Waylon Jenning used to sing “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys.” I’d make it teachers these days. In fact, if I were a college student in America today, I would never consider becoming a public school teacher. Those who do teach deserve everlasting respect as well as huge salaries and perhaps a bouquet of flowers, a thank you note and maybe a beer every Friday for making it through another week without tearing out their hair or quitting in a huff.I mean, seriously, could we treat them any worse?
We talk about how important they are – just as we do with first responders and military – then pay them like crap relative to our supposed adulation. And then we gripe they’re paid too much. (Wait, I thought nothing was too good for our children?)
We blame them for the U.S. “falling behind” the rest of the world as if it’s their fault.
We expect them to work 10-14 hour days when you add in the regular school day, grading homework, before and after work meetings, after-school activities, incessant paperwork and emails with parents.
We blame all of society’s ills on them as if they’re the ones who raised our kids. As if they’re the ones who didn’t read to our kids when they were young. As if they’re the ones who send our kids to school hungry, sick, tired or unmotivated. As if they’re responsible for us raising our kids on Nintendo, Xbox and PS4 instead of Seuss, Hemingway and Twain.
We gripe bitterly about them getting “summers off,” when in fact most teachers aren’t sitting around in July and August eating bonbons and sipping sherry. They’re more often working a summer job to help make ends meet or studying to pass tests to satisfy politicians who hate them.
We require them to spend their days teaching to standardized tests instead of adapting their teaching techniques to the students at hand. (Educational bureaucrats, of course, know best.)
We treat them like political footballs and demonize their unions. The GOP, in particular, does this under the guise of “caring about kids,” but the truth is their longstanding goal is to kill off unions because union members often vote for Democrats.
We gripe about their benefits as if they’re somehow not worthy of health care, pensions etc. But if someone were to ever say to us WE don’t deserve OUR benefits, ho-ho, there’d be holy hell to pay. Hypocritical much?
We pay the bare minimum for education in general, to the point that most teachers have to buy their own classroom supplies, and we know this, but we do nothing about it. Of course, we don’t reimburse them.
Then there’s all the recent nonsense. Did you catch Michigan’s own Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, on “60 Minutes” last week? If her vapid, clueless, disinterested, uncaring comments didn’t make you weep for the fate of the nation’s public school children, nothing will. She’s there to kill public education, not save it. Her sole goal is to turn all schools into church schools.
Then there’s the final straw: guns. Only in America would we confront the problem of madmen slaughtering our children in the public schools by doing nothing about the guns that are most often used in those slaughters. Instead, we say, “Arm teachers!” as if that’ll magically fix the problem.
Yes, maybe a few will want to take on the task of being both teacher and SWAT team leader for their school. But I’ll bet the majority think, “Uh, that’s not what I got into teaching for. Besides, they’d probably make me buy my own bullets.”
But who cares what they think. They’re just teachers, after all.
Image credit: Donkey Hotey
Exactly.
From a mom of four public school teachers.
Ditto – three…
Agreed- we’re a family of 4 teachers. Such a noble profession , would never recommend it to anyone now.
Spot on from a 23 year veteran teacher.
And be fired if we ever actually used a gun to protect children because “we aren’t properly trained” to assess the situation and we over reacted!
Proud public school teacher here…please don’t discourage our fine youth from entering this noble profession. We NEED caring, loving, cerebral people to take up this banner called educational guidance. Please consider this profession, dear undergraduates. We need you now more than ever!
As a teacher I commend you for being so positive. Yes, we absolutely need bright, fresh young minds preparing for our youth. I totally agree. As a teacher… I’m tired. As a mom of an ed major who dreams of becoming a teacher… I’m scared for her.
As a veteran teacher whose eldest daughter wanted to be a history teacher and was fortunate to be chosen as a Teaching Fellows Scholarship., I have the same concerns. I’m worn out every day when I finally get home around six after dealing with 100 middle schoolers from 7:30 am. Once entering the profession, she did her 4 years and decided that with all the hoops, paperwork, meetings, administration changes, lack of supplies and textbooks, it was not worth it for her to be in the classroom. She had completed her master’s while teaching and has not left the profession but instead became a media specialist. She is still in the schools just not in a classroom being responsible for a set group of students with the testing, parent phone calls, emails, IEP and 504 meetings, lack of planning, after school duties all with no supplies unless she buys them herself. I do not see we ever getting to the point that the teaching profession is just that, a PROFESSION. We are not looked at or talked to as professionals. Our politicians constantly think it is okay to take things away, dump on us and then say we are being paid 50,000 per year. I wish I made that much. When I could work in other fields for far more money with a whole lot of less hassle, no wonder we are seeing our young people not choosing to enter this profession.
I am 48 years old and am just now returning to college to earn my degree for elementary and special education instruction. I was previously a paramedic (no 6 figure salary there either) but after having both of my sons successfully graduate from college, I realized I still have so much to offer. I know many teachers are worn out and jaded and it’s a shame. After reading articles such as this, I sometimes wonder if I am choosing the right path. But my heart is guiding me, so I continue. Wish me luck!
Don’t be discouraged. I am proud to be a teacher. My first degree was in Business and I worked long hours every day. I worked on Christmas Eve many times just to get things done. I went five years once without a real vacation. So maybe some of these complainers need to get out and do something else. Most of the complainers graduated high school and then college and went into teaching and never did anything else. Trust me the grass is not greener. There are days when I am stressed and then there are days when I say to myself, ” am i really getting paid for this!”
I love working with the students and I too am in Special Education. There is nothing more important to me. I do agree that the pay should be more for what all we do .
I could not agree more!
Amen!! As a father first and a teacher second, with a daughter headed into the profession, I second the fact!! We need the ones who are committed to being part of the solution rather than the problem!!! We need teachers to make a difference and love the generations to come!!!!
Thank you!
Wow, Andy. You totally hit the nail on the head with this column. Each and every point is so true! My daughter teaches in Florida. After 13 years, and being nominated for Teacher of the Year at her school four times, she’s making a crap salary! Her students and parents love her, so, at least, there’s that! She said that if she was ever mandated to carry a firearm she’d change professions. And, she’d home school her son if teachers start carrying weapons. It’s a sad state of affairs for sure for someone who truly loves what she does and excels at it!
If I were her, I’d do the same thing. The GOP in Florida danced around the problem and then expects praise.
The police, FBI, Medical providers, dropped the ball. Mental Health is huge now! Babies with Fetal alcohol syndrome, Addicted to Crack or Meth when they are born.
Kids Huffing any thing aerosol, smoking K2 when you could get it at the local gas station or party store. And this stuff is mentally killing this younger generation. The Administration ofv the USA, needs to focus on the mental well being of these kids and adults. Guns arent going to fix this.
Education and Mental Health will fix this. And responsible parent’s are what we need!
Agree with everything except blaming the GOP. Both parties are guilty. Under obama I actually went backwards in terms of salary. First time my salary was decreased in my more than 40 years of teaching. Bush’s no child left behind about destroyed public education. If we blame one party for problems in education we are missing the boat and have no one to blame but ourselves
Connie, I profoundly disagree. There is absolutely no question that the GOP dislikes unions, which is the reason they demonize teachers. They’re also the ones who invented the “liberals took God out of schools nonsense.” God was never IN schools. And shouldn’t be. If kids want to choose a religious school great. If they want to pray on their own in a public school, great.
I agree Connie. Both parties are responsible yet they both try to claim innocence and demonize the other. What they all need to realize is that no amount of legislation or funding will fix the problems in our schools. Everything starts in the home. Teachers, money, curriculum, etc. can’t fix bad parenting. Is it helpful, sure. We need an entire societal shift in our view of the importance of education.
Andrew, I totally agree with you. The GOP declared war on education some time ago. While I was not excited about common core and testing I get having a national set of standards and accountability, to an extent. Unfortunately, the GOP took it many steps past that and has used it as a way to destroy public school education. As a parent and teacher, I’m just disgusted.
The President does not determine your salary….
I’m not sure where you are from, but here in Wisconsin the gop has destroyed education. scottie walker has stripped money from the schools so that the Uber wealthy can get tax breaks. He and his cronies are trying to steal the money from Common School funds. School districts receive an annual distribution of earnings from the Common School Fund. These funds (commonly known as Library Aid) are used to purchase library books and other instructional materials. Managed by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL), the Common School Fund was established by the Wisconsin Constitution in 1848 with the granting of about 1.5 million acres of land for educational purposes. The vast majority of these lands were sold to create the principal for a permanent school fund, with the earnings to be exclusively used to support and maintain common schools (now known as K-12 public schools) and the purchase of suitable libraries and apparatus therefor. The Wisconsin Constitution also provided for growth of Common School Fund principal through the addition of clear proceeds of all fines, fees and forfeitures, including unclaimed property. You’ll notice it says the constitution (from 1848) mentioned it and set up funding for it. It is republicans who are trying to STEAL that money. betsy de vos is a republican who is doing everything in her power to destroy public education. republicans hate an educated population so they need to destroy education so they can keep and increase their voting base.
How did Obama effect your salary? Isn’t that determined by the school district and the community?
Andrew,
What’s your position on the impetuous to reduce suspensions, expulsions and arrests in schools and its impact on school climate? Are the students in these schools becoming more violent and aggressive in response to these tolerant climates where initiatives like they Pronise Program are being implemented?
Did anyone hear about the teacher who accidently shot a student last week?
http://time.com/5199328/seaside-high-school-gun/
Amen! From a retired teacher and administrator.
Your article needs to circle the USA, be written in every newspaper that is still published. Go viral, whatever it takes to get the publics attention.
Betsy DeVos is an embarrassment to educators. She is clueless when it comes to public eduction.
Yes, I was a teacher, I have adult children who are teachers, friends who are retired teachers, and am sorry for young people who enter the profession today. Retired teachers can never be sure benefits will be there for the rest of their lives. Our value is priceless, just don’t ask how much.
Oh, if only, Karen. I miss doing this full-time.
Has the free market become less friendly towards articles that do nothing but parrot Democrat talking points?
You seem to be such a negative person. Why do you read Andrew’s column if all you want to do is drag your politics into the discussion. Nothing Andrew said today is incorrect. It’s the state of public education and the current powers that be are contributing to it. If you agree with what is happening to our schools then you are part of the problem. Please accept responsibility for the mess you are helping to create and perpetuate. Don’t blame it on Andrew, liberals, or Democrats. You’re it!
Since you are into blaming, it seems the article blames all of societies ills on everyone else but themselves. If you are a treacher, congrats you chose a noble profession, the key key is YOU CHOSE, no one else chose for you. Stop whining and start working, teaching is no more noble then nursing or an emergency responder , yet they do t get 80-85% of their salary when they retire after 35 years. As for unions keep paying the dues so the weak get pushed to the middle and the strong get pushed down, excellent strategy!
As soon as he dragged the Education Secretary into the post he made it political. Teachers whining about being made to carry guns into the classroom I’m sure the school boards across the country would only want competent teachers to be armed and have the training to carry. No one is asking the snowflakes in the teaching profession to carry and i sure as hell wouldn’t want one to be carrying.
Pennsylvania forbids retired teachers from substituting except in proven emergencies with a waiver request from a school district superintendent. Last year the state legislature changed pension benefits for all new teachers. Our raises are smaller as our contributions to our medical insurance increases. We lost our permanent certification status years ago and now must take 6 credits in education classes or 180 hours of the same to retain our certification, even if we are currently not employed as a teacher. Special subjects teachers and librarians have been cut or given insane teaching schedules — imagine back to back half hour classes all day long. Small wonder that there has been a 45% drop in teaching certificates issued in the last 2 years.
Spot on, Librarian!
Thanks Andrew! Common sense. Only thing I’d change is that “probably” at the end. There’s no doubt in my mind that teachers who would want to be armed would have to buy the gun and the bullets as well as pay for the training. Teachers already have to pay for most of their other classroom supplies as it is.
No worries. The GOP will probably come up with a plan to reimburse you for any bullets that actually kill or wound an assailant. You know, as a reward.
This is for Jeff. You are full of shit if you think teachers get 80-85% of their pay in retirement. Only in my dreams!
I’m a retired teacher, and I certainly do NOT get anywhere NEAR 75-80% of my salary! Where is this nonsense coming from? If you make comments like that, please document them.
Ask Jeff. It is his rediculous statement. I, too, am a retired teacher and get no where near 80%! And it is getting worse for the younger teachers. Loved the work, hated what it has become!
Well said! Thank you! I am grateful for every teacher who invested in the lives of my children. (A mom of teachers).
Thank you Andy! I taught 40 years and truly loved my job. But I would not encourage anyone to teach in this toxic atmosphere created by legislators who have DeVos money in their back pockets.
Two professions not to go into, Teaching and being a police officer. Just finished watching Flint Town. Better yet don’t become a Flint teacher or a Flint police officer.
Amen!
I have never heard this said better than you, Andrew; and all the comments above as well.
I remember every one of my teachers; many of them had a big part in shaping my life. I could go on and on about their goodness and sacrifices. Thank you dedicated teachers! You deserve better wages and benefits, and unwavering respect from everyone!
Thank you. This column nailed it. I’m grateful. (And since I taught you son, I know for a fact that you raised your kids on Suess, Hemingway, and Twain. I thank you for that, too).
They were read to constantly and books were always around. In addition to video games.
Thank you from a retired teacher! I loved my job, but felt I always had to defend my profession to the critics. It’s nice to hear some positives and support for those who are still in the classrooms.
Thank you for this, Andy! Teachers deserve so much better than what they have now. I will be forwarding this article on to my teacher friends.
The 1940s concept of a taxpayer funded pension was outdated 30 years ago. It needs to go into the dumpster. Teachers can enjoy ENORMOUS retirement funds via private savings such as a 401k, etc. My 401k has provided an awesome nest egg for myself, my children and grandchildren. I probably won’t tap into it for another decade but if I wanted to retire today, I could receive an annual stipend of over $200k while effectively never touching the principal. I think our teachers deserve to benefit from the free market retirement benefits enjoyed by so many millions such as myself.
I can’t understand why Democrats want to deny teachers such wonderful economic opportunity.
I’m glad your 401 will provide you with a nice retirement. However, please remember what happened when our politicians under president Bush and the reckless actions of banks and financial institutions nearly destroyed our financial system and millions of people lost their jobs as a result. President Obama put a moratorium on required withdrawals from 401s to protect retirees from losing much of the value in their 401s. Teachers don’t make huge salaries to afford investing maximums allowed in 401s that could weather the whims of the stock market. In addition, current teacher salary averages in many states qualify their children for free or reduced lunches. They literally are college educated working poor. And now, our politicians want to put guns in their hands and expect them to protect children from a crazed gunman carrying an assault rifle. I find this scenario ludicrous to say the least.
Do the math. If you contributed the max in a 401 k it’s impossible to have that kind of money in it even after 50 years. The guy is a troll and a phoney
All other companies that have 401k plans also pay into Social Security. The state and/or districts don’t want to pay into SS, so the most recent plans have suggested just giving teachers a 401k plan, which no other company in the US does. So feel fee to put teachers into Social Security and 401ks, but nobody just has a 401k.
Wow! What have you been doing all your working life? I am at 400k and not touch the principle. I guess I earned more than you when I was a master chef in India, South Korea and China. Plus my 401 k has earned 95 % since trump took office. Oh and by the way the hundreds of businesses I own have done well for me. Pull up your boot straps and make something out of yourself already. Them damn democrats must be keeping you down.
I see you are still obsessed….
Less alcohol…. More sleep….
Less pills dude you are dillusional. Get out of your moms basement and get a job. You know we don’t believe you. Trolling down the river!! Your numbers are impossible and you know it. You are a liar and a phoney. Your only answer to everything is obsession. Go find a job and move on.
He’s a Russian troll. They don’t train him to answer.
The “Basement Billionaire ” is back with us, hello comrade, get back to work
I am sure he will be jubilant over Putins reelection! I am sure he voted for him.
You seem to be a rich guy, Working Dad. Stop bragging about it, you jerk. Please send some of your ill-gotten gains to people who need them.
He’s not rich he lives in his moms basement with a diet of Cheetos.
Wow, I want you to do my investing. Drawing 200k means you have 2M or so, based on a 10% annual return. Impressive. Nonsense, but impressive.
Impresive nonesense.
Just over 2 million. Anybody can do it with 3+ decades of financial discipline and following well established mutual fund investment practices.
Sorry that you think teachers are too stupid to properly invest their own money. I have full faith in their ability to invest.
George W took out half of your 401 in 2008. So at that time you would have been around 1.3 mill minus 650,000.00. That was eleven years ago. In your words under Obama you made nothing. So according to your math you had 650,000.00 or so when trump took over. So you made around 1.3 mil in 14 months. Ya right. BS for sure. What the hell you smokin cause I want some!
Ah yes with a starting salary of 32,500.00 for teachers in Arizona, they should have 2 mil in thirty years? Most brokers will tell you you need at least a mil or more to retire comfortably when you reach the age of sixty two. If you averaged 60 grand in 40 years you would need half your salaried saved toward your retirement. Unexceptable.
Unacceptable !!!
Wait, but you’re forgetting he’s magic. And a Tea Partyer, so …
Does financial discipline mean not eating, living in government housing, and basically living life without any luxuries (car, internet, dining out once in a while). Also lets not forget students loans, and loans I took out for my required masters… But sure, financial discipline.
This is rich 😆 Teachers have to get paid a salary to make ends meet first in order to contribute that much to a 401k. Pensions were/ are paid into by the teachers. This isn’t free money from the government. It’s my money from my paycheck being mismanaged by the above who are claiming it can’t continue to work. Well that very well may be true because we’ve desecrated the teaching profession to a point that no one wants to be a teacher anymore, so there won’t be anyone to contribute to the pension plans… the cycle will stop and there won’t be money…. oddly enough the pension plans works for the politicians… and beauties at that! I’m not going to complain about the pension I will hopefully be getting, I’m grateful, but I also paid into it. However my pension is NOTHING in comparison to these politicians. They don’t have to work as long to become vested, their percentage and payout is incredible, plus they have investments matched (in one case I read 5 to 1!) So please, go on somewhere unless you come with common sense.
Seriously? InTexas we have no choice but to put into a retirement fund which is slowly being pilfered by the state government. And we are not allowed to draw on Social Security even if fully vested from pre- or post-teaching career.
Thank you..I’d add every teacher in my family spent summers attending classes to further their degrees, and enhance their abilities in the classroom . On top of mentoring/ tutoring kids who needed a boost. Free of charge I might add.
Betsy DeVos.. there’s an arrogance that’s very unbecoming She called it back when she said she decided to quit taking offense at criticism of the money given to Republican politicians. “I concede the point, we do expect a return on our money”
Thank you, Andy!
This is the best editorial I have ever read concerning our educational climate. i am a retired teacher who lived through many years of being made to feel like a second class citizen by our local school board and state government, yet I showed up for class everyday with a smile on my face and did everything in my power to make sure my students got the education they deserved. I am thankful for the support of my colleagues and the many wonderful parents who were always there to help. I am sure any teacher who reads your column will feel the same way.
Thanks, Linda. Please share it with your friends.
If teachers hate govt so much why are all the teachers I know Democrats? And I live in a city that is 85% Republican. Everything the govt touches they ruin so why give them more control.
Who said teachers hate government? Government doesn’t run down teachers. The GOP runs down teachers.
I’d say both parties run down teachers. Each uses the banner of education in whatever way necessary to garner votes. And FYI there are many who are darn good teachers and happen to be Republican. The minute you bring in the party finger pointing and prejudice you take the focus off the great issues brought up in the article. Neither party has done much for education overall.
Oh, good god, not even close. Show me some examples of Democrats not supporting teachers. That’s just silly. In return, I’ll show you the biggest middle finger to teachers and public education ever: Betsy DeVos.
Because smart people are Democrats.
There really are some smart republicans Fred, but democrats are the ones with common sense.
And compassion.
The comments here by the liberals are very intense. They also do not have a not have a sense of history.
Forget about the 401 plans for a moment. Let us review the history of social security. 401 plans did not start until years after social security.
When FDR first set up social security in the 1930’s he meant it to be a completely separate item under federal control. That meant that the funds from social security were to be completely separate from the federal budget and it was set up to where Congress could not raid to the fund to balance the federal budget. The social security payments made to those who would draw from it would not be subjected to being taxed as income. Tax free completely.
Then came lbj and his supposed war on poverty. In order to fund the war on poverty and the ill advised war in Vietnam. lbj and the democrats in charge of CONgress changed the laws to where funds for social security that were exempt from CONgress using the money for the federal budget to where CONgress could borrow/steal the money in the social security fund to balance the federal budget. BOTH parties over the years have never paid back any of the money that they borrowed/stole from social security.
Then around 1995 of so slick wiley and the democrats in CONgress were looking for more tax money to fund their grandiose schemes. So the democrats changed the social security payments from tax exempt to a taxable income. Therefore if and when someone makes more than $32,000
in income the social security payments become taxable income.
So for those of you that have 401 investments and you start drawing money out and you are drawing social security payments and your combined income from social security and any other retirement funds goes over $32,000.00 your social security will turn from tax exempt to a taxable income. If the democrats can change the law where SS is taxable they also can change the laws governing your other retirement payments.
How do you say, “Jim-Bob the Third,” in Russian? Dear Dzheyms Tri, Your post connects a series of simple-minded ideas in an extremely simple-minded way. And! Why in the world do you insist on writing so many words, every day? Most of us cannot even stand to read through your verbose baloney.
Please go away.
Jimii
Your remarks lack credibility. Social Security income was taxable income well before 1995 and so clearly this was the result of someone other than who you call “slick willy”.
Scott Walker said in best – divide and conquer. Yes, he said that in response to a Wisconsin Billionaire who asked him what are you going to do about Unions and making Wisconsin a right to work state.
Everything said in this article is in fact true. It misses one point though and Scott Walker said it clearly. Republicans, on behalf of their wealthy donors, want to see working class Americans divided and they did exactly that while you were looking in the other direction. Middle class working Americans, ever more pinched by flat wages and growing tax burdens. Instead of finding the cause of the problem, Republicans got middle class Americans to see their fellow middle class Americans (specifically Teachers) as the problem. They say Teachers are over paid, too much in benefits and excessive retirement… that’s why you middle class Americans have too high a burden to carry and are feeling pinched. What a con job and it actually worked.
You see the problem isn’t your fellow middle class Americans, the problem is the greed coming from wealthy Republicans that want more, more and more. The more never ends. Want proof, look no further than the vast growth in the disparity of wealth in this country. Still not satisfied, look no further than tax policy enacted under Republicans. When you look at it, stop reading the marketing campaign put on by Republicans. Look at the facts and you sure as hell are not going to find that from the words spoken or written by this current pack of Republicans.
You are more than capable of doing an independent analysis and forming your own independent conclusions, because your teachers taught you how to think and use resources to formulate independent conclusions. Think for yourself and you will see the truth. While you are at it, thank a teacher that you are able to think for yourself, the very life of our society depends upon it.
P.S. I am not a teacher. I am just someone who learned from them and took that learning to find the truth for myself. As long as you keep buying the marketing campaign, you will never know the truth. Whats wrong, truly afraid to think for yourself instead of being spoon feed. If you are a middle class American and you believe that you got a tax cut under this last enacted Republican tax law, then you are in fact gullible. The only segment of the population who got a “tax cut” is wealthy Americans, that’s a fact – and when you ignore talking points and look at facts, you will see it. Oh, I miss spoke. You see, Republicans believe Corporations are people as well, remember Mitt Romey “corporations are people my friend”. So, under a mistaken believe that they are people, yes indeed, corporations did receive a substantial tax cut as well.
I was an elementary teacher for 35 years, and I LOVED MY JOB. I would not want to teach now for anything, not only does most of the public know what happens in the daily classroom, but parents now teach their children whatever they do is OK – WRONG. When my children went to school, I always backed the teacher, and not because I was a teacher, I knew my kids were not perfect, like most parents think their kids are today. I would like to know how legislatures, even if they serve only 1 term, whether 2 or 4 years get their huge salary for the rest of their lives, and what do they usually do while in office – NOTHING, how many lives did they affect, NONE!!!!!!! I have been retired for almost 9 years and my retirement is not even close to half of what I made a year, and I was at the top of our pay scale, I have a Master’s degree, plus 30 additional graduate credit hours. How many of our legislatures even have a college degree, let alone an advanced degree? Many of my former students became teachers, and now I feel bad, I couldn’t put up with all the crap they have to now, and as ALWAYS administrators both local and at the state or national level that have ever taught or spent one full day in a classroom, ESPECIALLY DE VOS. GOOD OLE BETSY’S CHILDREN NEVER WENT TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL. I AM THRILLED THAT BOTH OF MY CHILDREN HAVE GRADUATED, ONE HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE, AND MY ONLY GRANDCHILD IS CURRENTLY IN COLLEGE.
Those who can, teach:
https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/01/why-i-teach/
Those who can, DO. Those who can’t, teach.
Those who can, TEACH! Those who can’t, criticize.
Apparently Brad has overlooked all the elementary teachers who taught him how to read and write so he could quote ignorant statements like that. If Brad has a college degree, apparently he’s overlooked all the elementary, middle and high school teachers who taught him what he needed to know to get accepted into an institute of higher learning. If he graduated from an institute of higher learning, I wonder if he realizes that there were people there teaching him his skill of choice so he could go out into the world to make something of himself and earn a living. If Brad has ever spent a day or two in any school classroom, as an adult, he would have seen that teaching is one of the most difficult professions out there now days! But Brad makes it very clear to everybody that he has no idea what it takes to teach so people learn at all levels. If he had even a clue, he would never make statements like that about teachers. He makes it crystal clear he has no idea. So why is he even commenting on it?
Those who can, DO. Those who teach or marry teachers, whine.
I would LOVE to see you try to help a freshman improve their writing skills for college. If you’re such a capable human and I’m not because I’m a teacher, come show me a thing or two! Troll.
What exactly do you do, Brad? Must be amazing to drop such an ignorant and outdated cliche.
People who disrespect or despise teachers say this; however, the real quote (from Aristotle) was, “Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.” A whole different animal… and very true. One cannot teach unless one truly understands, which is a different level in the hierarchy of learning than simply “knowing” facts.
We all agree Betsy DeVos is out of her element——Now to fix that problem,— Do away with the Dept. Of Education,and give it back to the States.We don’t need the Federal Govt involved in the Education of our children.
I just want to point out that liberals literally OWN education, with their public unions, public colleges, and social justice curricula. There’s not one single conservative aspect to public education these days. Betsy DeVos? She’s a shill, a Royal Dufus (SpongeBob movie!), who’s doing nothing more than showing that the dept of Education needs to go…which was Trump’s original thought.
Public Ed. is a complete disaster. Yes, it’s not worth becoming a teacher these days, but let’s be clear about who owns the problem.
Signed,
Former HS Math Teacher who quit to make money and be respected in the open market (Comp Programming)
If you went into teaching to make money and be respected, you were there for the wrong reasons. Glad you got out and found what you needed in the open market.
Actually, I believe it is reasonable for any person to choose a career that would provide both a livable salary as well as provide some measure of respect. To say that these are ludicrous expectations and that because a teacher expects these things means that they “aren’t in it for the right reasons” is ridiculous.
DeVos is an ignorant embarrassment who sees nothing. You just buy into her ridiculous propaganda that is absolutely false. Trying to discredit the amazing work the majority of teachers in this country do in order to destroy public education is criminal. And those who buy into it, like you—a disgruntled former teacher who obviously needed to leave—just feed on it and do their bidding. Sad.
A little bit of real world perspective: I have worked with many retired teachers for the past twenty years. They are not as rich as our pal Working Dad, but they are not destitute, either. Retired teachers, in general, are in pretty good financial shape.
I call for Working Dad to release his tax returns! Internet Trolls who claim to be rich are obligated to prove it! Working Dad owes America full disclosure. Come on, big boy… Please send faxes of your 1040s and all the rest to Andrew. Put them up here for all the world to see, you dweeb.
I’m a retired educator in Texas making $800/mo after healthcare deductions and taxes. I have 21 years in and went through a divorce. I can’t collect my ex’s social security nor mine though I am qualified for my quarters. I’m penalized for being a teacher. How is this a fair amount for a retiree?
Teachers in our county do not pay SS on their incomes. We have teachers retirement, but if you retired after 2003 , you can not draw SS from other employment while drawing TRS income without being penalized $ 1 for every $2 of SS. If a teacher’s spouse passed away, the same rule applies. In no other profession are retired employees penalized because they have two sources of retirement income. Retired teachers are not doing well for the most part as this gentleman stated. Many of them are substitute teachers, tutors, consultants or something totally unrelated to teaching ,n order to make ends meet. The ones doing”alright” taught 40 years or more.
Teachers in Michigan DO pay into Social Security. Get your facts straight!
And if you’ll pay attention to what was written above, it pertains to Texas. Chill.
Thank you!!! I taught for 40 years and saw education change from child-centered to paperwork-Centered. I would never recommend that anyone go into teaching now. I loved the kids, but most of the administrators were horses’ asses. I guess they rose to their level of incompetency. One told me to teach my preschoolers about Human Right’s Day–mind you they had developmental delays and some were non-verbal. Mental ages were about 2 some lower and some a little higher.
I agree with everything you wrote, except for your main argument. I have the honor to teach at the University level AND at the middle school level and we need more people to face the issues in public education head on. Don’t tell our talented young people to run away from teaching because of the toxic environment, tell them to embrace it and fight for change. Change for themselves, for their students, and for education as a whole. If we don’t, if we simply say that education is a lost cause, then we are walking out on the very fiber of our nation. If we say not to take up the challenge then DeVos and her cronies and every other naysayer and fool win. I have worked with young people for many years, I have seen the generations shift, but there is something about this current group of teens that is different. Look at the kids in Florida. I see that same sense of tenacity and a longing for something better in many of my students right now. I hope these kids do embrace education as a career and then I hope they are able to make some shifts. In the meantime, doddering old Gen Xers like myself need to hold things together long enough so that there’s still something left to save.
Thank you for recognizing the plight of all teachers. I am retired, but the problems are still the same. The future of our children and their children is sad and frightening and few seem to care!
From all the points, I am still loss at why no one questions the Department of Education existence. This has been defended by politicians for +40 years with nothing to show other than a growing budget and attempt to homogenize schools with the testing and curriculum that everyone dislikes except the textbook manufacturers and testing organizations.
Refocus it as a research coordinating agency, cut it’s $68 billion budget down to $68 million and then distribute $1321 per student to each State.
That would give my state about $2 billion dollars towards schools.
As usual your blog has descended into the liberals trying to shut up “Working Dad” and anyone else who is not liberal. For at least 50 years we have poured more money into schools and had more and more mandates from the Federal Government, and still remain low on the scale of results. What Jan Watt said is true, as my family has several teachers in it. We would be much better off if the control for curriculum went back to the States. Right now, more than half the people who work in school system are not teachers. That is because we have to dance to the music of the Feds and teach sex education and whatever else they come up with in Washington D.C. Any teacher can tell you that.
Did the teachers in your family invest as heavily into your 401ks so you can be as well off as Working Dad? If not, it’s your own fault, according to him. I assume you agree with him, based on your defense for him.
“Working Dad” does not need my defending him. I “defend” him because at least he stays on subject. You are doing what you always do, making a personal attack on him, when the subject is what is wrong with the public schools. All he is trying to communicate is that maybe teachers should have a choice about their retirement money. But that is really up to the teachers to decide. The more we have allowed Washington D.C. to tell us what and how to teach, the more we have failed our kids.
Okay working dads mom. I know Mother’s Day is coming. Trying to get a nice gift? He’s got millions I am sure you get a plant or something?
Again you change the subject. Just because I’m a woman and agree with someone, that makes me his mother? What school did you go to? Or were you just born that way? You can’t stay on the merits of the subject of discussion, so you take the stupid route.
Yup Ann we are all born stupid. And you know what?Teachers are the main reason we learn and grow. But people like you are the ones that blame the profession because little Johnny isn’t learning anything. Pay them shit and give them nothing and expect miracles. Teachers made a big impact on my life my children’s live and my granchildrens lives. But I am sure if someone in whatever profession you were involved in tried to screw you over it would be a travesty. Like most people with your opinions you want all the benifits and want to pay nothing for it.
Ah yes Ann your hypocrisy shows.
You didn’t answer my question.
She doesn’t answer mine neither. That why would you defend such idiotic rhetoric.
Keep in mind many of the accounts you see attacking me are in fact just one person who makes several fake accounts.
Obsess much??? Hahaha
And that’s important why? So what?
Thank God that this heroic school resource officer was armed and able to end the evil rampage of this shooter. A good guy with a gun saved the day.
https://www.themaven.net/bluelivesmatter/news/breaking-sro-engaged-in-gunfight-with-school-shooter-5LRMkF0iaEKNo3E63KKkIA?full=1
Not just “a good guy with a gun” who happened on the situation but a trained school resource officer who reacted accirding to protocol and his training.
Let’s get some more guns out there. The more the merrier. Just got to make sure we got more good guys with guns than bad guys. Right?
The hero
https://t.co/FzyKtHX4Pa
And again the bad guy with a gun was allowed to maim and injure innocent people. Your logic is idiotic. No hero idiot. Do you think the resource officer is sitting home thinking he’s a hero? He took a life. Live with that the rest of your life. Ask a vet. I think they’ll tell you a different story.
Was the shooter using an AR-15?
Not just “a good guy with a gun” who happened on the situation but a trained school resource officer who reacted according to protocol and his training.
Thank-you, Andrew. You really “nailed it”. I am a retired teacher as well as the mother of two teachers and the daughter of a teacher. I loved my job, all of it. I was able to use creative and differing means to impart a lesson so that the children remained engaged and curious. No longer are teachers encouraged nor given the time to do this. Their time is taken up with massive paperwork, constantly changing dictums from “on high”, too many parents who think their children are always right and who have handed them cell phones and tablets from the cradle, never enforced self discipline or otherwise reigned in the demand for instant gratification. Teachers are so grateful for those who do support them. There are many more social problems now than when I taught as well. For many children, their teacher and the school are the only consistent bright spots of the day. When kids do not want to go home or have vacation days, it says a lot about the important job teachers do every day. Both my girls are caring and loving toward and thoroughly dedicated to “their kids”, hoping to instill in them a life-long love of learning and the strength and confidence to carry through with whatever their dreams may be. Their lives are built on dedication…..summers spent going to college to keep up their own education (as required by the state, and at their own expense), planning for the next year’s students and many times working another job. They do it because they love kids and seeing them learn, but it sure makes it hard when they have huge class sizes…72 fifth graders!..,have to buy their own paper, pencils etc. , are dealing with so many angry and neglected students, and have absolutely no support from the politicians, principally the GOP . I would invite them, and anyone who thinks they can authoritatively criticize teachers, to spend a day with either of my daughters, but like Betsy DeVoss, they would never have the courage or curiosity to do that.
Absolutely positively right on the money.
Amen.
Jims says, you are impossible. Again you are accusing me of something I did not say. I have never said a bad word about teachers, or said they are not doing their job. I said that Government has put more demands and restrictions on what and how they can teach, that it requires them to do more paperwork and teaching to a prescribed test dreamed up by people in government who are NOT teachers, that it has made their job more and more difficult to do.
It just shows again that you cannot argue a point unless you put words in someone’s mouth to fit your agenda.
You originally agreed with working that they don’t need a pension. They need to provide their own. Go back and read what he posted. Then go back and read what you defended. It’s not my agenda it’s my opinion. You defend someone that post things like Democrats disembowl people and they should all die.
Amen. From a teacher. Just one thing, it was Willie Nelson who sang “Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys” , Not Waylon. 😁
It was a duet. Waylon and Willie.
It’s funny, despite all the hateful comments about Betsy Devos, she’s about the only reason I would consider going back into education. Teachers are finally being told they can be innovative and to re-imagine education for what it could be and, instead of doing just that, they’re folding. They’re throwing in the towel.
My brain lit up like a Christmas tree when I watched the K-12 Educational Summit and the Higher Ed Summit. But, teachers responded with the same vitriol that I’ve come to expect from the profession with which I used to align myself.
When I see teachers in their element since stepping out of the field, I’ve come to realize how tired they are. I used to think I had energy when I taught. I was running on empty and thought I was full.
Ultimately, I wanted to be left alone teach and I think a lot of teachers feel that way. Betsy DeVos is the ONE person in a government position that actually wants to get the government out of your classroom and instead of being a decision maker for your class, she wants the government to be a supporting facilitator for the decisions YOU make. I’m sorry the beloved teacher unions aren’t telling you that, but it’s actually true.
The NEA is scared of Betsy because they want you to NEED the NEA. How would you like to stop paying dues to that organization, which really hasn’t done squat for you? They thrive on YOUR fear.
I actually like a lot in this article, but the attacks on Betsy DeVos just aren’t founded in the reality of her agenda. The 60 Minutes interview somehow led you to believe that she was in charge of Michigan’s failing schools. She wasn’t. She and a group of other individuals were trying to find an alternative solution to Michigan’s failing school districts. I’m sorry that offends so many people.
Imagine if everyone in your community were actually trying to help schools rather than run them down. Betsy and her group had a strategy to make for better learning environments and allow students/parents to choose those better environments. Yet we run her down because we want to protect the sanctity of the failing environments.
You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results. You teach that, but do you live it?
So now, the one thing holding me back from getting in is knowing that I’ll be amongst people who want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend everything they’re doing is fine and everything else that isn’t fine can be blamed on the government, even though there is someone in government who actually wants to give you the freedom to fix those things. I say to my old profession, “Stop acting like a bunch of disempowered victims, get your mind back to what made you go into this in the first place, and engage your imagination to create the environment you always wanted to teach in. This is your opportunity! DON’T WASTE IT!!!!!!”
Great article! I know it’s geared for Americans but as someone who has been teaching 6 years I am frustrated that it is taking 8-10 here in Ontario to be hired permanently unless you are willing to teach French. Our government has gone against our Charter of Rights and stripped away money that teachers had banked over years. They are trying to see if they can stop us from striking and using the excuse that we are ‘essential’. Special Education funding keeps getting cut and violence in the schools is at an all time high. I love my job but it is frustrating when parents see us as the enemy and not an ally. Thanks again for the article and hopefully this will shed some light on the issue. Politicians need to support us, not strip us.
I thought this article might have some merit, but you lost me at it’s all the GOP’s fault. Education has been going down the tubes way before a Republican was in the WH. Stop placing the blame on one political party.
Thank you for recognizing the plight of those in education today.
Heartbreaking.
You had me until your gun comment. While I do not support arming teachers, I also do not support having a right as a citizen taken away from me. Guns are not the problem. Mental health is the problem. If you think taking away a right from law abiding citizens is going to stop those who want to kill you are very naive. If someone wants a gun they will get it, legally or not. If someone wants to go in a building and kill they will unless we find a way to help these kids and young adults who feel it is their only choice. Get kids to stop bullying. Stop making people who have emotional problems feel isolated. Stop making teachers be the social workers and psychologists and get those who are suffering emotionally support and help and hold kids who bully responsible for their behavior. The rest of your article is spot on.
The NRA says the answer is not to strengthen gun control, the answer is to report mental health issues. But in real life, teacher’s opinions are often considered inadequate because they are not trained psychiatrists/ psychologists. School districts are broke and can not afford a lawsuit. So, NRA, are you willing to put your money behind your solution? Will you support the financial needs of those who are fulfilling your idea of a solution if they are sued for speaking out? Nope, they want to throw the hot potato in someone else’s hands and then walk away.
I’m a third generation teacher. My family literally has had the conversation with my younger cousins that we will support their decision NOT to become teachers because we know it’s what best for their mental health and for the future security financially. This is a family that has produced 8 teachers in the past 50 years. Now we’re deterring our future generations from continuing the “family business” because we know how thankless and stressful it is.
Once again a clueless hypocritical liberal demonizing others about a problem they created. I thought stereo-typing people was not politically correct. First of all look at all the failing schools in the country. They are all in districts controlled by Democrat leadership. We pour buckets of money in those districts only to see it wasted by corrupt administrators (don’t believe me…google it!!!) The most successful districts in the country are in areas that vote overwhelmingly for Republicans, is that an accident? And so then your left wing knee jerk reaction is to shout out “white privilege!!” Well you need to google that too. Those same districts are some of the most underfunded in the country and by the way, have some of the best teachers even though they are not getting paid even half of what those inner city teachers are getting. Every rural school district in that state, is subsidizing inner city schools because of such things like desegregation whose purpose has long since disappeared. As far as your ridiculous comment about unions: I thought teachers were professionals? professionals don’t need unions only labor needs unions. I suppose that you think it would be a good idea for your doctor and your lawyer to be in a union. You are right about one thing: forcing teachers to teach to a standardized test is ridiculous. Guess who came up with the idea of Common Core? Barrack Hussien Obama……
Not to lessen the loss of those people in Parkland but if they want to keep their kids safe then there are much more dangerous things to be worried about and that are easily “fixable” and everyone agrees need to be fixed. Here are a few statistics for the ones who don’t bother getting the facts: their child is 10 times more likely to die riding a school buss and over a 1000 times more likely to die in a car crash on the way to school than from an AR-15. The murder rate in this country has dropped by half AFTER the so-called “assault weapons” ban expired. A murder victim in America is 4 times more likely to be killed by a knife, and three times more likely to be killed by a hammer and twice as likely to be killed by hands or feet than from a rifle of any kind. The AR-15 accounted for only 20% of all homicides committed with a rifle. Why is it that the solution that every liberal has for every situation is to take away the rights of law abiding citizens? Why can’t people focus on the real problem’s with public schools: lack of dicispline (caused by liberal ideas); lack of security (cameras in classrooms are often fought by teacher unions); encouraging, and promoting improper, unusual, disrespectful and immoral behavior (some more liberal ideas). Before you spout off about something you should really know the facts
Does any teacher ever tell their students to “shut up”. I had to leave a class because I couldn’t stand it anymore.
I agree with everything that has been said. So why is this 51 year old finishing her masters in special education and going to begin my teaching career? Something calls us to it doesn’t it. The kids who show up that I see every day as a paraprofessional need someone to show up for them. It’s incredibly not smart but we still do it don’t we. I will probably only have a fraction of teaching years than others who taught for 40 + but I can say I’m tried. Mountains don’t get climbed by people walking away. They get climbed by people who climb. Not many people sign up for it but if you taught for 1,5, 10 or 30 years, you are the true heroes. I hope to be like you.
Love it, Mary. Go get ’em.