I could say a lot that Loth said. It was on difficult child's supply list to bring soap, tissues, and paper towels for every year in elementary school. But I wouldn't give you a dime for the principal and most the teachers in that school. That's why I'm advising someone else here to stand up now while she has a good shot.
Anyway, I don't know as much about the sd politics as I wish I did but I heard that "bad" teachers sstarted getting in the system after the No Child Left Behind went into effect. I don't know if that's just a political spin- I do believe that our kids needed more attention in getting thru school because too many were (and still are) slipping thru the cracks. But like many wonderful ideas and policies and laws, by the time they get delegated to the lower person on the totem pole and the way they play out in reality doesn't always make things better. difficult child has had a few really great teachers, a few that I thought were ok, and some that I didn't think should ever be teaching any student. What I'd heard from someon in the sd is that because of the policies that went into effect as a result of localities getting funding for No Child Left Behind, they aren't allowed to fire teachers so easily or pay incentives the same as they used to in order to keep the really good ones, who really go above and beyond. Apparently it has to do with the standard of learneings test instead of merit based that determines a teachers retention and raise- and we parents know that those tests alone aren't necessarily indicative of our child's ability or knowledge, much less how well a teacher did. So the good ones leave many times and the bad ones stay. And with a teacher shortage, localities will hire almost anyone and usually they're right out of school with no experience.
With this particular story, they said on tv that it's a community problem (then why fire every teacher as a solution??), but that somehow teachers might be able to get their job back if they did something- but I didn't catch that part.
Anyway- these 88 teachers were supposedly every single teacher in the school. I wonder what they plan on doing the rest of the week to teach the kids in class. LOL! And yeah- poor management of money...ohh don't get me started!!
I am in the minority about one thing though- the teachers I've known have been paid a reasonable amount given their work hours and paid time off and benefits. I'm sorry, but many college educated people don't get that much and when you look at what they get if they are there for ten years, plus the job security...well, I just don't pity that part so much. We all aren't going to get paid as much as a dr. What bothers me about it is the scale they have set in concrete- so the teachers who deserve to make more than those who barely do the minimum and really don't care or get it, have to get paid the same. I believe in equality, but I believe that a person's efforts and expertise should be rewarded, too.
