Rewarding Talented Teachers

There is light at the end of the tunnel, just not at the end we're headed toward!

The talk of "getting parents involved" and of getting "talented teachers" involved is mostly hot air. The steps needed to achieve both are known and understood, but run counter to current PC values. So, they will not be taken, and instead we'll spend billions on 3rd and 4th tier 'solutions', that have some small utility, but which will not produce significant improvements.

Here's a simple fact: working in today's 'difficult' classrooms is an unbelievably stressful job. Dealing with children who have no concept of respect of others and who do not value learning is difficult. Doing so when there are no 'carrots' OR 'sticks' available which consistently restrain student mal-behavior makes it a miserable, miserable job.

Every teacher knows this, though many are in 'denial' when it comes to systemic issues.

Even if the US weren't already on the verge of national bankruptcy, the amount of tax money needed to pay salaries large enough to keep 'talented' teachers in such classrooms would result in monetary collapse in just a few years. 'Talented' teachers can move to schools where the problems are not so severe, and so they do. The teachers who remain are those who can't move.

But, even if it were possible to put thousands of talented teachers in difficult clasrooms, it wouldn't be enough.

The most talented teacher in the world cannot consistently turn children who are physically and sexually abusive toward each other into effective learners and productive citizens. And without punitive measures that have long been rejected, even the most talented teachers cannot protect those students who want to learn from those aggressive and abusive students who do not.

There's gotta be a solution!

And there is. But it's just not one that is acceptable to the power groups that control the process.

GaHillBilly of GA 7:40AM December 29, 2009