1. Better Funding. Anytime the military wants a new plane they aren't going to use, they get the money they need. Meanwhile I'm spending hundreds of dollars on school supplies for kids at school out of my own paycheck. Our computer systems are outdated, and need upgrading. Every school having good equipment would be a great start. It'd be great if every student had a school supplied tablet to work from. ANd probably less expensive and get more use than those planes that can't fly.
2. Completely Desegregate. Brown v. Board of Education was almost 64 years ago. That's roughly 3 generations of kids since the Brown decision, and we've still got segregation in schools.
3. No more charging for lunch. Kids, unsurprisingly, do better in school when they aren't too hungry to focus. Many kids can't afford a school lunch, and are shamed for it in various ways by the schools (some states are making it illegal, thankfully). Every kid that wants a warm lunch, should get it. I know I've paid for a few of my students lunches from time to time (unasked), because I'd rather see them eat. Also longer lunch periods would be nice. 25 minutes for lunch is great--for kids at the front of the line. Kids who get 10 minutes to eat really have to rush. Of course that's just my school district.
4. If we're going to do standardized testing, let teachers design the tests. NOT private corporations. Also reduce the amount of standardized testing.
5. Stop doing the pledge of allegiance. It's a waste of time. Not a big waste, mind you, but there's really no need for it anymore. And there never was.
6. Add a class for kids to explore career options. Let's be honest, a lot of kids go into college with no idea what they want to do. They think they'll like something, then turn out they don't. I know back in high school I wanted to be a Nurse or an FBI Agent. That changed in college when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I think kids need time to explore themselves a little. Find out what careers there are out there. I mean more than those stupid career aptitude tests that tell us what we can be. Something to really explore what's out there.
7. Start teaching foreign languages in elementary school. Kids learn foreign languages best when they're young. I started my own kids with French when they were babies. A friend of mine started learning languages from a young age, and now she speaks 25 languages. Knowing just English doesn't go as far as it used to.
8. Loosen the dress code. When did shoulders become really distracting? It's more of a distraction when kids are pulled, and told they need to change what they're wearing.
9. Back to school lunches.. Free school breakfast too. Not every parent has time to fix their kids breakfast. And not every kid can afford a school breakfast. I realize I'm being a monster here--what, wanting to use money to feed kids and everything. But you really can't underestimate the importance of NOT being hungry early in the morning.
10. Stop treating us like babysitters. Or at least pay us like one. Seriously, if I made $2 per hour per student I'd be making a LOT more money. And that's not counting off school hours. I know I can't find a babysitter to watch my 5 kids for $10/hour either. Our profession deserves more respect. We're educating the minds of tomorrow. Yeah, we get summers off. That doesn't mean we aren't doing professional development during that time. And it doesn't mean we don't work as much as people who work all year round.
Now as to some of the other suggestions in this topic:
-Learning logical fallacies is a good idea. I think they could be taught in English pretty well.
-I think laid back is pretty good. You want an easy learning environment. Most of the smartest people I know went to public school their entire life. I don't think it was remotely a joke.
-Less districts sounds like a good idea, but having one superintendent for too many schools, means they're less able to focus on individual schools and their needs. Some, however, are completely unnecessary and could be consolidated. Some districts could be combined into one with no adverse outcomes.
-Getting rid of teachers unions means getting rid of a lot of good teachers. Not to mention any possible way for us to fight for cost of living adjustments when we don't get them. Like Oklahoma hasn't had one in 10 years. There was a time when our school district didn't have them for 5 years. Without our union, we probably wouldn't have gotten our COLA's, and we'd eventually become Oklahoma as more and more teachers left. (A lot already did). There was a teacher in Texas (because of course) who was suspended because she talked to her class about her being a lesbian. Without unions, she's probably fired instead. A teacher picks a book the parents don't approve of, or doesn't teach the inane conspiracy theories they have like the idea the holocaust doesn't exist or the earth only being 10000 years old, and they're fired. That's what happens without unions.
-There's a lot of good reasons to 'shepherd' kids together in a building. I can't imagine not being able to interact with my students in person. Either you're suggesting that my job is unnecessary (which it isn't), or you're suggesting I video my lectures and let students watch them on their own time, leaving room for zero classroom interaction. And of course you have students who can't afford their own computer at home.
2. Completely Desegregate. Brown v. Board of Education was almost 64 years ago. That's roughly 3 generations of kids since the Brown decision, and we've still got segregation in schools.
3. No more charging for lunch. Kids, unsurprisingly, do better in school when they aren't too hungry to focus. Many kids can't afford a school lunch, and are shamed for it in various ways by the schools (some states are making it illegal, thankfully). Every kid that wants a warm lunch, should get it. I know I've paid for a few of my students lunches from time to time (unasked), because I'd rather see them eat. Also longer lunch periods would be nice. 25 minutes for lunch is great--for kids at the front of the line. Kids who get 10 minutes to eat really have to rush. Of course that's just my school district.
4. If we're going to do standardized testing, let teachers design the tests. NOT private corporations. Also reduce the amount of standardized testing.
5. Stop doing the pledge of allegiance. It's a waste of time. Not a big waste, mind you, but there's really no need for it anymore. And there never was.
6. Add a class for kids to explore career options. Let's be honest, a lot of kids go into college with no idea what they want to do. They think they'll like something, then turn out they don't. I know back in high school I wanted to be a Nurse or an FBI Agent. That changed in college when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I think kids need time to explore themselves a little. Find out what careers there are out there. I mean more than those stupid career aptitude tests that tell us what we can be. Something to really explore what's out there.
7. Start teaching foreign languages in elementary school. Kids learn foreign languages best when they're young. I started my own kids with French when they were babies. A friend of mine started learning languages from a young age, and now she speaks 25 languages. Knowing just English doesn't go as far as it used to.
8. Loosen the dress code. When did shoulders become really distracting? It's more of a distraction when kids are pulled, and told they need to change what they're wearing.
9. Back to school lunches.. Free school breakfast too. Not every parent has time to fix their kids breakfast. And not every kid can afford a school breakfast. I realize I'm being a monster here--what, wanting to use money to feed kids and everything. But you really can't underestimate the importance of NOT being hungry early in the morning.
10. Stop treating us like babysitters. Or at least pay us like one. Seriously, if I made $2 per hour per student I'd be making a LOT more money. And that's not counting off school hours. I know I can't find a babysitter to watch my 5 kids for $10/hour either. Our profession deserves more respect. We're educating the minds of tomorrow. Yeah, we get summers off. That doesn't mean we aren't doing professional development during that time. And it doesn't mean we don't work as much as people who work all year round.
Now as to some of the other suggestions in this topic:
-Learning logical fallacies is a good idea. I think they could be taught in English pretty well.
-I think laid back is pretty good. You want an easy learning environment. Most of the smartest people I know went to public school their entire life. I don't think it was remotely a joke.
-Less districts sounds like a good idea, but having one superintendent for too many schools, means they're less able to focus on individual schools and their needs. Some, however, are completely unnecessary and could be consolidated. Some districts could be combined into one with no adverse outcomes.
-Getting rid of teachers unions means getting rid of a lot of good teachers. Not to mention any possible way for us to fight for cost of living adjustments when we don't get them. Like Oklahoma hasn't had one in 10 years. There was a time when our school district didn't have them for 5 years. Without our union, we probably wouldn't have gotten our COLA's, and we'd eventually become Oklahoma as more and more teachers left. (A lot already did). There was a teacher in Texas (because of course) who was suspended because she talked to her class about her being a lesbian. Without unions, she's probably fired instead. A teacher picks a book the parents don't approve of, or doesn't teach the inane conspiracy theories they have like the idea the holocaust doesn't exist or the earth only being 10000 years old, and they're fired. That's what happens without unions.
-There's a lot of good reasons to 'shepherd' kids together in a building. I can't imagine not being able to interact with my students in person. Either you're suggesting that my job is unnecessary (which it isn't), or you're suggesting I video my lectures and let students watch them on their own time, leaving room for zero classroom interaction. And of course you have students who can't afford their own computer at home.
The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to woman is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading. - Elizabeth Cady Stanton
