Is Spoiling Your Child Effecting Their Education?

At home parents are spoiling their young children and making it harder for teachers at school. It is always good to praise infants and young children but when do you know you’ve went to far? Teachers claim that the number of spoilt kids is increasing in schools and so is the misbehaving.“Little princes and princesses” are taking advantage of their parents’ kindness. They are spoilt and left for the teachers to deal with for the majority of the day. Teachers report that these students are the ones that believe that they don’t have to follow the basic classroom rules and don’t have to obey the teachers. Teachers have to deal with “low-level bad behavior” for example, shouting out in class, temper tantrums and refusal to follow basic classroom rules. Parents think that it’s cute until the child grows older. Most of the time they grow to be the classroom bully and/or aggressive and abusive in the home.

Some parents, especially adults with only one child, have difficulty saying no to their kid(s). To help Steve Sinnott, the boss of the National Union of Teachers, also known as NUT, called for a meeting to help the parents who have a hard time saying “no”. During this meeting, it was brought to the parents’ attention that some children want rules laid down or a form of discipline as a sign of security.

The spoilt children feel as if nothing is their fault and they shouldn’t be punished for anything. They also believe that they don’t have to do anything that bores them or is difficult to a certain extent. Some parents however don’t see anything wrong with this behavior and blame the teachers whenever the child is upset of angry.

Along this argument, the National Union of Teachers also suggest that qualified teachers should run nurseries. Their reason for this is because it would be easier and quicker for a teacher to recognize a student’s development problems and they would be able to take action sooner. General Secretary Steve Sinnott speaks against this saying that the most important thing for children at the nursery ages is to have fun and be open to a variety of ideas. He also says and warns that it would be the worst thing if a new early years curriculum became too “tick box”. A motion was presented saying that play is crucial to the child’s learning because it gives the child more confidence to learn.

By the year 2010, the government plans on making sure that Children’s Centres are lead by early years professionals. For example, Mr.Sinnott speaks that teachers at these levels would be highly skilled and able to use their professional judgement to spot development problems, which contradicts his earlier words. Most nurseries are staffed by low-paid workers who possess only basic qualifications, even though the nurseries are of high cost. The motion that I mentioned earlier stating that by the year 2010 all nurseries will be run by qualified teachers has been modified and has been applied to all government-funded Children’s Centres which offer nursery provision for 3-5 year olds. Hopefully, this will help eliminate the amount of spoilt children and “future bullies” 🙂

Here are some sources to check out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7311865.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7310615.stm

Is Spoiling Your Child Effecting Their Education?

At home parents are spoiling their young children and making it harder for teachers at school. It is always good to praise infants and young children but when do you know you’ve went to far? Teachers claim that the number of spoilt kids is increasing in schools and so is the misbehaving.“Little princes and princesses” are taking advantage of their parents’ kindness. They are spoilt and left for the teachers to deal with for the majority of the day. Teachers report that these students are the ones that believe that they don’t have to follow the basic classroom rules and don’t have to obey the teachers. Teachers have to deal with “low-level bad behavior” for example, shouting out in class, temper tantrums and refusal to follow basic classroom rules. Parents think that it’s cute until the child grows older. Most of the time they grow to be the classroom bully and/or aggressive and abusive in the home.

Some parents, especially adults with only one child, have difficulty saying no to their kid(s). To help Steve Sinnott, the boss of the National Union of Teachers, also known as NUT, called for a meeting to help the parents who have a hard time saying “no”. During this meeting, it was brought to the parents’ attention that some children want rules laid down or a form of discipline as a sign of security.

The spoilt children feel as if nothing is their fault and they shouldn’t be punished for anything. They also believe that they don’t have to do anything that bores them or is difficult to a certain extent. Some parents however don’t see anything wrong with this behavior and blame the teachers whenever the child is upset of angry.

Along this argument, the National Union of Teachers also suggest that qualified teachers should run nurseries. Their reason for this is because it would be easier and quicker for a teacher to recognize a student’s development problems and they would be able to take action sooner. General Secretary Steve Sinnott speaks against this saying that the most important thing for children at the nursery ages is to have fun and be open to a variety of ideas. He also says and warns that it would be the worst thing if a new early years curriculum became too “tick box”. A motion was presented saying that play is crucial to the child’s learning because it gives the child more confidence to learn.

By the year 2010, the government plans on making sure that Children’s Centres are lead by early years professionals. For example, Mr.Sinnott speaks that teachers at these levels would be highly skilled and able to use their professional judgement to spot development problems, which contradicts his earlier words. Most nurseries are staffed by low-paid workers who possess only basic qualifications, even though the nurseries are of high cost. The motion that I mentioned earlier stating that by the year 2010 all nurseries will be run by qualified teachers has been modified and has been applied to all government-funded Children’s Centres which offer nursery provision for 3-5 year olds. Hopefully, this will help eliminate the amount of spoilt children and “future bullies” 🙂

Here are some sources to check out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7311865.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7310615.stm

Does what you wear actully make a difference?

Today, I am going to be looking at the whole ideas of School Uniforms and what effect they have on the students. Will uniforms cut down on violence? Will they raise grade levels? Will a uniforms actually make a difference in what happens in, and relating, to schools? I plan on looking at both sides of this, but in my opinion, I do not think that a school uniform will drastically change anything. Most arguments for enforcing a law that would force public schools to use uniforms is the idea that it will bring down school violence, they will help grades, and it will help with discrimination and other issues at school. The arguments against the uniforms are that they really wont solve any of the problems that were mentioned above and they take away the creativity of the students.

The main arguments for the installment of uniforms in public schools are mainly focused on the issue of violence and grade levels in schools. Parents and teachers think that by making kids wear uniforms, that it will help decrease the number of violent acts in and around school. The driving idea behind uniforms cutting down on school violence is that it will take away from the gangs. Uniforms will mean that no one has to worry about wearing a certain gangs colors and risk getting attacked for it. People are also saying that uniforms will cut down the number of places you can conceal a weapon if you were to take it into school. Some people believe that if the Columbine students had been forced to wear uniforms, that the attack would not have happened.

‘The disaster at Columbine High School in Colorado a year ago revealed a dress code where students were permitted to wear trench coats, excessive jewelry and make-up, and eccentric hair styles and clothing. The Columbine incident alone stimulates argument that the lack of a dress code may affect the level of safety in a school. If students were not permitted to wear coats, it would be more difficult to conceal weapons. ‘

Another point for the uniforms is that it will raise up grades and help students. I, personally, do not understand this point. Why does what we wear have any effect on our grades? Some people think that if we all wear the same thing, our outfits won’t distract us from our work. I think that the idea of uniforms raising grades is ridiculous. I am with the people that say that uniforms will take away our freedom to express ourselves. That is wrong because in the public schools, that is one of the only things we have left. Our rights in schools are all ready limited and being able to wear what we want is our last thing that prolongs our individuality in our schools. What uniforms does is take a group of people and make them the same. You must dress the same, you must act the same, you are all forced to become just like your neighbor. That is not right. We were all made different and we should all be allowed to express that difference. The only way that we can do that in schools is by what we wear because the schools have all ready taken away our right to say what we want, they have taken away our right to do what we want, write what we want, and so on. As for the issue of violence being solved with uniforms, I don’t think that it will help. If you are in a gang and have an issue with another gang, a uniform is not going to stop you from using violence. This is a great example of a counter to the argument above about the Columbine shooting:

However, a statement could also be made that the incident at Columbine High would have happened anyway, with or without a mandatory dress code for its students.

This just illustrates the point that you don’t really know what is going to happen. If someone really wanted to commit an act of violence in a school, uniform or not, they would find a way. Uniforms won’t stop the violence, they will only cause a slight change in how the acts of violence are committed. So once again, I stand strong with the idea that students on public schools should not be forced to wear uniforms because they won’t raise grades, they won’t stop the violence, and they take away a students right to free expression.

http://muse.widener.edu/~egrozyck/EDControversy/Eppinger.html

http://712educators.about.com/cs/schoolviolence/a/uniforms.htm

http://www.adherents.com/misc/uniforms.html

http://www.gate.net/~rwms/UniformRay.html

http://life.familyeducation.com/violence/education-administration/41077.html

Teaching Religion and Teaching About Religion

Religion and education; the two have been controversially entwined through centuries. Many say combining the two in a public school goes against “separation of church and state”, while others say separating the two limits a child’s education, or goes against local culture. While views on the issue have drastically changed in the last century, it has always remained a highly controversial topic.

             State involvement has always been present in the issue, though it’s judicial role has drastically changed. In some places during the early 1900’s it was actually illegal to teach anything but creationism, or the belief that matter and all things were created, as they now exist, by an omnipotent Creator. The most infamous example of this was the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, in which teacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution in a Tennessee public school. In the last few decades that view has been completely turned around. Teachers can now face criminal charges for teaching religion as absolute truth in public schools. Often this is misinterpreted, causing educators to stay away from presenting religion at all, especially in science classes. It all comes down to how limiting the constitution is.             For simplicity, the conflict can be broken down into four major views, though it is important to realize this is a very complex issue and not everyone can fit in one of four places.

Exclusivist – those who believe that theirs is the only true religion, feel very strongly that their religion should be taught in the schools. Want their religion taught as truth. Some do not approve of religions other than theirs being taught on an equal basis to their own.

Inclusivist – those who believe that their religion is true but that some truth may be often found in other religions as well, want all major religions discussed in the schools, but want their religion to be given special treatment.

Pluralistic – those who believe that all religions are true when evaluated against their local culture. Feel that a truly education person needs to have some knowledge of all of the major world religions and belief systems. Some are concerned that, in practice, various teachers may teach one particular religion as truth.

Secularistic – those who believe that religion should not be taught in schools because attempts to do so often degenerate into indoctrination of the students with the beliefs of the dominant religion. Often Agnostics, Atheists, and Humanists, though a number identify with a specific religion.

            Religion is an important part of many people’s lives, but it is not the jobs of public school teachers to press any religious ideas on students. It is vital to teach about religion, but not teach religion itself. As the Supreme Court ruled on case in Santa Fe, CA, “School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to members of the audience who are nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community. ” It is important for students to understand the mechanics of world religions, how they’ve influenced history and sparked some of the biggest conflicts today. Comparative religion and history of religion classes obviously deal with faith, and in courses such as world history and American history it is imperative that religion is discussed and analyzed.  Even science classes should explore the different beliefs in creationism along side evolution. But these things need to be done without bias, without presentation as truth.

helpful links:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_pray.htm

 

http://www.project-aristotle.com/web/religion/schools.html

Is a girls education just as good as a boys?

We all know that education has never been equal with boys and girls. At one time it was just boys getting educated in schools. Even in America there have been times were education was not equal. Now in America, girls can get the same education as boys, but in some countries that is not the case. In earlier times, it was thought that women getting educated would lose their correct place in society.

In fact, receiving an education in the Victorian Period was considered an “act of nonconformity”. A woman could not fill her preordained place in society if she was wasting her time gaining knowledge. Education was thought to make women discontented with their current status, and possibly even irritated with men. Education for women was thought to disrupt the social balance of the time. On the contrary, the earliest push for Victorian women to become educated was because they were mothers of men and eventually teachers of men. It was not until the twentieth century that women began to desire knowledge for themselves as individuals.          -Women’s History Then & Now

In developing countries, it is even harder for girls to get an education. In large parts of Asia and Africa, school fees and the high price of transportation, uniforms, and school books keep millions of girls out of school. With some countries abolishing the school fees that parents have to pay, such as Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, there has been a rise in enrollment in school for girls. Reducing the distance children must travel to school is also critical because it both cuts down on the time children must spend away from home and alleviates parental concerns for the safety of their children, especially the girls, as they walk to and from school. In some countries, poor families often choose to send boys to school first especially if they cannot afford the school fees for all their children.

Sending girls to school may be clearly beneficial both for the girls themselves and their countries, but in most poor nations it is the parents who make the ultimate choice in schooling. Parents would rather have their daughters working for extra income for the family or just to help with the grueling requirements of life. They may also stay home to care for their ailing parents with HIV/AIDS.

There are also benefits to girls going to school. Those benefits include reducing women’s fertility rates, lowering infant, child, and maternal mortality rates, and increase women’s labor force participation rates and earnings. A girl with an education is more likely to use reliable family planning methods, delay marriage and childbearing, and have fewer and healthier children. Also, women with more formal education are more likely to seek medical care, ensure their children are immunized, be better informed about their children’s nutritional requirements, and adopt better sanitation practices. They also tend to have better knowledge about health care practices. Education has been proven to increase income for wage earners and increase productivity for employers, yielding benefits for the community and society.

Girls education and the promotion of gender equality in education are vital to development, and policies and actions that do not address gender disparities miss critical development opportunities.

While progress on girls education is being made, most experts agree that not enough is being done. Changing policies, like eliminating school fees is part of the answer, but without more money for teachers, buildings and books, millions of children–boys and girls–will be doomed to lives of illiteracy and poverty.  

“It’s everybody’s business to get girls into school now because it is their lives and the lives of their children,” said Rima Salah, deputy executive director of UNICEF, at the U.N. panel on girls education, “Education is the most effective investment for development.”          -Women in Higher Education

Here are the links for the information used:                                                                          http://www.wihe.com/$spindb.query.showwhat2.wihe.35                                      http://www.globalenvision.org                            http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/education.shtml                                     http://web.worldbank.org

Military Superpower, Academically Underpowered

            The U.S. has established itself as one of the most powerful countries in the world for over sixty years, starting with the conclusion of the Second World War. In the 80’s America established itself as a superpower, beating Russia in the arms race. Today we still compete with many nations on military and economic levels. But one must ask how long this will go on. Results are starting to suggest that the younger generations of American students are falling way behind the academic standards in most countries.

            For the longest time, Finland has held some of the smartest students in the world. They have about an hour of homework each night, and are on a first name basis with their teachers. They have no valedictorians or classes for gifted students. Quite a contrast to the ridged cast structure the U.S. calls its education system. Classes are built to fit the students. No one moves on until every student learns the lesson, the kids who finish early helping the slower learners. It basically boils down to responsible students and well-trained teachers. Much of this is said to come from the Socialist government of Finland, who also provides book packets it families with children and collage. But this argument is no longer as valid, as many new countries are stepping up to the academic plate.

            When it was Finland was at the top, it wasn’t such a concern. But now that our K-12 students are being outperformed academically by China and India, the two highest populated countries in world, it is cause for serious concern. Combined with two of the fastest growing economies and cultures that embrace intellectual challenge, the U.S. is headed for a future that it can’t keep up with. Its important to realize that India and China have a combined population of 2.3 billion people and will have an enormous educated workforce in the years to come. All three countries are producing highly trained, competitive and motivated students. Among most international ranks, the United States falls in the C range. So what happens once the next generations of businessmen come to power? Are we going to be able to keep up? I think we need to stop forcing all the standardization. Plans for our educational system needs to focus on the learning of individual groups of students. It’s impossible to lump all students together on one test form.

Some helpful links:

http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/chat/chat224.shtml

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120425355065601997-7Bp8YFw7Yy1n9bdKtVyP7KBAcJA_20080330.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

America’s Streamlining Math @ Mediocre Levels

Compared to other students worldwide, it is sad to say that American students has a mediocre level in streamlining math. The federal panel suggests that math curriculums from pre-school to eight grade be simplified to focus specifically on key skills to prepare the upcoming students to learn algebra. The key skills mentioned were certain aspects of geometry and measurements and the handling of whole numbers and fractions. The panel has taken this advice and has released a report on Thursday laying out specific goals for students on a agenda. The report includes such things as by the end of 3^rd grade students should be excellent in addition and subtraction of whole numbers and by the end of 5^th grade they should be excellent in multiplying and dividing them. It also states that by the end of 6^th grade not only should they be proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers they should also be capable to apply these steps with fractions and decimals. In a report from the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, appointed by President Bush 2 years ago states that after reaching middle school and late middle school, around 7^th and 8^th grade, and beginning or experiencing algebra the mathematics achievements in the U.S. began to decline. Some may say that this is also in part of the parent’s involvement also. Parents and teachers have long debated about the techniques used to properly teach a student. One technique is the drilling technique. In this technique the child is taught how to solve the problem and then drilled on remembering them, opposed to the second technique that emphasizes student exploration and conceptual understanding, more or less; hands-on learning. Both sides agree that the students should learn for life-long knowledge not for the time being, making neither better than the other. Math is a very hard subject to understand therefore both methods should be intertwined for better understanding, says the chairman of the panel, Dr. Larry R. Faulkner. “In the language of cognitive science, working memory needs to be predominately dedicated to new material in order to have a learning progression, and previously addressed material needs to be in long-term memory,” he said.

The panel took a look at an influential 2006 report by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and they agree that fewer topics should be included and more time should be spent on each topic. This will help the students receive more understanding and depth, making it easier to remember, therefore it would not have to be revisited in later grades. Supporting this decision, $5 billion in federal grants was promoted to increase reading proficiency.

Sources used: *http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/education/12cnd-math.html?_r=1&ei=5087&em=&en=f5b45df29da96ca4&ex=1205553600&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

*http://www.topix.com/forum/news/2008-presidential-election/TJG20E9VJU5TT0PD9

Private vs Public: What College is right for you?

College is always a big step on peoples lives. In some cases it is when you pack up and move out of your house: the first taste of independence. For others, college is just moving onto harder levels of school. No matter what, it is a major change in your lives. Most people have a good grasp on what they want to go into as a profession by the time they leave high school. Some people know what they want to be when they are 6 years old, others it takes a little longer to figure out what you really want to do for the rest of your life. Once you have some clue as to what you want to go into, it comes time to choose a college. It may not seem that bad, but there are a lot of choices you have to make. One very important choice is do you want to go to a private or public college or university? This blog entry will be looking at both the advantages and benefits of public and private, as well as the disadvantages of either.

First off, what is a public college and what is a private college? A public college is an academic institution financed primarily by tuition, endowments and state or local taxes. Tuition for in-state students is reduced and programs and policies are state-regulated. In other words, it is a college that the state owns. It is also a college that is easier to get into and if the college that you are looking at is in the same state that you live, you get better benefits. A private college is an academic institution financed primarily by tuition and endowments. This means that the state does not own it and it is harder to get into. Just looking at these definition, it does not seem like there are that many differences, but you would be wrong.

There are many differences when it comes to public or private, I am really going to focus on 3 main ones. The first on is price. Prices for every college vary, but there is a notable difference when it comes to public colleges and private colleges. A private college is more likely to be on the more expensive side compared to a public college. Almost all private colleges have the same tuition price.The average price for a private college is about $30,360 a year now vs the price of a public college which is about $15,836. That is a major difference of about $14,000. BUT even if private colleges are more expensive, don’t rule them out as an option for you yet. Because private college are more expensive, they are more likely to give you financial aid packages that help you out even more. So when looking at a college, make sure to look at the financial aid packages because they could make the private colleges more of an option for you.

Another difference between private colleges and public colleges is the atmosphere on campus and off it. If you were to go to a private college, then the community that you would be in would be very close knit. Your teachers would know you by name, just like they would know your friends by name. If you like working in smaller groups and enjoy that close knit community, then a private college is right up your ally.On the other hand, a public college might be more what you are looking for. A public college offers larger groups of people. You will not know everyone that goes to school with you, and if you get a thrill from that big city lifestyle and living then a public college is the way for you to go.

The third aspect of colleges that is very important to look at when choosing between public or private colleges is living. When I say living, I mean the sports, sororities and fraternities, dorms, and stuff like that. If you were to look at a public college, the living style is much different then it is at a private college. Dorm life at a public college is more like small apartments. Also, freshmen are allowed to choose what dorm they would prefer. Private colleges, not all but most, don’t let the incoming freshmen chose where they want to stay because they don’t want them to be overwhelmed with all of the choices they must make. Private colleges also don’t have any sororities or fraternities usually. Both public and private have sports, though it is usually a bigger part of life for public colleges then it is for private.

So there are many things to take into consideration when choosing a college. I hope that this has helped out when it comes to choosing between a public or private college. Though there are many differences between private and public colleges, there are also similarities. Just remember, find the college that is right for you.

A special thanks to:

http://www.essortment.com/family/collegesprivate_svsf.htm

http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/24/pf/college/college_costs/index.htm

http://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/mhs/Academics/Guidance/Junior/colvocab.html

Advanced Placement: What’s all the fuss?

Each year, hundreds of thousands of high school students take the College Board’s Advanced Placement courses. Their aims are to receive college credit, to skip introductory courses in college or impress admissions officials. A reasonable schedule might be to take one AP class in the sophomore year, two in the junior year, and two or three in the senior year. Most students aspiring to the very best colleges and universities graduate with five or more AP courses on their transcripts.

Advanced Placement classes are college level courses using college textbooks and exams. They are also a preview of college-level work. If anyone had any doubts about doing well in college, an AP course can confirm them or set their mind at ease. The classes are more challenging and stimulating, but they take more time and require more work. They require a lot of reading, writing and problem sets. Selective colleges use student’s enrollment in the program as an indicator of whether applicants have taken the most challenging courses available to them.

There are benefits to taking AP classes. You can earn some college credit while still in high school. The amount of credit that is awarded depends on the college. Some give three, and sometimes six hours of credit per test. They could also save you a lot of time and money. They can give you an edge in the applicant pools of highly selective colleges and universities. Taking the exam cost approximately $75, that’s a lot cheaper than paying for a class in college. You can’t take a college class for that amount of money. Students who succeed in AP courses generally do well in college as a result of rigorous academic preparation.

If you are taking AP courses specifically to reduce the amount of credits you’ll have to take once in college, or to have specific classes “waived” during your freshman year, be aware that every college treats these classes differently. Taking AP English does not necessarily get you out of taking English 101 at a particular school. Not every college will promise an exact equivalency between the AP course you take and a specific class necessary to graduate–or even an elective, for that matter. Two things to remember. First, at most colleges the faculty (not the admissions office) decide how an AP course is treated in light of all credits needed to graduate. Ask the college department that seems the most likely to review the AP course (History, Math, etc.). Second, most colleges now have a common first-year experience, many with a predetermined set of core classes all freshman must take.          -College Confidential

The exams for the AP course are taken in May. The College Board doesn’t require that you have to take the course in order to take the AP exam, even though students who take the course tend to score higher than students who don’t take the course. The College Board urges students who have not taken the course but plan to take the AP exam to study the kinds of skills and subjects outlined in the Course Description for each subject.

The scores for the exams range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. Each college determines the scores that are accepted for college credit, but most consider a score of at least 3. Some students might wonder if getting a bad score on an AP exam will hurt their chances of college admission, but it doesn’t really matter. If you take an AP exam in your senior year, colleges wouldn’t even receive your score before July. Overall, approximately two-thirds of all AP test takers get a score of at least 3.

Overall, taking an Advanced Placement course depends on the student. It could help you get into the school of your dreams. If you want to take the class, go for it. You might benefit from it in the long run.

Here are the links to the websites for the information used: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about_faq.html   http://professorlamp.com/ed/TEA/AP.html              http://www.ncpa.org/iss/edu/2002/pd021502b.html            http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/atd_AP_classes.htm               

Teachers Need More Than Just Apples

Let’s face it; the educational system we use is the mold for who will lead us tomorrow. Students are the hope for solving our problems of today: inflation, climate change, international relations. It makes sense, that with so much being placed on their shoulders, laws are being passed that require students to learn more, remember more, and analyze more. So wouldn’t it be important that students are taught well; important to understand that those who teach students are one of the most vital components of the whole process? Wouldn’t it make sense to insure, with all these new mandates, that these teachers are sufficiently provided for to teach students. Despite the seemingly simple logic here, educators are still getting the short end of the stick.

            Many schools throughout the nation are falling on financial problems, and commonly its teachers who take the worst of it. Students benefit from going on field trips, working hands-on, and listening to speakers, the physical interaction broadening their scope of leaning. But all these things cost money, and funding has come up short. Teachers are pushed more and more to provide these things right from their pocket. Unfortunately, this gets expensive due to high inflation and economic recession. The cost of living has gone up, while salaries for teachers have not kept pace. A decade ago teachers received a pay raise of 6% every year, which dropped to 3%, and has moved to nothing in recent years. Teaching positions have never been considered exceptionally high paying jobs, but this was offset by good benefits (health care, retirement, ect.). But that has been attacked recently as well. Some teachers are paying four times as much for prescriptions, medical exams, treatments, and insurance premiums. 

            On top of the financial pressure teachers are often used as scapegoat, getting blamed for a child’s problems. They deal with students who have social and academic issues, and are often held responsible by parents. Some issues that cannot be treated, and some do come from inept teachers, but for the most part these parents need to look at themselves and ask what they can do for their child as well. Instead of blaming a teacher, who often has to worry about over a hundred kids simultaneously, they should assist and encourage their students in whatever way possible at home. Parents, administrators, and the media constantly attack teachers. Is it more often you hear the press present the story the few teachers who make mistakes, or the hundreds of thousands who really care about what they do and do it well? Everyone should take a step back and take a second to truly appreciate the difference educators make in our daily lives. 

           

Most the information above was from an interview with a middle school teacher in a Michigan suburb who has thirty years experience in secondary education.

 

 Other sources were taken from CNN’s Education feed and articles which can be found at http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080224/BUSINESS/802240531/0/FRONTPAGE http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/EDIT07/802240379