s the whole issue of money. My niece got a Master’s in Education and yes, her compensation is higher, but not by much. A lot of people these days don’t want to make less than 80K if they graduate college, particularly if they get a post grad. Teachers don’t make 80K. Men are not becoming teachers anymore and the ones that do are immediately snatched up and put onto the administrative track and made principals – sometimes a fresh male graduate will be put onto the admin. track in front of an experienced female counterpart. You know that pisses people off.
And THAT is why we have to import teachers. No one wants to deal with the crap that is allowed to go on in our country’s schools. Teaching used to be an honorable profession where people felt they were making a difference and fostering young minds to greatness. Now they just feel like babysitters that teach a stupid test and don’t have time to teach things that really get kids to love learning. My kids are in awe that we never had to take any standardized tests when we were kids. They can’t even fathom it. I am continually amazed at the things that we got to experience and learn that my kids do not because there’s just not enough time in the school year to do those things AND make sure that everyone passes the TAKS. Our school is Exemplary as are 11 of 18 in our district. If you knew most of the district (ESL, low-income, etc.), you’d know how much emphasis and time is put into passing to get an Exemplary rating on that stupid test.
This is all just from my experience in “good” neighborhoods. How much worse it must be is in other areas that aren’t so “fortunate”.
October 24th, 2008
1:37 am
Mare, you’re lucky you can afford private school. We checked into it at our Parish school (the only one I’d consider) and it was outrageous! There is no sibling discount (I have triplets), no discount for those that tithe – just an exorbitant monthly tuition – like sell-your-house-and-get-a-really-small-one-just-to-make-the -tuition-payment exorbitant. It was cheaper to buy a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood at low interest. Crazy. Another SIL sent her kids to parochial school for next to nothing in Kansas. I guess it has to do with your diocese and parish, I guess. The quality of education, I dare say, is superior in our parish than in Kansas, as well.
Our elementary is a really a good one. The district has it’s problems, but it is still one of the better around. That’s what makes the crap that goes on so unbelievable. Luckily, my kids will get to go to a brand new Junior High and High School in the neighborhood. If they were to start right now they would have to go to an aged (but newly rehabbed) one miles away with a more “rugged” enrollment. They will start 7th grade as the second class to enter the new school.
Oh the administration! Our Superintendent can’t even pronounce “Exemplary” correctly. How can you demand it but can’t even pronounce it? Our principal is odd – she’s tough and gets the job done, but she makes everything more difficult and convoluted. She’s so admin. minded. Also, she is always completely color-coordinated from head to toe. It’s like a compulsion. Strange woman. She scares my kids. Heh.
I’m with you on the parents…the majority of ours are great, they care and are involved. However, there are still those that are those that you mention – the enablers that defend even the most heinous behavior of their kids. Then there are those that just don’t care and/or abuse or neglect their kids who run wild. We have a fair number of these, as there is one failed subdivision that has lent itself to some subsidized housing and there are houses full of foster kids, grand parents raising multiple grandkids from multiple parents and there are a few crack/meth moms. Oh, and Nigerians. Yes, I know some Nigerians that are cool – the ones that never intend to go back – lots at my church. I have also had Nigerians TELL me about their culture. TWISTED! No wonder so many of their kids are troubled. They have quite a bit of trouble with these Nigerian kids- the ones that “come to the US to get money
any way they can(emphasis) so they can go back to Nigeria and live like kings and queens” (their quote, not mine). These kids are not disciplined. Ever. Especially the boys. They are allowed to run the house, talk back and be destructive and expect to do the same at school. That is their culture. That it the way they “love” them. I believe there are actual private schools by and for Nigerians because of this. Not all can afford or want to pay for it, I guess. Takes all kinds…You couldn’t pay me enough to teach even in the best school. I can barely stand to be around my own kids some days! They wear me out. I admire those that do it, love it and are good at it.
October 24th, 2008
1:38 am
Gawd, I am verbosity personified…
October 24th, 2008
3:45 pm
Momotrips,
I honestly feel badly for those who cannot afford their parish schools or other private schools. I went to Catholic schools for 12 years. Have taught in Catholic schools and for a time my children went to Catholic schools. It pisses me off that people like you, members of a parish don’t get a SIGNIFICANT discount. Or, are offered scholarship. I can’t tell you the number of hours fundraising I have done for scholarships at Catholic Schools.
Couldn’t you just rag on schools and the system forever? I know I could.
October 24th, 2008
10:33 pm
My BIL and dad are KofC (BIL is Grand Knight). They are required to donate a percentage of the proceeds of most of their fund raisers to the school scholarship fund. Even though most of the knights either don’t have kids in the school because they are too old or mostly because they can’t afford it. This ticks them off A LOT. So there are scholarships, however, my husband makes too much money to qualify. Their policies screw up the cross-section of the parish who attends. It’s a huge, affluent parish. I guess they don’t have trouble filling up the school to capacity with those who can afford to pay full price. We could only afford it if we changed our lifestyle so much that our kids couldn’t do all of their extra-curricular activities. That wasn’t going to happen. We’re happy with our decision, so it’s okay.
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