Couldn't agree with you more when it comes the issues voters / parents / teachers face. Teachers blame parents and parents blame teachers which in all respects isn't where the issue resides. Teachers hands are tied by bureaucracy just as much as parents hands are tied by bureaucracy. When such instances occur how often does the teacher tell the parent where their complaint should be addressed? Rating teaching skills is just as much an issue as rating student achievement. From a parental point of view student achievement is a necessity and parents need clear information on how those achievements are rated and taught. It is understandable from a parents point of view the issue is at the bottom not at the top. That of course has recently changed. The other issue that is neglected is teachers, students and parents are all thrown into the same bucket. What happens in grade school, middle school or high school are often conflated to include all school grade levels instead addressing the needs for each separately. I do understand the issues teachers face concerning workloads and taking work home with them. It is more than Johnny or Mary doesn't have a pencil it is a desire to do well for the children. I know this first hand. Instead of the constant bickering between teachers, parents and students I have to wonder if teachers have thought about a parent out reach program that informs parents and the community of issues they face and what the parents and community can do to help them out. All too often the issues never come to light until the budget process or election time rolls around.
I don’t think JEB! did anything for education except send millions of taxpayer dollars to Texas and California to grade the standardized tests that could have stayed in state and graded by actual educators rather than minimum wage temps off the street. The problem with charters are they’re cheap but provide zero services. So parents, thinking their kid is getting a quality prep school education, will find the school to be a renovated 7eleven, will be required to drop off and pick their kids up, fix their lunch, leave work to pick up their sick child because there’s no clinic, and can be expelled without cause. The teachers will be those who couldn’t get a job in a public school because they may have a criminal background, or couldn’t pass the teacher licensing exam. Further many universities may not accept voucher school students from Florida because the school no longer exists, or couldn’t get accredited.
Sure, this will likely waste more money and hamper the growth of students NOT from a “troubled background”. Let’s continue to work bringing everyone lower, because that is what is happening now and I’m pretty sure it failing. A focus on teaching to a primary lower denominator will result in lower achievement. Not saying I have an answer, but yours is not it.
Your reply makes little sense to me based on what the OP wrote. Not sure this is a political issue so much as an entitlement issue with parents, students, and occasionally teachers. Simply put, in general, teachers are doing their best, students are bubble wrapped sheep, parents are cluelessly outraged, and administration staff is stuck between decent teachers and immoral media.
You have a combination of bad pay; a hostile state government passing laws that make the job harder, less rewarding, and make you fear litigation; crazy partisans who are being told that you're liberal indoctrinators; school shootings; and COVID. It's not surprising to me that teachers are either leaving for greener pastures or getting out of the profession entirely. We should be valuing our teachers, not allowing DeSantis and his cronies to make their lives miserable.
I'm not sure I understand your question, but here's some material from the FL teacher's union: Teacher and Staff Shortage | Florida Education Association The Legislature can change the shortage situation. The FEA is advocating for several actions during the 2022 Legislative Session, including providing fair, competitive pay for teachers and staff, reducing standardized testing and removing the high-stakes associated with tests, and allowing qualified teachers to earn multi-year contracts rather than be faced every year with a “pink slip.” Op-ed: Curing Covid wouldn’t fix teacher, staff shortages | Florida Education Association There are many national union stories as well, but I figure you might be more interested in FL.
I tend not to be involved with union matters and with that am not particularly well informed, but two things: 1) The union & union President have certainly spelled top issues out in detail. 2) I don't think what you are suggesting re: Union communicating to the parents is part of its role. I agree, though, that the public needs to be better informed re: School issues. There's far too much ignorance, not to mention apathy.
In Hillsborough there are probably around 15 or 16 thousand add in another few thousand academic support people which have some teaching duties.
Had to chuckle at this, from what was otherwise a very good post. It's almost like teachers and school admins never considered the importance of a the PTA, parent/teacher conference nights, orientation programs, after-school programs, social worker interventions, or the countless school and community events, etc.
In addition, my philosophy is that education is a three legged stool: teachers, parents, and students. Unfortunately, most of the policies only target teachers as far as accountability. Everyone needs to be on the same page, pulling in the same direction.
Well, I think teacher's are underpaid and deserve to be paid better. Looks like DeSantis is doing that. Gov. DeSantis approves $800M in Florida’s budget for teacher raises According to the governor’s office, in 2020, the average starting salary for a teacher in Florida was $40,000 (26th in the nation), and with funding announced Monday, it will now be at least $47,000 (9th in the nation).
I have never seen govt messing with a profession like teaching. Legislators play guess the issue every session and change rules, inject into contracts, etc. Set the rules and then, cough, let the districts handle it. They did raise starting pay, with no money for anything else, so they created massive pay compression with the new folks making the same as veterans. Raise the per pupil allotment with guidelines on pay would have perhaps been a better way.. And I say this as someone who doesn’t like the general you’ve been there longer you make more type systems. Parents don’t seem to want to be involved anymore, they want to dictate special rules for their darling over your darling. Ymmv. Seems like this is the same as GC making coaching decisions, , yes a shit show
So wrong... Google it...48th not 9th...bad info Report: Florida starting teacher pay is increasing but average pay stagnates State ranks 48th among the states in overall teacher salaries BY: DANIELLE J. BROWN - APRIL 27, 2022 3:57 PM
So many things wrong with this comparison..... but the average teacher salary in Florida is higher than the average Bachelors degree, $46,158, in Florida according to Zip Recruiter https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Bachelors-Degree-Salary--in-Florida Seems like teachers in Florida are doing better than the average college graduate in Florida.
My wife just finished her 33rd year teaching at the age of 55. She has won several Teacher of the Year awards and was County Elementary TOY runner-up back in 2015. Like any job, there are frustrations but like many of her co-workers, she still has a tremendous passion to teach and help kids. You have pointed out the negatives some teachers feel but let’s go over the positives: 1. Unlike many professions, teaching gives one the opportunity to help and and develop others. My wife estimates she has taught over 1000 elementary school-aged kids in her career and that has offered her an opportunity to have a positive influence in many children’s lives. My wife will tell you that is the number one thing she enjoys about teaching. 2. No, the pay is not great but at the same time starting wages have increased quite a bit over the last few years. And say what you want about Desantis but he has done quite a bit the last few years to help increase teachers pay including approving $800 million in this years budget to not only increase starting pay for new teachers but also to help veteran teachers. Is it enough? No, but the fact Desantis has pushed increased teacher pay three years in a row is promising. 3. The hours teachers work are better than almost any other occupation. My wife’s school starts at 8:00 and ends at 2:45 and she normally arrives at 7:15 and leaves by 3:30 each day. Along with a daily planning period, arriving 45 minutes early and leaving 45 minutes after students depart allows her time to keep up with the grading and other “paperwork” she has to do. Yes, she sometimes brings some work home and no, she can’t go out to lunch but the half hour she gets is plenty of time to eat. 4. One of the best benefits for a teacher is the time off. Two months in the summer, a week for Thanksgiving, two for Christmas and another for spring break isn’t bad and on top of that, teachers also get additional paid days off during the school year. 5. Excellent benefit package including inexpensive, if not free, access to quality health insurance. 6. Pension program through the Florida Retirement System is available and is obviously a great benefit that most other occupations do not offer. Yes, there are challenges that teachers face but that is the same in any other occupation. My wife’s biggest frustration is the increasing lack of parental involvement as it is very difficult to teach a kid who doesn’t get the help and guidance they need at home. But at the same time, she doesn’t get caught up in the other stuff going on. She has taught so long and is so well-respected that she is going to continue to do what has made her successful and shun the outside noise. And when it gets to the point where the passion is gone, she will simply retire and take advantage of her well-deserved pension knowing she had a positive impact on hundreds of kids lives.
