ReTHUGS are scum -Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?

[malaise]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/education/03teacher.html
<snip>
The jabs Erin Parker has heard about her job have stunned her. Oh you pathetic teachers, read the online comments and placards of counterdemonstrators. You are glorified baby sitters who leave work at 3 p.m. You deserve minimum wage.

“You feel punched in the stomach,” said Ms. Parker, a high school science teacher in Madison, Wis., where public employees’ two-week occupation of the State Capitol has stalled but not deterred the governor’s plan to try to strip them of bargaining rights.

Ms. Parker, a second-year teacher making $36,000, fears that under the proposed legislation class sizes would rise and higher contributions to her benefits would knock her out of the middle class.

There are signs of a backlash in favor of teachers. A New York Times poll taken last week found that by nearly two to one — 60 to 33 percent — Americans opposed restricting collective bargaining for public employees. A similar majority — including more than half of Republicans — said the salaries and benefits of most public employees were “about right” or “too low.”

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Where is that racist piece of scum Pat Buchanan? He was spinning away last week that teachers earn $100,000.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Most of the mouth breathers make less than teachers and perhaps the reason for the scorn, ENVY

[MedleyMisty]

4. Wow, that's not prejudiced or classist at all

[quaker bill]

2. One would hope this isn't news to teachers.

Repugs have been all about trashing schools and teachers since the Reagan Revolution, and got started during Nixon's Southern Strategy.

[Gman]

3. Again, there's that 30% that are confirmed nuts

it is so consistent from year to year. That 30% is the "majority" that the GOP often refers to. In their minds, that is.

[liberal N proud]

5. Propaganda works and it always has a horrific effect

Propaganda is only used to pollute facts and drive public opinion against your enemy, the right wing has used propaganda so successfully in so many cases that so many are misinformed.

If you have the truth, you have only facts and in a propaganda war, the facts get buried.

[bluetex]

6. Why the scorn?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact most 8th Graders can't read. Or do math. Or that most high school graduates don't have a clue what our Founding Fathers stood for. Nor possess the ability to write an intelligent sentence. Or maybe it's because many students think free enterprise is evil.........and socialism is good. Despite the fact they can't give a credible explanation of either.

Our school system is incompetent. We're tired of paying for incompetence.

Why the scorn? She fears the loss of "contributions" to her benefits. Does she know who's "contributing"? She doesn't seem to understand her neighbors.....struggling to pay their OWN medical insurance.....don't feel they should pay HERS. Too. When her neighbor complains about the extra burden? She and her pals walk out of the classroom, leaving students stranded....demanding her neighbors cough up the extra bucks.

Anyone who wonders about these things...... ought not be in a classroom teaching ANYthing.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Actually, it's the fault of Republicon parents, as everyone knows

The Republicons and their issue are too busy being dumbed down by Fox propaganda, and so arise the conditions you so pathetically lament -- and wrongly blame on teachers.

Shut off your Fox Propaganda Box (R) and smell the INTELLIGENCE.

[malaise]

9. Well said

:fistbump:

[bluetex]

10. The issue

Is an education system which does not deliver the product the "customers" are paying for.

If it were your grocery store, or your automobile dealer....would you feel inclined to continue to pay for an inferior product?

[SpiralHawk]

11. You are right on that. I long ago cut the cable, refusing to pay for Fox propaganda (R)

Republicon lies and spin are not worth a penny. You damn sure correct on that.

[w8liftinglady]

14. Do you go to Walmart, neighbor? Enough said.

[malaise]

15. Education is not a product n/t

[trotsky]

18. Gee, so let's pay teachers LESS - that'll fix things!

WTF man.

[PA Democrat]

22. Poor analogy.

Parents provide the "raw material" of their children at the age of 5. There are large differences in the readiness skills of kids entering kindergarten, and kids who score higher on readiness tests have a much greater probability of overall school success. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between income and school readiness.

Another important factor is the parents' attitude toward education and their involvement in their kids education.

Good teachers are an important component in school success, but they can't do the job alone.

[SharonAnn]

13. It's possible that the problem could be the parents? Just maybe possible?

Teachers are earning their benefits as part of their pay. All their benefits are compensation for their work. Just like private industry workers get their benefits as part of their pay. In private industry, they have transferred a portion of their cost to the workers, but it's a small portion. And, in the private sector, equivalent jobs are paid better than in the public sector.

Teachers have the children for a small portion of the year. Why should they be accountable for 100% of the child's performance?

Where are the parents?

In my area, East Tennessee, in a major city area, there are large numbers of parents who don't value education and, not surprisingly, their children don't perform well.

[liskddksil]

20. Maybe if teachers had the time to actually teach things

like civics, the arts, history, science instead of the endless hours of mindless test prep that their job security will now depend on, we wouldn't have that problem.

[Badfish]

12. "ReTHUGS are scum"

unless they are family members , then we call em 'loved ones'

[malaise]

17. Anyone who is denigrating teachers

is scum.

[Badfish]

19. I agree.

but most here don't.

[bluetex]

23. Parents

Is your position, then.....because the parents won't help the teachers do their jobs....the job can't be done to a satisfactory minimum standard?

How do you explain the kids who come from terrible home environments, excel....and go on to great things?


By minimum standards....I mean the ability for high school graduates to perform simple math equations, proper use of grammar, sentance structure and a basic understanding of history.



Bonus Question: Why is Dr. Seuss' birthday more relevant in education today....than George Washington's? JFK's?

[Liberal In Texas]

16. I think the end game is to have public education

decimated to the point where large classes are taught by underpaid low qualified teachers. Public students would graduate with only basic reading and math skills suitable enough for menial or service jobs. A large part of the teachers responsibility would be to make sure that the day passes without any major bedlam in the classroom. Emphasis on sports and perhaps "industrial arts" (which would offer training in fast-food and retail.)

The wealthy class would send their children to much better schools supported by vouchers and tax breaks from the government. The vouchers, of course, would not be so great as to allow the lower classes to send their kids to these better schools. The emphasis would be prep classes for Business Administration and Finance. And of course, fundamentalist christian religion and creationism would also be taught.

[malaise]

21. Pretty much

that's the path to Rove's permanent majority.
They will lose - the rich will pay their taxes.

[Liberal In Texas]

24. I hope you are right. n/t

[City of Mills]

25. Education is dangerous, it is screwing up the corporate agenda

An educated population is a negative, people who are taught to think and learn about their rights are problematic and unproductive.

Schools are worthless these days; most of the knowledge imparted into young people today is virtually useless and impractical, and does little to prepare them for the menial tasks corporations need them to perform. For far too long, China has stolen our manufacturing base. We have only ourselves to blame, by pressuring corporations for higher wages and benefits, we have effectively forced them to move elsewhere to stay competitive. When we finally break through wage floors and undercut Chinese workers' wages, the corporations (and thousands of jobs!) will return to America. Wouldn't that be great?

The entire education system needs to be dismantled; the buildings can be repurposed as job training centers for our children. What does someone on an assembly line need to know about history, sociology or mathematics? Humanities? Please. "Liberal" Arts? It's like welfare for teachers! We need to be instructing our youth in fine motor skills and physical endurance. That way, each successive generation of American children will have an advantage over our foreign competitors, who will be unable to produce goods as quickly and efficiently as us.

[bluetex]

26. Most of the knowledge imparted into young people today...

What "knowledge" would that be....at the public school level?

Many "graduates" can't read, write or perform simple mathematic equations. Perhaps we differ on what "knowledge" is?


RE: the OP:

The young teacher referenced in the article can't understand the "scorn". I'll help her. 'Cause the folks paying the bills don't feel they are getting their money's worth. It's not personal.

Some here feel the MAIN cause is a lack of parental involvement in the child's educational experience. OK....


IF Ms. Parker can't educate little Johnny or Jane to an acceptable level for 36K/year.....how would paying her more money help to achieve this goal? If the problem truly is lack of parental involvement....how is paying her more money gonna' get momma or daddy more involved in the process?

[reformist2]

27. Repugs will say or do ANYTHING to keep more money in their pockets.

Of course, this doesn't explain why their rank and file parrot the talking points. They're motivated by envy and hatred, I'm afraid.

[malaise]

28. Article being discussed on M$NBComcast right now n/t