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Teachers (or anyone aware of their state's edu. issues)
Who else's state is in the middle of an education sh!tstorm?
I know there is a mess in Wisconson (although I'm not aware of the entire story- just basics). I know Detroit was a mess last year. What's going on now? Well, now I guess it's our turn.
The last number I heard was a $9.3 billion cut in educational funding statewide in order to deal with a budget shortfall. Our district is dealing with this by cutting 3100 teachers and teacher's assistants (among a ton of other stuff).
I'm just curious what else is going on. It amazes me that I am in the middle of a series of gifted trainings constantly telling us how we need to improve our quality of education since our country ranks so low worldwide. How do we improve it?? By cutting so many teachers that the state ratio becomes 35 to 1 and getting rid of all afterschool enrichment programming and technology initiatives. Makes sense to me.
Tell me... what else is happening out there?
Carter born 5/28/11
BFP 9/27/12 EDD 6/11/13, MC 9wks, no HB
Re: Teachers (or anyone aware of their state's edu. issues)
It makes me sick what's happening.
We're in the middle of a huge reform that our governor and superintendent of public instruction has deemed "Student's First." Well too bad it involves eliminating 3,100teaching jobs, gets rid of tenure, gives each 9th grader (statewide) their very own frickin laptop and requires them to take 4 online classes in high school. And wants to get rid of unions.
It's not saving any money... It's just directing it to the companies that the superitendent was given money by during his campaign. He's an idiot and it makes me so upset that he got elected. There's a huge uproar against the plan and we've had rallies and have really reached out to our legislator. However, we're podunk Idaho and we have the "good ole' boys" that have been elected officials for years and they control everything. It's not looking good right now.
Married
Taking Control:Updated 1/7
yep. 60. how about that.
oh also they're forcing out the states more experienced teachers into retirement because their wages are too $$ on account of how they have #1. been around long enough to know their ass from a hole in he ground, and #2. many of them received their masters degrees and are at a higher pay grade.
oh, and did i mention that many districts in michigan are doing away with special ed completely and adding those students into the mainstream classrooms without any kind of extra assistance (we're talking teachers who have NO experience with special education and helping students with different learning difficulties being made responsible for a set of students that they dont understand.)
not to mention there's a TON of shiz rolling out in Ohio, currently, except they dont have the same kind of bargaining that Wisconsin does, and Ohio is generally anti-union (for not very good reasons IMO, in fact i'm not sure the general population knows either. when i lived there everyone bought in to the stigma and horror stories about unions. i'd say "yea unions!" and even educators and my uber-liberal professors would get wide eyes and look at me like i just puked up a watermelon in tact.).
Amanda Williams Photography
60 students per class? That's crowd control, not education. I guess I heard about the 50% reduction last year. Is this ongoing or in addition to that? Detroit's 50% reduction was the talk of the lounge last year. We couldn't believe it.
They are shutting down several of our high schools based on budget projections for next year. One of the ones they are planning on closing is one of the top 5 high schools in the country. I guess I just don't get it.
Barrel- I can tell you that until you posted about your rally the other day, I had no idea Idaho was having issues. Wisconsin's union issues are all over the news. Maybe I should pay more attention... or is it being overlooked by national news?
And our governor wants to run for president. ::headdesk::
Carter born 5/28/11
BFP 9/27/12 EDD 6/11/13, MC 9wks, no HB
Married
Taking Control:Updated 1/7
Ohio is flucking things up too. A vote is going on at the Statehouse today to end collective bargaining for state employees (which effects a lot more than just teachers). The bill will require public employees to put 20% of the take home pay into the state retirement fund (which in Ohio is about as worthless as SS will be in 20 years) and healthcare will be changed.
It will change teachers' pay to be merit based, seniority will have no impact on your check. I'm not a teacher but my sister said that is the scariest part, you don't get to choose your students (obviously), it will all be based on test scores. And noone will be grandfathered in so your paycheck could be seriosly cut. blah.
On top of all this, the state is cutting funding to the schools next year. Several schools where I live (in the burbs not the city, the city schools have been having troubles forever) will still be cutting teachers, bussing, specials, and all after school programs, pay to play sports, etc. if they can't get their levys passed.
So glad my H is graduating with his Masters in teaching in June
Carter born 5/28/11
BFP 9/27/12 EDD 6/11/13, MC 9wks, no HB
Its one of the things that's trying to go through the Idaho legistlature too. It's really scary. I have a class with 5 non-English speaking students and the rest are from mainly broken homes and/or in foster homes. But the other 2 K teachers have "normal" classrooms. (Love the way the class lists were made!) I would get paid considerably less than them because their students do better on the tests. I would love for the government officials to come spend a day in my classroom, but obviously no one is interested in doing that.
Married
Taking Control:Updated 1/7