"Uneducated Americans"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09krugman.html?ref=global-home

"Beyond that, we need to wake up and realize that one of the keys to our nation?s historic success is now a wasting asset. Education made America great; neglect of education can reverse the process."

I'm all for investing in education, but how about we use the remainder of the first $780 billion rather than asking for more funds. I can't think of a more "shovel ready" job than hiring more teachers and investing into the infrastructure of the US school system.

I'm all for investing in education, but how about we use the remainder of the first $780 billion rather than asking for more funds. I can't think of a more "shovel ready" job than hiring more teachers and investing into the infrastructure of the US school system.

well said....

I'm all for investing in education, but how about we use the remainder of the first $780 billion rather than asking for more funds. I can't think of a more "shovel ready" job than hiring more teachers and investing into the infrastructure of the US school system.

Forget hiring more teachers, how about we better the teachers we already have.

I'm all for investing in education, but how about we use the remainder of the first $780 billion rather than asking for more funds. I can't think of a more "shovel ready" job than hiring more teachers and investing into the infrastructure of the US school system.

The problem with "flash funding" like that is, people who receive it become dependent on it. Once you start the stream, it's hard to shut it off.

Forget hiring more teachers, how about we better the teachers we already have.

I had mostly excellent teachers in the public school I went too. (I ditched english a lot though, don't blame my grammar on them.) I wouldn't lump them all into one basket. (I'm sure gw would have an opinion on that as well.) Any profession suffers from poor performers, the key is to get the fund to those that exceed expectations. stick - carrot.

Why Not Volunteer?

{[better the teachers we have}

Not sure what you mean or what you are suggesting...I volunteer in a school every week...all the teachers I have worked with are great. As a former teacher myself I know how hard the job of teaching has become. There are more and more requirements on a teacher that have nothing to do with educating her students. I suggest those that think the schools are not teaching, try volunteering, offer your services, work with a child...offer your skills and time to a school.....make a difference.

{[better the teachers we have}

Not sure what you mean or what you are suggesting...I volunteer in a school every week...all the teachers I have worked with are great. As a former teacher myself I know how hard the job of teaching has become. There are more and more requirements on a teacher that have nothing to do with educating her students. I suggest those that think the schools are not teaching, try volunteering, offer your services, work with a child...offer your skills and time to a school.....make a difference.

I'm all for investing in education, but how about we use the remainder of the first $780 billion rather than asking for more funds. I can't think of a more "shovel ready" job than hiring more teachers and investing into the infrastructure of the US school system.

I was referring to mtlinscomb comment about hiring new teachers.

I'm not sure that school districts have a lot of extra money to throw around these days but if they did I believe that would be better spent on professional development rather than just hiring more under-qualified teachers. One of the (few) nice things about South Walton is that the classes are very small for a public school so i just don't think they need new teachers but they definetely need better teachers.

Now, if were talking about some public high schools where you have 60-70 kids in an english class-There were 53 in my public school 7th grade English class- then I can see hiring more teachers. But here in Northwest Florida I would say better the ones we have.

I was referring to mtlinscomb comment about hiring new teachers.

I'm not sure that school districts have a lot of extra money to throw around these days but if they did I believe that would be better spent on professional development rather than just hiring more under-qualified teachers. One of the (few) nice things about South Walton is that the classes are very small for a public school so i just don't think they need new teachers but they definetely need better teachers.

Now, if were talking about some public high schools where you have 60-70 kids in an english class-There were 53 in my public school 7th grade English class- then I can see hiring more teachers. But here in Northwest Florida I would say better the ones we have.

My thought of hiring more is based around the 4 - 5 million+ people that we have in the Houston area. I'm all for increasing the pay, training, hiring more...whatever it takes quite frankly. Rahm said never waste a crisis...I think the first half of the stimulus has been a waste, so why not take the second half and invest it all into the future of the nation?

Forget hiring more teachers, how about we better the teachers we already have.

Or how about we do both?

three questions...

1. When US test scores are compared to other nations, are the tests exactly the same?
2. When other nations test their students, is the entire school population tested or just a certain set of students?
3. What do parents/community members consider as qualities of a good teacher? (please sit this one out teachers...we have our own point of view?

three questions...

1. When US test scores are compared to other nations, are the tests exactly the same?
2. When other nations test their students, is the entire school population tested or just a certain set of students?
3. What do parents/community members consider as qualities of a good teacher? (please sit this one out teachers...we have our own point of view?

1. The tests are all the same.
2. Only a select group of students take the test in any country (5600 took it in the U.S.)

Things that in my opinion make a good teacher
1. Know the material- If we spend everyday in class reading out of the textbook then what is the teacher there for. The textbook should be used for help on homework at home. Also, it would be nice to have a teacher every once in a while that could have a discussion with the class or student without needing the textbook. This is one of my favorite things about going to my school where teachers have degrees in a field relating to what their teaching rather than an educational degree.

2. Do their best to challenge every student in the class- This is something I can give some slack to teachers on because I would imagine its difficult to challenge the top end of the class while teaching the low end. I think this is an instance where more blame needs to go towards the administration and them not properly deciding whom to put in honors classes and who goes in regular.

Those two things are pretty much the two most important things to qualify as an effective teacher. Basically the teachers job is to improve the intellectual abilities of all students.

Also i want to finish by saying that I don't put all of the responsebility on the teacher. Great teachers are wasted if you don't have good students. But I would bet a lot of good students have been taken down at the hand of poor teachers as well.

Also what I said about the educational degree was referring to high school (probably advanced courses) teachers. I do think that elementary and probably middle school teachers should have educational degrees because I think for younger children its important the teachers understand the process of learning for children and different learning styles as well as learning disabilities.

School teachers here furloughed, but still required to work their hours. And, all of the furloughed money came out of their first paychecks. WTH????????????

Now, is that going to attract better teachers?