I HATE NCLB...our district is suffering and now we teachers have taken another it We have lost 125.

[greenbriar]

monthly that we were given as a bonus to teach in very high poverty schools


additionally we did not get a raise but also we do NOT get to move on our tract schedule


so all in all I have lost about 500 bucks a month due to the economy and NCLB


the sad thing is, some of that money I used to spend to bring hands on activities in my classroom so the kids can actually experience things as opposed to reading about it

projects like making soap
Panning for Gold

taking a "Lewis and Clark" expedition


those are extra expenses that made learning fun, but My bills are not being cut so I don't know if I will be able to fund those type of activities out of my pocket

[MichiganVote]

1. Not to mention what will happen to health care costs.

[greenbriar]

2. oh yea our cost is also going to rise, but we have yet to be told how much

the sad thing is, some of that money I used to spend to bring hands on activities in my classroom so the kids can actually experience things as opposed to reading about it

projects like making soap
Panning for Gold

taking a "Lewis and Clark" expedition


those are extra expenses that made learning fun, but My bills are not being cut so I don't know if I will be able to fund those type of activities out of my pocket

[MichiganVote]

5. Well it might be possible if you can garner the supplies from the parents but if you're

in the low income range that's usually not possible. Its getting so that school teachers will need a particular company to sponsor their class....hey maybe you'll have to put up advertising in the classroom.

I feel your pain. I was laid off last year, called back by the hair of my chinny chin chin...but after this year...doubtful.

[KDFW]

3. Everyone must be treated equally under the law but not everyone can be made equal

in every way. Ignoring that is why NCLB is a failing concept. It's a well-meaning exercise in futility.

[YvonneCa]

13. It's not well-meaning. You've been...

...mislead. ;)

[KDFW]

14. I may have been misled but I was willing to be charitable.

What do you think was the motivation for NCLB? I really don't know.
edit: I'm not an 'educator' in contemporary vernacular, I absolutely am one in the classical sense.
:-)

[YvonneCa]

21. I only have guesses. On my charitable days...

...like you...I think it was well-intentioned, but not well-funded. Sometimes I think politicians just tired of complaints from business about the quality of their workers and they had to put the blame somewhere and try something. I guess I can understand that. But that promoted an environment that looked to place blame and scape-goated teachers.

On my more paranoid days :7 I wonder if it was a plot to end public schools altogether. ??

[greenbriar]

22. I think your last few words hit the nail on the head

additionally if you want to test kids, track them

it is not fair to test the same grade levels every year and expect better results...

each class of students is different as is their circumstance

just doesn't make sense

[YvonneCa]

24. I agree with all of that. So you think I should just go with...

...the paranoia? :7

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. They are laying off Social Studies teachers in my district

[greenbriar]

10. we are down to 1 SS teacher per grade level while Math and LA get 3

and they get a "learning coach" to help them plan and get resources for them

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. We don't test SS in MO; do you test it in KS?

[greenbriar]

17. 8th grade is starting to test

we piloted it last year and it goes into the program this year

[BeHereNow]

6. Any way you can get a Special Ed credential?

It's about the ONLY safe job in education these days-
No one wants to do it and the projected need vs. those preparing for it,is astronomical.
BHN

[greenbriar]

8. I have a master's in sped

and figure I will end up teaching it before my career is over

I just love doing what I do and feel I inspire kids to actually like history

[BeHereNow]

12. You've got job security then...

And there are some wonderful History materials out
there for Special Ed classes!
I love those kids and they enjoy learning History too!
BHN

[Tim01]

7. So considering NCLB, what do you do with kids who refuse to participate?

In my school district there was rampant cheating in order to make the goals.

[2Design]

9. at least you have health care - do sometype of fund raiser - or

get on tv or something to bring money in to cover it - have the kids write letters to rich people

[dsc]

11. We had a 0.5% reduction in our annual pay taken from one check

our last one before the summer. We also aren't getting our step this year and no raise. We have had several teaching positions cut. It is downright scary.

[greenbriar]

15. somewhere in the news article that talked about the termination of the bonus said it saved 18 princi

admin jobs and added several elementary teaching positions...

so elem teachers can have class sizes of no more than 15 but SS and Science teachers can have class sizes of 30+

[Are_grits_groceries]

18. Anna Quindlen once said that NCLB was really

"No child left untested."

[Hannah Bell]

19. nclb is designed to turn every school into a "failing" school.

[elehhhhna]

25. yep, so privatisation can do to schools what it's done to medical care

[Catshrink]

20. Our salaries were cut about 13%, we think.

the final numbers aren't in yet. We were able to hire back 8 of the 13 teachers that were riffed last spring so that's good.

So, the Leg. slashed education funding. This is how that cut ripples out into the rest of the state's eocnomy: I've stopped my daily newspaper (only subscribe to Sunday now), reduced my cable/internet/landline package to a lower level (no Nat. Geo. or Science channel :( ), increased my insurance deductibles, dropped XM radio, and cut the yard guy back to every two months (it's hard for me to handle the heavy tree/hedge trimming). So the local newspaper loses money, my insurance agent loses income, the yard guy loses income. Multiply that by 10,000 teachers in the area and the ripple effect becomes significant.

Meanwhile... the district has cut supply funds so the parents will have to pick up the slack. I will not buy supplies out of my own pocket this year. Most of the students in my school come from affluent families who make considerably more than I do. They can bring their own pencils, Kleenex, paper, etc. I'm still livid about one parent who, when learning that athletic fees were being increased, suggested that we instead use the money the district paid for employees' insurance to cover that expense. Right lady. You want to take my medical insurance because you don't want to pay for your kid to play football -- stick it in your Lexus.

[donco6]

23. Pay freeze here - no steps, lanes, base.

All staff.

The state has a constitutional mandate to increase our funding by inflation plus 1%, so they did that, but they are making the district's set aside HALF of that because they're going to take it back in the new year. It's all an end-run around the constitution.