If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention
According to several sources within and without, our school district has decided they can't fund the 25 students to 1 teacher requirement for next year so instead it will now be 27:1!
Many teachers believe by the beginning of next year, the student/teacher ratio will be more like 30:1. This is covered up through many different techniques. Core classes are huge while others, like special ed, are small; therefore the average is where it needs to be to comply with the Classroom Size Amendment. Sorta.
Who's going to complain that this isn't keeping with the spirit of the law - you? You're too busy worrying about what I say and do.
Another way around the law is the co-teacher model. Still other schools may have 29 kids in a class, but so many are farmed out to gifted programs or speech that, as a result, the average of the day is used and no one is fined.
Are you listening?
Next year, high school teachers will work an extra period to be "proactive" but not so much because the numbers aren't all they add up to be. This has already led to unit losses for schools next year. Call your neighborhood high school and ask about educators who will be sent packing because their classes were cut.
Hello? Anyone home?
In summation, for the thick among us, we're -
- in a teacher shortage,
- too broke to hire new teachers,
- overworking and underpaying the teachers we have, and
- cutting units and letting many teachers go.
How about you *ssholes who bother me every day try directing some of that irritation and energy where it's needed to improve our schools?
Just a thought.
posted by kate @ 6:01 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Is there any doubt why I love you, Kate? Like a sculptor, you carve a masterpiece from the litany of replies, responses and recitations on an issue. As an aspiring writer that I am, you give me goose bumps when you create gems like this piece.
If, just this once, all your critics would put aside their offensiveness and address the issue here, I am sure we all would better understand the ‘reduced classroom size’ hubbub. I, too, am perplexed by the seemingly unconcern by the public. These are public schools, and whether or not we care to admit it, what happens in our schools affects all of us.
The silence is deafening.
Silence *is* a form of acceptance.
To be fair, I was on vacation...
Anyway. This is why I voted against the Class Size Amendment way back when. I knew that it would be a clusterf*ck from the get go. It is a nice idea. But the part about the state having to fund the reductions rather than the districts is what got me. If there's one thing I know, it's that our fine state legislature is quick to part with money for education ;-)
We're trying to treat the symptom of the problem (too many kids per teacher) instead of the cause (not enough teachers). Which is fine if you have a cold, but in education we need to do better than this. IMHO, if we took all the money and effort being expended on the CSA and instead used those for teacher salaries and recruitment programs the size issue would take care of itself. But what do I know?
OK to have voted against it, but once the yeas have it, it’s time to find a way to get ‘er done. The FLDOE has dragged their collective feet on implementation. Former Gov. Bush was of the mindset that what he did not want we weren’t going to get vote or no vote. That’s a fact. (Remember he was caught unaware of an open mic when he in essence said, “The public be damned, I’ll find a way around what the majority wants.” Is it any wonder why we are five years behind ‘classroom size reduction’ implementation? It stems from some sort of genetic stubbornness the Bush boys impose on those they are supposed to serve—namely you and me.
Kate and I have been around and around on the efficacy of our fair state's amendment process. In short, my opinion is that a non-trivial fraction of the electorate simply selects YES every time. Thus making it hard for me (at least) to really say that we the people voted for something with our whole hearts.
Which is also why I tossed my support behind the 60% thing last go-round.
Jeff—
As a matter of practical politics, what you say makes sense. On the other hand, I am a high school teacher (listen for the collective GASP among some gentle readers) and must present both sides to the best of my ability. Do we want to dismiss those votes with which we disagree? If that becomes an acceptable response to disagreeable decisions, then as a teacher of history and government am I to present it as such?
In order to maintain a semblance of authenticity within a veritable sea of hypocrisy, I try to interject human intentions as part of political equations. However, when we become hypocritical as to the legitimacy of majority rule, minority protection we are undercutting the fabric of our Constitution.
Do we not accept the vote and work diligently toward the will of the people, even while working diligently to rescind that with which we disagree? If the answer is yes, then someone needs to tell our leaders.
Here is an interesting take on the SCAR, I mean STAR program.
http://es-kay.net/
Post a Comment
<< Home