If You can read this, thank a teacher!

Diva · 04-22-2010, 04:25 AM

For the past couple of days, I've been hearing some mighty scary news reports about the laying off of our teachers.

Having just lived through that extravaganza, this hits really close to home, but my main concern is the WHY is this happening.

Here are the things I know after watching the Anderson Cooper 360 report early this morning....

There is a possibility that between 100,000 ~ 300,000 teachers will be laid off at the end of this school year.

Let that sink in.

Cities and states mentioned (um, hellz yeah, I took notes!) were Cleveland (I didn't get the number there, but it was too high), CA (23,000), IL (20,000), New York (20,000) and even here in Austin, several hundred jobs are on the chopping block!

Where is the TEACHER BAILOUT? Or the Districts bailout? AND........isn't one of the big 'arguments' FOR the legalization of the Lottery is to beef up our education funding?

Right.

So enter former Superintendent of Chicago Schools, now the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.....and he is "pressing" for the passing of an Emergency Jobs Legislation for school districts.

Pressing.

Why isn't he ~ and HASN'T he been kicking and screaming.

Now don't get me wrong...I don't believe that tossing money in the main direction of any superintendent's offices are the cure. I taught for over 30 years and have seen & heard it all. There are bad teachers in our schools who are only there because they have seniority or tenure. Principals sometimes look the other way and plug up their ears.

But why is this issue JUST NOW coming to light? Like the market, this has been going on for a while.

I'm venting of course. I don't have a solution. But I am distressed about it. Distressed enough to start a thread to see if this is of concern to anyone else......

Thanks!

~Diva

04-22-2010, 04:25 AM	#1
Diva Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Diva Preferred Pronoun?: Diva Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chez Diva Posts: 11,879 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,263 Thanked 17,174 Times in 5,239 Posts Rep Power: 0	If You can read this, thank a teacher! For the past couple of days, I've been hearing some mighty scary news reports about the laying off of our teachers. Having just lived through that extravaganza, this hits really close to home, but my main concern is the WHY is this happening. Here are the things I know after watching the Anderson Cooper 360 report early this morning.... There is a possibility that between 100,000 ~ 300,000 teachers will be laid off at the end of this school year. Let that sink in. Cities and states mentioned (um, hellz yeah, I took notes!) were Cleveland (I didn't get the number there, but it was too high), CA (23,000), IL (20,000), New York (20,000) and even here in Austin, several hundred jobs are on the chopping block! Where is the TEACHER BAILOUT? Or the Districts bailout? AND........isn't one of the big 'arguments' FOR the legalization of the Lottery is to beef up our education funding? Right. So enter former Superintendent of Chicago Schools, now the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.....and he is "pressing" for the passing of an Emergency Jobs Legislation for school districts. Pressing. Why isn't he ~ and HASN'T he been kicking and screaming. Now don't get me wrong...I don't believe that tossing money in the main direction of any superintendent's offices are the cure. I taught for over 30 years and have seen & heard it all. There are bad teachers in our schools who are only there because they have seniority or tenure. Principals sometimes look the other way and plug up their ears. But why is this issue JUST NOW coming to light? Like the market, this has been going on for a while. I'm venting of course. I don't have a solution. But I am distressed about it. Distressed enough to start a thread to see if this is of concern to anyone else...... Thanks! ~Diva Last edited by Diva; 04-22-2010 at 04:28 AM.