I really do love the people I surriend myself with! I was having a converstaion the other day after work with my friend Steve. Politically I think that Steve and I are on opposite sides, but find ourselves in agreement on some issues. Steve asked me what I thought of the recent education cuts. As a Republican I am embarrassed that these cuts happened. My grandfather, father and step-mother were educators. Some of my classmates from grade school are educators. My good friend Liz and a large group of her friends are educators. I believe that education is the most important aspect of a child's life.
Growing up in the 80's I remember the lyrics from Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All" song that states "I belive the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way." I remember hearing these same sentiments echoed from the pulpit at church, from politicians on the campaign trail and from educators. If the children are indeed our future, should we not give them the tools for success? In this case I am talking about some f the more basic tools, the ability to read and write, do math and understand why things work the way they do. Why are we doing our damnest to ensure that our kids have no chance?
Lets look at some facts. North Carolina teacher pay ranks 46th in the nation currently. I know that teachers do not teach to get rich financially. They do it because they love it and want to do it. That is admirable. It may be a livable salary, but there is no incentive to have good teachers. Think about it. Doctors go into medicine because there is some financial reward. Great doctors get paid even better. Great teachers make the same as sub-par teachers. Any educator I know will not let a child's education suffer because of this, but there are some out there that do. Remember the old adage, you get what you pay for. I do like the idea that teachers were given bonuses if there students passed the End of Grade testing. My problem with this as a bonus means that teachers were teaching for the test, meaning my daughter in third grade was only learning math and reading the majority of the time. Other subjects suffered. My daughter is now in sixth grade and this is the first year they have gone into geography. Another issue I have is taking away the pay increase for teachers with Masters degrees. Our corporate world pays more commeasurate with experience and education. As a parent I would prefer my daughter is taught by someone who specialized in a subject through grad school. Did I mention, most classroom materials come out of the pocket of the teacher?
Eliminating of teachers assistant's in a day when we are overpopulating the classroom is also detrimental to the education of a child. How is a teacher supposed to give students individual attention when it is needed if they are overwhelmed? When my daughter has a question that will help her understand, there needs to be someone there to answer it until she does. Teachers assistants also help keep order and discipline in the classroom. It is harder to get away with something if there are multiple eyes.
I am torn on the issue of tenure. I agree that good teachers are worth keeping. I also think that schools should not be locked into keeping bad teachers. There should be some compromise, though i do not know that that could be at this time.
I do not have a problem with charter schools or the voucher system. I think that parents should be able to decide what school there child goes to. My problem is that if the money exists to give school vouchers, where is the money for books, school supplies, computers, etc. Why do we not equip our classrooms with t he best technology out there?
I am a big believer in defense spending, but at some point when will someone say, "We do not need that new missle that can circle the earth 10 times and then hit its target at a cost of $800 million. The current one that circles 5 times is more than adequate." It is time that we put our money where our mouth is! To the NC State legislature and Congress, if you truly believe the children are our future, invest in them, invest in those we entrust their education to, and by doing so you will invest in North Carolina and America.
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion.
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