[m5lange1]

I stnd alone here it seems and I have been made to see the light.

I am not a teacher. I am a speech pathologist who has worked in the schools (I serve 5 different ones in my city) since 1979.

In my particular city there are schools doing very well and schools on the watch list. All of the ones doing very well are in nicer ends of town with more two parent families and from a higher income base. The ones in lower socio-economic areas, with more minorities, with less two parent families, are not doing as well. Here I thought that there might be a correlation but I guess it is just lazy teachers at those 'poor' schools.

I do know they must be much better at looking busy since the ones at the 'watch' schools are now monitored constantly and show up at 6:00 each morning and often do not go home till 5:00 or 6:00 each night whereas the ones at the schools doing well come in at 8:00 and go home at 4:00. They must be LOTS better teachers because it could not be that tired old argument of different student populations.

I can tell you, your conversations with people at parties and the books you read sure have opend my eyes about those lazy teachers who hand in complete lesson-plans every day and are often watched to make sure they are implementing what they say they are doing. I see them every day just sitting.... no they can't do that anymore... their in work prep time is taken up now with daily meetings and mandated collaberative time. But you should see them at lunch...... well not really, most stay in there rooms doing prep work since they do not have prep time anymore instead of taking lunch... but once that bell rings they don't carry more than one armload (some just a briefcase worth) of work home.

And teaching students today is such a breeze while they are in class. If a teacher disciplines them they are on the carpet and the kids know it but hey.... they are just lazy, no account teachers and it is their fault anyway.

Yep I see those teachers every day but hell, thant can't be compared to what you learn in your Poly-Sci classes, or those people you talk to at collage, or what those books and articles say. Not to mention the great wisdom of the "over the michrophone" education bashers. Here they have looked so busy but you have shown me what lazy slobs they really are.

Not only that, but now I know that when they have those meetings and school improvement sessions and after hours collaberations they just switch to sounding like they want to improve their students and when I walk in. They are not really constantly trying to reach certain pupils or try new methods to improve reading and math skills. Its all a sham. They probably cannot wait till I leave so they can get back to their brainwashing strategies.

And I personally know of 5 who have retired early because they just could not take the hard work with nothing but criticism anymore. HAHA the suckers did not know how cushy they had it.

You still have to admit that if you were doing a job, any job, and you had to spend about one hour out of 10 proving to someone else that you were doing your job, and you had to hand in a daily plan of what you were going to do all day and then had someone there watching you to make sure you stuck to what you said for about one third of the time, and then had to listen to how lazy people in your profession were it may put you off your feed a bit too but hey..... that is why they get the big bucks.... right?

But now that you have made me stop and think about it it all makes sense....
What kind of evil twisted plot monger would ever take and dedicate their professional life to teaching our children?
They have to either be doing it because:
1. They are evil and want to program young minds MUWAHAHAHAHA
2. They are lazy and it is such an easy job. Minimal work and maximum rewards.
3. They love children and are dedicated to educating them. (Now I know better)
4. They are so stupid that they are unable to do anything else. (I know you love that one). Guess they have not read those books of yours.

That last one may have some merit now that I think about it. I mean since the private schools and charter schools (since you have taught me that charter schools are somehow other than private even though they are privately owned and run) have such better performance records that must be where all the smart teachers go..... yea......
Here I thought almost all potential teachers graduated with their degrees in education, got their certificates, and then looked for work. Some finding jobs in public schools, some in private schools and (evidently) some in the somewhat less private realm of charter schools. Now I know better.
There are separate collages or universities that I was unaware of, where the smart teachers are trained and they are the ones hired by the private (and charter) schools.

All I can do in my own defense is beg pardon for my ignorance over the last quarter of a century. I swear to you I never knew I was supposed to be programming kids. I have just been skipping blissfully along correcting stuttering and trying to catch up language delayed children and teaching sounds to those with delayed phonology skills. I was totally hoodwinked by those masters of looking busy who call themselves teachers.

I hope you can forgive me.