Florida-style edukashun

[traderx]

I blame the unions for the lack of funding.

How so?

 

[amp in srb]

Seriously. How is it the unions fault?

Really. I am at a loss. In a state with no income tax and government that consistently cuts education funding how can you legitimately believe that?

I blame the voters for electing officials who devalue education. Yes, parents included. Oh, wait............ They might have been educated by the same system.

Where were you educated 30ashopper?

Me? North Carolina. Crap system on the whole. I don't blame the unions, there, if my memory serves, aren't any. Nonetheless crap system. WEIRD HUH? WEIRD.

But seriously. I hope that at some point the dialogue about education can get past party lines. This isn't about unions. It, for many people, is easy to blame to the organized worker. But I don't think that it is truthful or legitimate argument in this case. So, unless you have earth shattering evidence let's move on.

 

[amp in srb]

Funding, again and to be more specific, is largely based on local property and district taxes. Let's not forget this. Economics 101. Schools in SoWal are at a better advantage than those in DeFuniak. Regardless of county lines.

I forgot business taxes. That's the biggest of them all. Local business taxes. Damn unions and their businesses.

 

[Bob]

I don't blame the teachers, I blame the unions.



I don't think teachers should come to school if they are truely sick, that just ends up making the situation worse. Definitely different than say a private company where you interact with a small subset of the overall population of the business. (Although 8% on daily basis does seem a little high.)

Personally I don't call in sick, but I only interact with computers not kids, and I can understand why a teacher might want a couple days off.

the unions are to blame for what?....and of course, all teachers must be in the union. how many in this discussion teach or have a family member in education?

 

[amp in srb]

No reply?

None?

Okay. Point understood. Understood, as in you have none.

I appreciate the consistency Bob.

I taught for quite a while in public schools, have family in education and am currently in social services providing mental health services for children and adolescents in foster care. I have by no means stepped away from public service. The struggle of education is the struggle of all children. Most of the fiscal issues in education can be applied to many other helping professions and the people they serve. That said.......unions are not the problem. FUNDING IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.

More specifically, those who can idly sit by blaming unions and workers are the problem. Do your part. Either pick up a piece of chalk or get out of the way.

 

[NoHall]

I question why 12-15 teachers are absent every day when they know that means their students will have to sit in a gym and not learn anything.

My teachers certainly didn't miss that many days ..................... and they would have been leading the riot to the District Office if anyone suggested we sit idly in a gym instead of in a classroom being taught something.

That was also my thought. But 15 teachers is 8%--not an outrageous percentage, but not tiny, either. When you factor in cold and flu season, it's not that big at all.

More below.

Yes, it is sad that education is such a low budgetary priority, but IMO this also shows some definite issues w/ how the education system works.

God forbid these teachers give up their precious planning periods occasionally to TEACH!

I can think of 8 ways to do something beneficial or educational during these down times, why the hell can't these educators? :angry:

I hope this thread isn't meant to lump "Teachers" as a whole and place blame for a failing system on them. Please let us be more rational and logical than that.

So let's say we have a single mother, who is a teacher, with strep throat or her child has say........measles. Whatever. Her fault? No. I wouldn't think so. I know a number of single mothers who teach. In fact, I spent some of my career as a teacher. Not pretty by any standards. Low pay, long hours, and quite relevantly you are frequently in contact with viruses and sickness as a result of close quarter contact.

Maybe we should place the same expectations for job performance that we place on people who are paid comparably. Those people, whose absence is not so earth shattering are not grilled. But your child is not in their care. In fact, your child, is in the care of the STATE OF FLORIDA SCHOOL SYSTEM and it's individual districts.

How often do you call in? What's that? Really? Be honest?

I'm not in a public school, so I think of this a little differently. I was very sick several times last semester, and am really only allotted ONE sick day per semester. I think I had to take 3 between shingles, bronchitis, and strep. We don't have subs at all, thanks to the economy. We cover each other's classes during our planning periods. It's stressful to the sick person to ask a coworker to give up a planning period (even though I know that they didn't hold it against me) and stressful for a teacher to fill in.

While you say "God forbid," it takes its toll when it happens every day. If I have to cover one class in a week it's no big deal, but if I lose my planning period every day it means my own classes suffer (when do I get to go potty?!) and my stress level rises. We're supposed to complete a ridiculous amount of paperwork-type b.s. during the school day--not before school, not after school, but between 8 and 3. It just has to happen. Little fires have to be put out. On top of that, you're taking over another teacher's kids. They may not like that teacher, but they know him/her. It's like a toddler with a new babysitter--they are going to be on edge because they want their mommy/daddy back. It's necessary sometimes, but it's not a good system.

Then there are all the reasons for sick days: I have friends in public schools who have children. One couple has a child who came down with a life-threatening blood infection right before Christmas (at the school's daycare facility--one of the workers there actually died from it.) Now his parents, who are both teachers, have to alternate taking a week at a time off to care for him until he's well enough to not need round-the-clock care.

It's an extreme case, but every school has situations like that. A co-worker of mine was just diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Another has been called to serve on the grand jury several times, and two more have regular jury duty next week. Deployments. Flu. Pregnancy. Death in the family...it all adds up. Add that to the fact that we're in a closed-up building with kids coughing and sneezing on us all day long. We just pass germs back and forth all year.

But here's the kicker: I don't know any teacher who doesn't look at these "days off" without cringing and groaning. In November I had to miss a couple of half days for professional development type events. (And we're REQUIRED to do a certain amount of professional development to keep our certification!) It was more work to plan for and make up for the absence than it would have been if I were there. A "day off?" Hardly.

This isn't to say that the situation in Deland is a good one. I wouldn't be one of those 3 subs for love or money. That situation is hell for all involved. But think about it--even one class of 20 students who are left without structure are going to be frustrated. Multiply that by 10--10 sets of frustrated kids. You think they'll play kickball? I've subbed for some HUGE classes (band classes of 60-70) and it's a battle of wills to get them to watch a movie. They don't want some new person to tell them what to do. Even if they hate the class, it's better than the unknown.

Sick days happen.

 

[Bob]

at my wife's school it was standing room only in the clinic today. how many parents do you think stay home with a sick child? how many dump their kids at school with a fever, or worse?

 

[traderx]

What is the difference between a teacher and an educator?

 

[NoHall]

Personally I don't call in sick, but I only interact with computers not kids, and I can understand why a teacher might want a couple days off.

I addressed this in my epistle above, but believe me--we ABSOLUTELY look forward to Christmas break, spring break, long weekends, etc. But "a couple of days off" don't happen. Being absent is not a day off--it's being sick with the added stress of knowing your kids are miserable, a co-worker or sub is miserable, and you're going to have to bust your arse to make it up while you're still sick--as soon as you're well enough to stand up without passing out/throwing up/coughing up a lung/whatever. Last semester I taught for several weeks where my boys in every class (teenaged boys! insensitive jerks by nature!) would come in the room, look at me, and say, "Ma'am, are you sure you're okay today?" (It was flattering that the little bat-turds were on their best behavior when they knew I was sick. )

 

[NoHall]

at my wife's school it was standing room only in the clinic today. how many parents do you think stay home with a sick child? how many dump their kids at school with a fever, or worse?

You're not supposed to send a child to school, church, daycare, etc. with a fever. Those places will call you to come get a child with a fever because that indicates infectious illness. No fever, no vomiting, no problem.

But it happens. Again, I'm at a private school. They put known fevers in sick bay (military school) but everyone else goes to class. I had a kid walk outside today, throw up, and return. He didn't tell me until the end of class, bless his heart...