Hit the Road Jack (or Jill).
First saw this last night on line and heard about it again this AM on local radio. The Center for Union Facts - a anti union think tank - is asking students, parents and teachers nationwide to nominate the WORST teachers in the US. The worst 10 will be offered $10,000 to QUIT teaching and allow the website to write about them. Full details here
I am from a family of teachers, both my parents are retired from public education facilities, and numerous of my family members have been or still are involved in the education profession. Even members of my spouses family are and have been involved in working in public education. I believe there are few jobs / professions that are more important and impactful then teaching / education. I personally think that many (not all but many) times parents / students are swayed more by personal bias then actual facts when it comes to what then consider a good or bad teacher. A stern teacher that demands order and pushes lazy kids to learn is rarely liked, but they are highly effective and are worthy of praise.
With the above facts understood I say the following - there are few things worse then bad teachers and nothing worse then bad teachers being protected by their teachers unions. There are a lot of factors that go into making bad teachers - lack of concern / passion to begin with, more administration less education, the idea that teachers are baby sitters, uninvolved and unconcerned parents, inability to enforce rules / order, forced / mandatory curriculum that does not improve actual education, teaching to the test, and numerous other things -, but whatever the cause they need to go. If this “project” ,which I think it more about starting a national debate then about actually getting rid of the 10 worst teachers, works to weed out the chaff then I am all for it.
I must also add that I don’t like the core idea of shaming teachers to improve is flawed, but I do think something has to be done to get public education in America turned around. It is not the same as it was even 20 years ago, and it was already slipping then.
