Chicago Teachers

[SixFive]

So you are saying a 5th grade teacher should get paid more because it is harder to teach in that enviroment? I believe a fifth grade teacher is lower in the hierarchy of teaching versus a college professer last time I checked. I guess you should start as a college professor and work your way down to first grade.
:lol:

I didn't say anything about pay did I? Being a college professor is simple; teaching school aged children is much more of a challenge. 1st grade teachers don't strive to move up to the second, third, fourth etc until they become a college professor. :facepalm: That's not how I works.

TU I don't agree with anybody in a vital position like teaching going on strike. If nurses went on strike, I would not participate because I think it's a vital job. I think that should preclude one from going on strike. People know what hey are going to make and benefits when they enter a field. It's not a mystery on orientstion day at a new job. If u don't like it, or if it's not enough pay, do something else. :shrug:

 

[saint]

Well that's the rub. How do you evaluate teachers? Basing it on standardized tests alone is not fair. Why should teachers pay for lack of parenting at home? But, there has to be some system to evaluate them.

 

[Jaxx]

This is a FB post by a friend of mine who teaches in WI.. Some of what he writes maybe why the teachers don't want to be evaluated in a certain light. At any rate it was the best post on FB to date.

Ed:

Well teaching is back in the news. A lot of opinions about education. Weird. I know nothing about medicine, law enforcement, fighting fires, or plowing streets. However, it seems most people know everything about my job. Anyway, what I want people to know (especially Romney and Obama who both don't have a clue about teaching) is that the scariest thing on the horizon for all educators is merit pay based on standardized tests. NOT BECAUSE WE ARE LAZY OR INCOMPETENT. I plan my lessons/units around the curriculum that is based on the state standards written by the brightest minds in the state. I link them to reading, writing, and math whenever possible. I plan them to highlight or showcase a students strengths like working with others or applying artistic abilities (just as an example). I incorporate a way to challenge their weaknesses not to humiliate them but for growth. I use humor as an attempt to entertain, I tie in technology to make it more relevant, and evaluate on the skills that have been identified by employers as necessary for a job in the 21st century. I always try to differentiate my lessons so that I hit four or five intelligences and at least two of the learning styles/modalities. But I still can't "make" a child recall information at such a success rate that they fill in all the right bubbles on a scantron sheet once a year. Even if my means of living depended on it.

This is what I strive to do everyday. It took years to get my lessons to this point and I'm still learning from my colleagues (that share because were are partners instead of competitors that want to steal your piece of the public school dollars pie). I promise to keep on learning. Redo everything I've built if another/better way comes along. It's called being a professional. Today's teachers are pretty good at it.

Good post. I do not believe in the pay based on standardized testing as well. To many factors such as placement. Its common sense the students under the same teacher would do better at an 'A' school here in Jax as apposed to an 'F' school. To the point most have an opinion on teaching the fact is everyone has gone to school and has seen what goes into teaching. Most have not fought fires or plowed streets. LOL

 

[fatdaddycool]

Make an average of 70k to work 9 months a year (which they should) and are pissing and moaning about being subject to an evaluation system!

What other job are you paid that income and not subject to some sort of system to evaluate performance? That's a dream job...good salary for 9 months a year and no accountability whatsoever!

Saint,
That is simply not true The core issues aren't pay and their accountability is already through the roof. First of all the city wants to base salary increases and hiring on standardized testing Along with this they want the evaluations to be done by the principal and to have those evaluations directly reflect their pay and employment. Let's look at that for a moment. Lets sat you're a fifth grade teacher and I am the principal. I know all the worst kids in the school and assign them to your class. They perform poorly, exactly like I had hoped, not because of you but because of their parents or their actual mental capabilities, guess what, this year I get to lower your pay and deny you a transfer. Next year I do the same thing only now I get to fire you and you have no recourse. Standardized testing on the west side isn't going to go as well as those on the north side so now it is a matter of geographic location. You can be the best teacher in the world and still be fired. How would you like it if your pay and job was based on your clienteles teeth and you work in an impoverished neighborhood taking medicaid while the guy living next to the richest folks gets paid top dollar and all his patients have kept up with their teeth.
Secondly, the city wants to forgo those teachers that are laid off and hire new unproven teachers at the lowest rate to teach at the new schools being built So Central High gets closed because they built a new school across the street. They lay you off and hire the kid straight out of college claiming that this is a new school therefore you have no recall rights. They also want the teachers length of day to be a mandatory 10 1/2 hours. In other words, they want them to work Saturday for free, or they want the ability to hire new teachers to cover the extended day while there are still hundreds of teachers on lay offs.

The point is there are certain principles of labor that are protected by workers rights and the city has continually pushed the limits of those principles for years and now for the first time in 26 years the teachers are fighting back.

Who the fuck here is qualified to say how much another professional should make?

I find it hysterical when someone says, "That's too much for a teacher," and get upset about that while oil companies, insurance companies, and CEO's garner unimaginable profits and they remain silent.


Sorry but you are dead wrong,

Hope that helps,
FDC

 

[vinnie]

Lewis said there was progress on the two most vexing issues - using student test scores to evaluate teachers and giving more authority to local principals to hire teachers.

The union is concerned that more than a quarter of its membership could be fired because the teachers work in poor neighborhoods where students perform badly on standardized tests, which Emanuel wants to use to evaluate teachers.

"This is really not a 'gotcha' evaluation system," Byrd-Bennett said. "It's to make sure we have a very high standard ... that will keep the very best teachers in front of our students every day."

Lewis said the union fears Emanuel plans to close scores of schools, putting unionized teachers out of work. In recent years about 100 public schools have been closed, with officials usually citing low enrollments. At the same time, a similar number of publicly funded, non-union charter schools have opened.

Both sides agree Chicago schools need fixing. Chicago students consistently perform poorly on standardized math and reading tests. About 60 percent of high school students graduate, compared with 75 percent nationwide and more than 90 percent in some affluent Chicago suburban schools.

The fight does not appear to center on wages, with the school district offering an average 16 percent rise over four years and some benefit improvements. Chicago schools already have a projected $665 million budget gap for the year that began in July, a key factor driving Emanuel's reforms.

More than 80 percent of Chicago public school students qualify for free school lunches because they come from low-income households.

"Teachers feel beaten down throughout the country," said Randi Weingarten, national president of the union including the Chicago teachers. "They feel beaten down because of austerity, because of test- rather than teacher-driven policies, because of a spike in poverty, because of the demand on them to do more with less - and then blame them when that doesn't work out."

"That's what's created all the frustration that you hear on the picket line," she said.

 

[hedgehog]

seriously???

you have a couple kids starting school soon and make that comment?

I do not have kids but the bus picks up and drops off right outside my house everyday and just watching these kids with absolutely no respect for authority, other peoples property and even their own parents ... teachers get my utmost respect :0074

seriously man, think sometimes before you start typing :nono:

equates to 87K per year :shrug: for a teacher? seriously

 

[fatdaddycool]

equates to 87K per year :shrug: for a teacher? seriously

Dude, two weeks ago when I said something about Mitt Romney and his offshore bank accounts, you responded with "What's wrong with someone making as much money as possible?" Now all of a sudden you are on the other side?
Really?

 

[Trampled Underfoot]

Dude, two weeks ago when I said something about Mitt Romney and his offshore bank accounts, you responded with "What's wrong with someone making as much money as possible?" Now all of a sudden you are on the other side?
Really?

I think the point hedgy is trying to make is that he never got 87K worth of education from a teacher so why should they be paid that much. On the former I agree. I'm sure he never did.

 

[Betone]

equates to 87K per year :shrug: for a teacher? seriously

How much do they pay you a year to tap your secretary Hedge :shrug:

 

[Trampled Underfoot]

How much do they pay you a year to tap your secretary Hedge :shrug:

....and to repo cars.

 

[Full court press]

It's pretty easy to be critical of teachers when one's educational process has obviously failed them.

 

[Wineguy]

I'm pretty sure whatever your salary is, if the average Teacher knew it and saw how you acted/spoke, they would say that is more than absurd.

:00011

 

[Mr. Poon]

:00011

Saw your question about my ATL trip, grab my email from Jack and shoot me a note.

 

[Mr. Poon]

It's pretty easy to be critical of teachers when one's educational process has obviously failed them.

:0055

 

[Wineguy]

It's pretty easy to be critical of teachers when one's educational process has obviously failed them.

:0002

 

[hedman]

It's pretty easy to be critical of teachers when one's educational process has obviously failed them.

Hey Hedgy, just in case your coloring book fails you this was a shot at your racist homophobic ass.

 

[Wineguy]

9 MONTHS WORK SHOULD GET YOU 9 MONTHS PAY, 70 GRAND IS ABSURD FOR A TEACHER

You sure have a great way about changing your ways. Way to go warthog.

Father of the year, putting down their future teachers. Can't you see him on his first Parent Curriculum Teacher night, either asking the other Dad's what their favorite strip club is, trying to pick up any teacher that will have him, then standing in front of the group telling the teacher he/she makes too much money.

:facepalm:

 

[hedgehog]

Dude, two weeks ago when I said something about Mitt Romney and his offshore bank accounts, you responded with "What's wrong with someone making as much money as possible?" Now all of a sudden you are on the other side?
Really?

city employees paid with tax dollars vs private company paid with profits there is a huge difference

 

[hedgehog]

teachers do not deserve to be paid equivalent of 87K per year, sorry...

 

[hedgehog]

How much do they pay you a year to tap your secretary Hedge :shrug:

:facepalm: