Are Greedy Teachers the Problem?
I think public speaking is a valuable skill that should be taught in school. As a future teacher, I hope to train my students in many areas, including public speaking. In my opinion, part of being a good speaker is taking time to do some research on your topic and learning how to process information logically.
Apparently, one of my state senators, Shadrack McGill, is not doing much research before he opens his mouth.
From an al.com article:
"Regarding teacher pay, McGill said: "It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach. To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?"
(quotation taken from: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/02/would_raising_teacher_pay_go_a.html)
I'm not a state senator but a short google search pointed me to an article from the New York Times that reports on a education study. One researcher, "Eric A. Hanushek of Stanford University found that an excellent teacher (one a standard deviation better than average, or better than 84 percent of teachers) raises each student’s lifetime earnings by $20,000. If there are 20 students in the class, that is an extra $400,000 generated, compared with a teacher who is merely average."
(from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/opinion/13kristof.html)
When I put the New York Times article and Shadrack McGill's statements together, they don't add up. I believe no matter how much teachers are paid, it's not an easy job. Today's teachers are called to educate children on all ability levels in their classrooms everyday. Collaborative classrooms are wonderful, when students with disabilities are educated in the same room with typically-abled peers. This does add to a teacher responsibilities as they are supposed to plan lessons that can be accessible to all students. Teachers are instructors, encouragers, mentors, assessors and, as Hanushek's research indicates, they should share the credit for students who succeed financially.
Contrary to Shadrack McGill's statement, I think no one end up teaching for the sake of the salary, even if teachers are given a raise. Teaching children isn't something everyone is skilled at and I think there is little danger of higher salaries drawing greedy applicants to careers in education. Like any other career, I believe any greedy but inadequate teachers would likely quit or be let go after they experienced the reality of teaching.
I believe higher teacher salaries would likely give more gifted adults an opportunity to benefit students. I think many gifted teachers take their talents to areas other than education due to the lack of respect and low compensation most teachers are given here in America.
Many point to the fact that not all students in the U.S. are performing to their grade level. Surely low test scores indicate that many teachers don't deserve their current salaries, much less a raise?
However, consider David Reber's example in the examiner in August 2010. He wrote: "... what other profession is legally held to PERFECTION by 2014? Are police required to eliminate all crime? Are firefighters required to eliminate all fires? Are doctors required to cure all patients? Are lawyers required to win all cases? Are coaches required to win all games? Of course they aren’t.
For no other profession do so many outsiders refuse to accept the realities of an imperfect world. Crime happens. Fire happens. Illness happens. As for lawyers and coaches, where there’s a winner there must also be a loser. People accept all these realities, until they apply to public education.
If a poverty-stricken, drug-addled meth-cooker burns down his house, suffers third degree burns, and then goes to jail; we don’t blame the police, fire department, doctors, and defense attorneys for his predicament. But if that kid doesn’t graduate high school, it’s clearly the teacher’s fault."
(from: http://m.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/in-what-other-profession )
Teachers cannot fix everyone but, as research shows, smart and gifted teachers can make a difference. However, many smart college students can also project salaries and expenses. In order to provide for themselves and future families, they often choose to use their teaching talents in other professions.
The United States has tried many other ways to improve education. I personally feel that raising teacher salaries would be worth trying. Unlike Shadrack McGill, I'd be willing to risk that some greedy people might try out teaching for themselves. I've never heard that we should lower senator's salaries in order to keep out the greedy. I wonder whether Mr. McGill stil would have run for office if he was responsible for educating over 100 children every day and grading and lesson planning every weekend. I'm not sure he would have the time to fulfill those responsibilities though as he is busy, according to al.com, supporting "the 62 percent pay increase the legislature gave itself in 2007."
(From: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/02/would_raising_teacher_pay_go_a.html )
I guess I dream of a world where hard workers will be compensated for what they do. Please consider this blog post and also consider who taught you as a child and who you would have liked to teach you. Before you vote, do a little research on the candidates' views on education. Together each of us could make a difference. Research proves that better teachers result in better wage earners which boosts the economy. It will take time but an economic boost could help all of us.
And perhaps better teachers will result in better educated senators. I know Alabama could definitely use some!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feel free to disagree with the points I raise in my entry. Education is a complex problem and I'm sure in a forum like LiveJournal, we all have different views on what might fix these situations.
I would enjoy hearing your perspectives.
Apparently, one of my state senators, Shadrack McGill, is not doing much research before he opens his mouth.
From an al.com article:
"Regarding teacher pay, McGill said: "It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach. To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?"
(quotation taken from: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/02/would_raising_teacher_pay_go_a.html)
I'm not a state senator but a short google search pointed me to an article from the New York Times that reports on a education study. One researcher, "Eric A. Hanushek of Stanford University found that an excellent teacher (one a standard deviation better than average, or better than 84 percent of teachers) raises each student’s lifetime earnings by $20,000. If there are 20 students in the class, that is an extra $400,000 generated, compared with a teacher who is merely average."
(from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/opinion/13kristof.html)
When I put the New York Times article and Shadrack McGill's statements together, they don't add up. I believe no matter how much teachers are paid, it's not an easy job. Today's teachers are called to educate children on all ability levels in their classrooms everyday. Collaborative classrooms are wonderful, when students with disabilities are educated in the same room with typically-abled peers. This does add to a teacher responsibilities as they are supposed to plan lessons that can be accessible to all students. Teachers are instructors, encouragers, mentors, assessors and, as Hanushek's research indicates, they should share the credit for students who succeed financially.
Contrary to Shadrack McGill's statement, I think no one end up teaching for the sake of the salary, even if teachers are given a raise. Teaching children isn't something everyone is skilled at and I think there is little danger of higher salaries drawing greedy applicants to careers in education. Like any other career, I believe any greedy but inadequate teachers would likely quit or be let go after they experienced the reality of teaching.
I believe higher teacher salaries would likely give more gifted adults an opportunity to benefit students. I think many gifted teachers take their talents to areas other than education due to the lack of respect and low compensation most teachers are given here in America.
Many point to the fact that not all students in the U.S. are performing to their grade level. Surely low test scores indicate that many teachers don't deserve their current salaries, much less a raise?
However, consider David Reber's example in the examiner in August 2010. He wrote: "... what other profession is legally held to PERFECTION by 2014? Are police required to eliminate all crime? Are firefighters required to eliminate all fires? Are doctors required to cure all patients? Are lawyers required to win all cases? Are coaches required to win all games? Of course they aren’t.
For no other profession do so many outsiders refuse to accept the realities of an imperfect world. Crime happens. Fire happens. Illness happens. As for lawyers and coaches, where there’s a winner there must also be a loser. People accept all these realities, until they apply to public education.
If a poverty-stricken, drug-addled meth-cooker burns down his house, suffers third degree burns, and then goes to jail; we don’t blame the police, fire department, doctors, and defense attorneys for his predicament. But if that kid doesn’t graduate high school, it’s clearly the teacher’s fault."
(from: http://m.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/in-what-other-profession )
Teachers cannot fix everyone but, as research shows, smart and gifted teachers can make a difference. However, many smart college students can also project salaries and expenses. In order to provide for themselves and future families, they often choose to use their teaching talents in other professions.
The United States has tried many other ways to improve education. I personally feel that raising teacher salaries would be worth trying. Unlike Shadrack McGill, I'd be willing to risk that some greedy people might try out teaching for themselves. I've never heard that we should lower senator's salaries in order to keep out the greedy. I wonder whether Mr. McGill stil would have run for office if he was responsible for educating over 100 children every day and grading and lesson planning every weekend. I'm not sure he would have the time to fulfill those responsibilities though as he is busy, according to al.com, supporting "the 62 percent pay increase the legislature gave itself in 2007."
(From: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/02/would_raising_teacher_pay_go_a.html )
I guess I dream of a world where hard workers will be compensated for what they do. Please consider this blog post and also consider who taught you as a child and who you would have liked to teach you. Before you vote, do a little research on the candidates' views on education. Together each of us could make a difference. Research proves that better teachers result in better wage earners which boosts the economy. It will take time but an economic boost could help all of us.
And perhaps better teachers will result in better educated senators. I know Alabama could definitely use some!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feel free to disagree with the points I raise in my entry. Education is a complex problem and I'm sure in a forum like LiveJournal, we all have different views on what might fix these situations.
I would enjoy hearing your perspectives.