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Saturday, January 26, 2008Coming: Life After Vouchers, Part I
Because vouchers have been taken off the table, we need to find other solutions to the challenges vouchers were meant to help address:
posted by The Senate Site at 9:33 PM | Link
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© 2008. All rights reserved. Designed by Jeremy Wright & His Brother-In-Law
51 Comments:
+ merit pay
+ differential pay
+ not putting teacher pay increase in WPU
+ more charter schools
+ year-round schools
+ capital equalization
+ not increasing WPU by 20%
+ not raising taxes
+ accepting lobbyist gifts
+ not taking direction from Bernick, Rolly, Walsh and Tribune editorial board
+ opening session on MLK Holiday
+ not passing redistricting commission
+ appealing VCA decision
+ HB001 through HB500
+ SB001 through SB500
+ everything else including all motions to circle
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= payback for voucher defeat
How about boosting the state from last in the nation in the amount it spends on public education?
head tax.
Per child tax
The pillars of a great education system are:
1. Great Teachers
2. Involved Parents
3. Motivated students
The crises we face in attracting and retaining great teachers is easy to quantify so there is a lot of deserved activity on that front. However, the other two pillars are faltering also. We would like to see a task force created this year to address the other two pillars.
You need to help improve their working environment.
Instead of passing dozens of new regulations each year, which adds to their stress and takes time away from their teaching, try eliminating dozens of regulations each year.
You also need to help them motivate their students by implementing a three-strikes-and-your-out law for bad behavior. Any student who goes adrift of the rules three times should be allowed to leave the system. It is time to focus on the willing.
Enforce citizenship requirements for illegal aliens and illegal foreign nationals and their offspring. Remove them from public education and our overcrowed schools. Make all classes english only and foreign languages an optional class. We cannot support multilingual schools and give foreign aid to foreign students that have no right or benefits as americans. Illegal is illegal and no rights exist for them on tax funded education. It is also in the state constitution and taxing laws that non citizens are not allowed in the schools of Utah.
Then stop giving education funds to private businesses like the $50 million dollars donated to the Cottonwood Mall reconstruction, a private enterprise.
Put stricter requirement on teachers and an enforceable policy to remove educatiors that are of poor quality and give teachers an income they merit. Teachers are the life blood of a country and under appreciated and under paid. They deserve the same recognition as doctors or lawyers and treated with more respect. Let the teachers weed out the bad ones by giving them pay that would be an incentive to keep their profession as one of destinction.
To use the resources (teachers, buildings, and money) to the fullest we need to have teachers working with the students at their own levels. We should have each student there for a smaller, more concentrated time. This can be accomplished by having the kids come for half days or half as many days, and not entering schools until they are older. Each child or small group of children should be helped by specialists in reading, writing and mathematics. There could be group instruction in science, art, pe, social studies, music, etc. The current teachers would choose to become specialists and work with smaller groups through out the day, or work with larger groups in the more general areas. Our most important duty should be to educate the children in the fundamentals. As a former high school math and science teacher, I have seen how damaging it is to students to not know the basics.
Great leadership and great teachers are the key. We have to find some way of recognizing and promoting fine principals and district leaders. And we must help them by giving them some amount of autonomy. Chasing a multitude of government mandates does not make for innovative thinking.
As for teachers,we need to rethink the way the seniority system works. While termination is a final solution, why are we not demoting or reassigning teachers who don't cut it? This needs to happen more often so that parents can see schools paying attention.
Just bite the bullet and raise teacher pay by $20,000. The legislature seems to have money to give out for year round school. Did I just read there was $32,000,000 available for districts to apply for year round? Put that money into teacher salaries and you will see people flocking to the profession. Many people I know want to teach but can't raise a family on a teacher salary. Just go out and ask how many would like to teach. People view it as a noble profession for young girls that are putting their husbands through school.
Stop looking to be the "new" program and just pay teachers a good salary and your problem is gone.
As the wife of a science teacher, I am extremely concerned about the future of teachers. The government can give teachers more money, can come up with new programs, etc., but until the students and their parents are held as accountable for the student’s learning as the teacher, there will be no substantial progress in education reform. I agree with Randy's posting: there has to be involved parents and motivated students in order to have a successful educational experience. Teachers can have great lesson plans, activities, hands-on experiences, etc.; however, if a student does NOT want to participate, turn in homework or study, the concepts simply will not be learned.
The educational system comprised of teachers and administrators is continually faulted for students’ failures; however, I believe it is the parent and the student who are ultimately responsible for the child’s education. If parents don’t make the time to ensure homework is done or studying is taking place, the teacher should not be held responsible. My husband has a minimum of 34 students in each of his 5 physical science classes that are roughly 50 minutes in length - and although smaller classes, more money for class supplies and a higher salary would be nice for my husband (and other teachers), what he would really like is for students to get a good night’s sleep, turn the electronic gadgets off and not have so many after-school activities that homework assignments and preparing for tests are a last priority.
The answer is smaller schools! They are better academically. They are safer. Parents are more satisfied. Teachers are happier. Check out my website for the research supporting this at www.smallerschools.org. Concerning retaining teachers, one article at this site "Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools" p. 13 says:
"A number of studies concluded that teachers in small schools are much more satisfied than are teachers in large schools (Bryk, Raywid). A study of more than 2,400 Midwestern superintendents shows they recognize the importance of small schools in retaining faculty. In fact, urban, rural, and suburban superintendents whose districts have restructured schools to make them smaller rated this action the single most effective way to retain teachers (Hare).
We also need community-sized school districts. These two things are long-lasting real improvement that will bring about most of what everyone is looking for.
David N. Cox
Clearly the issue is complicated. Two things are certain. If there are fewer students and more teachers, education in Utah is likely to improve. To reduce the number of students, we should educate only those students who are here legally. The rest should be deported. To increase the number of teachers, pay them better. As a medical professional, I see first hand how scarce resources have to be spread among many. We can't save the world until we take care of own.Let us send a clear message to other nations that the US can't be the "welfare program"for their country. Secure the borders, deport illegal aliens, put our own house in order first before we educate, house, heal and clothe those whose own home country won't. One way to strengthen our borders is to establish legal "checkpoints" where illegal aliens will be identified; at the DMV, at the hospital, at the workplace. Look upstream if the water isn't flowing well downstream. Look at how we got here. We can't do everything to save the world but we can educate the children in Utah if we put our own house in order.
Ron Jenson
Have watched for over 60 yrs and same problems exist. Get more teachers in the elementary level like two to a classroom for the 1-6 grades. At this time open virtual classroom so students can go as fast as they want with a lower number of teachers required. Some classes taken at home.
I dropped out of school at age 14. Our family had disintegrated, and my older brothers and sisters had already left school when they turned 14. I coasted through elementary and junior high school with top grades because I was using ten percent of my mental abilities while my classmates were using only one percent of theirs. Later, when I took the high school equivalency exam, I scored in the 99th percentile in all categories except english where I scored only in the 95th percentile. Most of my knowledge did not come from the classroom. It came from sources outside of the public education system. If we had the computer technology then that we have now, I would have had a college education by the time I was 18. I suggest that some students might be better educated if they had computer-based instruction either at home or in a computer-equipped classroom monitored by a disciplinarian instead of a teacher. Those students who don't need or want the social hierarchy imposed on them by the public education system could volunteer to transfer to the alternate system. Conventional classroom size could be reduced by thirty percent or more.
If there is more money for year-round, then there is more money period. Year-round causes more problems than it solves. I experienced year-round and the students lacked any motivation at all in the summertime. They naturally need those hot months off to play and relax. Quit trying to get overly creative. If the money is there for year-round then it's there for salary increases period. We don't have to go year-round. Polls show Utahns are willing to pay more tax for education. Give those who can afford it the opportunity to pay a head tax. I'd pay it for my three kids.
As a successful teacher of 10 years I am finally going back to school and leaving education. I love teaching but come on, who can live on $34,000? That's after 10 years... When Utah's citizen's finally get a clue and demand from their legislators they are truly committed to education for their kids.
1. Why are we still dead last in funding in the nation. I know we have more kids per capita.. someone has to make up for the difference. Its been on the backs of teachers long enough. Commit to being 49th in funding.
2. Pay teachers what a professional makes. At this point $20,000 increase is about where you need to be looking.
3. Pay should not only be based on years, but qualifications and results. If there is no incentive to be better why do it?
4. Reduce class sizes!!!!! You want to see your child do better, its simple. Elementary to high school its too high. I teach high school, some of these schools average 35-40 students per class period. You do the math, how much time do you think the teacher has for your student.
5. Professional Development. Money should be allocated for development. I attend several conferences each year, several out of state. Usually I can only get the school to pay for my registration fees, that leaves hotel, airfare, taxi, and food out of my pocket. If you want better teachers this is the reality. Believe me, Utah does NOT HAVE the expertise in education. In almost every field you have to travel out of state.
Like I said before, I am tired waiting to see change. It isn't going to happen. I'm done and making the transition.
Pay for the last two years of a teachder's education, then require a minimum requirement, say 5 years, that they will commit to teaching in Utah's public schools. If they back out of the contract, require they pay back the money contributed to their education, plus a penalty.
You only have so much money to work with so you have to spend it wisely. One method would be to reduce the size of the administrative part of education, which is up to 60% of the school districts budgets, and use this money to fund the teachers who are the ones who really educate the children.
Another way to save money that could be used for teachers, is to reduce or eliminate the many sports programs from public education. When schools are traveling as much as 450 miles (our school district does)to play sports the cost becomes enormous! Added up over the course of the year and you could hire a number of new teachers in the school district.
Yes, it would be nice to pay the teachers as much as surrounding states, but we already pay the highest percentage of our tax base to education of any other state in the union. Let's use our money where it is intended to go---to teaching our children---not in support of a large administrative workforce or sports.
The Governor said in the State of the State that there is too much testing. The problem is that the testing is not taken serious. The Federal Government has passed the high school graduation exam and if you pass, you get a diploma. The Federal Government now wants to put money (which they don't have) into high schools to help them pass. The problem starts in early elementary school.
It is time that the State set up testing starting with grades 1-3, first in the year round elementary schools. Standards would be for pass, contingency pass or repeat the grade or part of the grade.
The Legislature needs to look at the present pass/fail where the control is up to the parent. It has even been said, let the middle school take care of that problem. Combine this with a State wide teachers scale.
The Sate should also assist districts that don't have the money to support the pension plan.
( I am not in the education field, I am a retired widower with NOT relatives in this State.
I will state the obvious: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! I am tired of the same old Republican mantra of "there's no money." If a society wants a stellar educational system, teacher salary is the crux. Why does talent flock to professions such as medicine, accounting, business, and law? Because that's where the money and respect is. You don't hear of an attorney or businessman shortage, do you? Internationally, teachers command respect precisely because their pay is commensurate to that of physicians and attorneys.
The answer does not lie in creating year-round schooling. Parents don't want it, and no teacher is going to want to work 12months for the same pay as a 9-month contract in a different state (teachers are not THAT stupid). How to pay? First, make it the priority, then spread the pain around all tax bases - maybe create a few new taxes. Most would be willing to pay to see results. For those of us who volunteer our time in the schools, the need is obvious.
My wife has a BS in science but did not get it with a teaching certificate. I would love to see
UEA put together a program that
allows for a qualified professional to become certified to teach. Something that doesn't requirer them to get back into a school but some online, go at your own pace option that she can work towards getting.
Right now continuing education is
to expensive and complicated to bring the bright minds into the field.
Seriously, the last few years the legislature seems to be coming up with some money for education. It is a step in the right direction.
However, if there is money to go year round, then there is money to improve education in the first place. If we have over $30,000,000 for a new program, why aren't we spending it now on teacher salaries?
Can someone answer that question?
We need to get starting salaries to $40,000 a year soon. The $2500 a year raise is good but I remember Wyoming going up by $9,000 in one year.
While we go up $2500 a year for four years, it would be a huge deal to everyone to just go up $10,000 in one year!
No teacher would be asking for a raise for a while....
Here's a novel idea... why don't you talk to the teachers about what they would like to see done? Because as a new teacher, I see first-hand what everyone thinks of all the proposed bills, and it is not pretty. All of the teachers close to retirement have said they will retire if schools are switched to the 240 day year round schedule in order to get a "raise" (And how is working more days for more money a "raise" anway? It is called overtime at most jobs. Teachers need more money for the hours they're already working). After all the mature teachers retire, all you have left are new, young teachers... most of which get burned out within 5 years and leave the profession permanently. These young teachers (such as myself), will leave the profession because it is a hard job, and frankly, if we're working 240 or more days a year, we would much rather work at an office job or take up a new profession of sorts (or go to a private school for higher wages and a reasonable schedule). Teachers already work all summer preparing for the next year. If you think you have a teacher shortage now, just try to put these new regulations in place and watch Utah's public education crumble.
The only solution to the teacher shortage is to pay teachers more. The amount written on the paycheck is the actual compensation the teacher receives. Schemes that seek to squeeze more out of teachers without raising their hourly pay offer no benefit to teachers. Why would teachers want to work even more hours at a salary lower than they can make at another job?
Pass HB88.
Have you researched extended contracts.Do you have numbers to
support this bill. I have done a 220 day contract 3 separate times. It is exhausting. I know of others who have done extended and will not do it again. What
are the numbers of teachers who have continuously or are presently
on a 2nd or higher continuous year?
Have you asked teachers who are or
have done an extended contracts for
data? Have you asked parents who
have had children in "rainbow"
classess their opinions. You could
be creating a greater teacher
shortage by passing a bill without
finding the data from the extended
contracts that have be going on the
last 10+ years in Jordan Dist.
Future and new teachers have
friends in other states who make
more and have "specials". Specials
are teachers that teach only P.E.
Art, Music, Computers to children
so that teachers have fewer preps
and time to use the testing data,
professional development ideas,
create individualized learning and
at a much HIGHER salary. Utah
is becoming the training ground for
new teachers to teach a year or two
to have experience on their resume
and then leave, if they start in
Utah at all.
You have started to fix the
problem, you see a greater one in
the future. You will get what you
pay for and reap the consequences
if you choose not to. Bottom line
is children's success or failure.
Which has the higher price tag?
Public Reform suggestions include
Create accountability for parents and students. Students must want to learn and parents must expect effort. (I am not a teacher)
We place too much weight for testing scores on teachers. There is more to creative classroom experiences than what can be tested.
Put teachers back on the pedastal. Respect for teachers must come from parents attitudes.
Teacher evaluations are appropriate if they are designed properly with set objectives.
Increase teacher pay to attract new teachers.
School impact fees have been ignored by realtor and developer legislators. Let's build starter homes our children can afford and can help pay for the schools their children will attend.
Extended year is a creative idea.
Put para educators alongside teachers to help reduce class size where classroom space is lacking. This is cheaper but improves one-on-one assistance.
Require all students grades 9-12 to create a flexible 4 year education plan that focuses on their post high school plans. This should drive their graduation requirements - not everyone is college bound.
Create a state wide website that describes each schools strengths and individual programs. Every school varies with the individual strengths of teachers. Let parents shop around. This is a great tool for parental choice.
From a current science teacher:
1) Stop education illegals for free. I don't care what the fed.gov says. Figure out a way! They are a HUGE drain on the system financially and the number one problem with many schools when it comes to testing. They don't speak English and fail miserably. It is time to allocate funds to those who are citizens!!! HELLO!?!?
2) Forget ridiculous ideas about extending the work year, even for specific specific jobs. Why should I work here for the entire year just to be paid the same amount across the border in Wyoming for 180 days? YOU WILL STILL BLEED TEACHERS!!! It makes no sense. It is illogical!
3) Stop treating one group of teachers different from another. Every facet of education is valued by teachers. It only seems that "market-driven" people want math and science teachers raised on a pedastal. I am a science teacher and I can honestly say it is pure bunk! A student that excels in my class but fails in art, PE, history, even basket weaving..... well, they're not much of a success in the real world.
THE SOLUTION: raise pay across the board and you will NATURALLY see an increase in quality as more competitive teachers vie for a decent wage. Of course you will have lazy people at the wages we have now. Why kill ourselves when this is only our 3rd job? We have to eat and pay our mortgage too, and a teaching job just doesn't do it. Make it worth my while to make this my ONLY job.
How about stop making it difficult to impossible to recertify for teachers who have been out of the system for years. Would you go into a profession that requires four to five years of university, and lose it soon after choosing to raise a family. I certainly wouldn't recommend it fo any of my children.
Another thought is that the legislature could continue to tinker with the system, somehow get vouchers in, make it more attractive for parents/students to leave public education, increase testing requirements, label schools as failing regardless of societal changes until it all falls apart so they can rebuild the system some other way. That would hardly cost anything!
To attract out-of-state teachers, offer true reciprocity for teacher certification and endorsements. I have Washington state certification and endorsements in P.E., English, and social studies, plus twenty-five years of experience. In order to receive a certificate and endorsements in Utah, I would have to take several university courses and the Praxis exams at my own expense! This is due to the differences in certificate requirements when I was issued the endorsements. There is no provision for having taught successfully in these areas for many years. I would be tempted to look at Utah because of family there, but I could not under the present restrictions.
Change the school curriculum so that high school graduates will have a BS or possibly MS degree when they complete their first 12 years of studies. Ensure that they will be able to do something useful with the knowledge they have obtained. After a year or two and perhaps even sooner, if it appears that students will accomplish this goal, double the teachers' pay. As soon as a substantial number of high school graduates demonstrate that they have this high level of education, double the teachers' pay again.
Taxing people based on the number of kids they have would be a HUGE help. Teachers are so important, but they sure aren't treated like it. Paying the teachers more would keep many of them from leaving the state or leaving teaching all together. More money per child spending is important too. The per child tax would help this as well.
Rather than the year round programs tried in other districts - which are loaded with flaws - divide the year into 4 terms, any three of which would count as a full school year. That way slower students could use all four terms to keep up in math, reading, etc. as needed. Gifted students might pass a year's course in only 2 terms and could then take extra languages, science, or whatever as desired, or they could take time for an internship. A student who was in a car accident wouldn't need to miss a full year of school, but could catch up by starting where she left off and continuously attending as many terms as needed to catch up.
For teachers a full year of teaching would be 3 terms. Teachers could choose which 3 terms they wanted to teach - which would make pregnancy leave easy to plan - or they could choose to teach all 4 yearly terms to increase their salary. (And yes, streamlining recertification requirements for teachers who've taken time to raise families will greatly increase your pool of teachers!)
Certainly choking bureaucratic regulations and social engineering need to be reduced in favor of local input and actual education, but that would take incredible leadership and courage.
1.Utah has sold its soul to the developer. Now its time to pay the piper. Charge school impact fees. Developers currently leave a wake of new tax burdens in their path and make off with millions. Slow new growth and make the developer be financially responsible to the schools they impact with their new neighborhoods.
2. Trim the fat from the top down. Create smaller districts, schools, and classes. Get rid of huge administrative costs.
3. If you pay the best, you hire and retain the best. Pay teachers more than neighboring states and you'll be able to hire the cream of the crop.
Unfortunately, it all comes down to compensation. We are seeing the market forces at work. Talented people who would love to be teachers and would be very good at it are choosing other professions because of the salary. And of those who choose to teach, 50% of them don;t stick with it for more than 5 years because they simply can't afford to adequately support their families.
As a teacher, I think that the best idea is the true year-round school schedule. I resent the 3 months of un-payed, forced layoff every summer in which I must look for seasonal work. Often I am competing for summer jobs similar to those that my students seek for summer work. It is humiliating. Personally, I would much rather be doing the job that I am trained to do all year: teach. I think the 12 month teacher contract together with the proportional raise in pay is the best solution. It will allow us to teach more kids with less teachers, pay those teachers more, allow more flexible scheduling to meet the needs of diverse students, and more efficiently utilize the infrastructure. It is one solution for multiple problems.
I know it constitute a big change from tradition, but this crisis calls for a drastic re-thinking. Since when has Utah been afraid to pioneer into new territory?! Let's do it!
Coach Rockwood:
I hope you enjoy empty buildings because many teachers won't go back to a year-round schedule. Our job is not one in which you can clock in/clock out. We are constantly working. I often find myself up at 2 a.m. plugging away... and of course, I'm not getting paid a dime more for any time I spend on the weekend. My extended family thinks something is wrong with me because I'd rather spend my Sundays buried in a text than talk to them. Sorry... apparently that is what I signed up for.
I've reached the 5 year 50/50 threshold and have to keep asking myself "Why?"
Why stay here and be paid peanuts or worse, stay here and be paid the same (and work 60 days more) than someone across the border in Wyoming?
It comes down to supply and demand. Pay teachers=keep teachers.
Don't think that stretching our dollar and year at the same time is a raise. I'm not certified in math, but I think I can see through that lie.
I'm reading overwhelming support for increasing teachers' salaries in these responses, and much of it is coming from those outside the teaching profession.
I agree. Even though I'm underpaid in my current job (in the communications sector), I strongly support raising teachers' salaries to a livable wage and beyond. The children in our community will guide our future in 20 years. Can we spare any expense to see them well-taught? The current low wages are driving all but the most committed (those willing to take a vow of poverty or work extra jobs to support their love of teaching) from the field.
My thoughts keep going back to a trip to Germany I took as a university student in 2001. While there, I learned that elementary school teachers in Berlin work from 8 a.m. until noon five days a week, and still earn much more than their U.S. counterparts. In fact, " ... salaries for upper secondary teachers with 15 years of experience and the minimum level of education and training required to be certified exceeded $40,000 in 1998 in Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands and exceeded $60,000 in Switzerland. The comparable salary for the United States was $35,000." (www.nsf.gov). Keep in mind that Utah salaries are below the national average.
Let's honor our teachers for their commitment to the children of our community and pay them wages commensurate with their contribution to our future. This will certainly bring the brightest minds to bear on the problem, while solving the teacher shortage.
Pay the teachers!!!
Quit the silly shortcuts. Loose the band-aids, quick fixes, craftiness and cleverness and implement data proven solutions that are working around the country; ie Smaller Learning Communities, Career Pathways, Willard Daggett and Bill Gates solutions.
STOP setting the schools up for failure because of your silly pet voucher defeat.
WORK with UEA, rather than against it.
I'd have to agree with a few comments.
As a science teacher in Utah county, if I have to go year round, I'll quit and move to another state. I have over 15 years experience right now. I'd like to stay here but I can make $25,000 more a year in California. People will say but real estate is more in CA than UT. Not true any more. I can now get a house in CA for about the same as UT.
What is the motivation to stay here? Work all summer to make less than I would make in CA working a normal school year?
I don't think there is any way to avoid increasing funding to districts in a year when the national inflation rate was over six percent.
Suggestions:
Teachers in my building would like and support benefits like:
Go to a statewide pay scale with state insurance benefits to equalize pay in all districts including rural areas.
Go to a statewide tenure system so that when teachers move with their children, they don't lose steps and lanes, don't have to start the tenure system over, and can take their vacation and sick leave days with them. This will benefit districts that need to attract rare math, science and special ed teachers, because young teachers can then transfer to larger districts as they are ready to coach, or attend school with a minimal loss of benefits.
A real plus for rural districts would be a four day week with longer days. This would attract teachers that care for elderly parents, teachrs that need to work a second job, and teachers with pre-school children. It would also minimize heating costs, busing costs and student absences due to sport activities.
Equalize funding more among districts by making the reimbursement for students happen during the year at the October 1 count, rather than the following year so that a rapid influx of students could actually be funded.
Special ed funding comes the third year, and has a cap of 12% or so. When there is a big increase of students with special needs including English Language learners, districts need funding soon enough to actually pay to educate the students during the current year.
The state needs to help the districts repair and build new buildings. Poorer districts bear a higher rate of tax compared to their income in property taxes. Is someone ever going to look at balancing out the Park City District and the Emery District? The differences are huge.
Most Districts didn't put the last pay increase on the base because it could be repealed at any session, so it didn't feel like a permanent pay increase to many teachers. These increases didn't do anything to help pay for increases in classified staff, increases in the cost for fuel and maintenance, etc. Increases need to come in all areas at once.
Some kind of suggestions like work more days so that teachers will earn more are laughable. I already work twenty to thirty extra days, and then attend classes that I have to pay for. Scheduling more days is insulting. Just pay me more. I am worth it, and I already work much more than an eight hours a day, and I work much of the summer. Paying and scheduling those days just makes it impossible for me to self schedule so that I can vacation for a week or two with my children.
Pay alone won't solve anything because there are too many variables. We didn't even know how many certified teachers worked in the state to get an increase funded last year. Pay increases are important, but the funding process is fundamentally broken because of the vast wealth differences between districts, and the gap between the need for additional funding and when the funding actually arrives to districts.
The children are really the focus. Let's keep them in school with a great education by funding the whole package perminently.
This was a good place to raise my children, but because I am a teacher, the children lived in poverty. I qualified for free lunch, food stamps, and housing assistance. Frankly, I'm glad that the last child graduated so that I can leave and make a reasonable living teaching school. I am one of those "specialty teachers" that are hard to replace, but my load is double the recommended level, and the politics is frustrating. Just pay people what they are worth!
Join with the people to sue the federal government to keep control over education local like the constitution says it should be. Give us back all those federal tax dollars and bring back the power to make our own decisions regarding education.
Young people today have more money than my parents did when I was their age. Let some of them pay directly to their teachers five or ten non-taxed cash dollars a day to be in a high-performance classroom. Some class sizes might go up to 100 students, but competent teachers can easily handle that many motivated students. What I don't understand is: if all the good teachers in Utah leave to teach for more money in other states, why don't the students in those states outperform Utah sudents?
Please see the following NYTimes article that discusses the work of Dr. Jack Shonkoff http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8026366. He has written other works, too.
The foundation for learning is laid before kindergarten.
To reduce toxic stress and improve the nurturing of more children during the first 1000 days, I recommend the following policies: (1) Fund a parenting book (e.g. The Power of Positive Parenting by the recently deceased Glenn Latham is excellent) to be provided to all new mothers/parents through their OB/GYN or post delivery or at school registration.
(2) Fund parenting classes during the early years of kindergarten and provide incentives such.
(3) Create a vivid parenting curriculum online and require schools to provide a link to the material.
(4) Create (or purchase) a parenting handbook (e.g. Parenting With Love: Making a difference in a day) to be distributed to all parents.
(5) Fund high quality marriage communication classes or free vivid online curriculum publicly.
You get gist--if we want good fruit, we have to nurture and educate the tree and ground from which it comes. There are many venues. But we can't just talk about putting the responsibility on families. We need to "match the money to the mission." We need to fund the mandates.
I have taught in 3 states, in public and private schools, in large and small schools. I believe that 1. smaller schools, 2. smaller class sizes, and 3. incentives (both monetary and non-monetary) for teachers to do our job as well as we'd like to are important. I also agree with those who say we can't expect the teachers to fix everything - we need parent support as well, and we need to stop adding rules, tests and complaints to teachers' stress.
Here's what I believe we can do: 1. add para-educators to effectively reduce class sizes at a reasonable cost.
2. Make certification and recertification easier for teachers.
3. Do Not insult all other teachers by offering a piddling 5,000 to "lure" math/science teachers from jobs where the pay differential is much more than 5,000/year.
4. Give teachers constructive criticism - I was shocked to find that many teachers receive no observation, mentoring, evaluation, etc., which I always find valueable!
3 suggestions from a teacher:
1) Teachers tend to be down-to-earth family type people. My husband is a real estate professional trying to help 2nd
year teacher at my school find a home. Fat chance in today's real estate market. A state subsidized entry home program for teachers would get the attention of many prospective teachers. Most teachers are not in it for the money but they DO need a place to live. There is a HUD program but it yields very little. As their salaries go up each year the subsidy could start to go down.
2. Encourage more part time teaching opportunities. I worked as a half-day special education teacher when my kids were young. My kids loved being in a half-day preschool program and then being with mom the rest of the day. AND....this is HUGE.... half day teachers get a full year of credit in the Utah State Retirement System. This allows mothers to stay in the work force while their children are small and continue working towards their 30 years after which a safe, secure retirement awaits. Contract sharing works beautifully with 2 talented and dedicated teachers.
3. Elementary teachers get only an hour and 45 minutes of planning time per week. The day is can be exhausting teaching all subjects all day long. As a classroom teacher, I would LOVE to see the return of certified PE specialists. These positions were cut long ago. But I remember the PE specialists. They had well planned physical education activities and lessons that far surpassed my experience in this area. We have a big problem with obesity in our schools. Bring back the PE specialists and give the teacher a little more time to plan, prepare, and sharpen the saw. Other states still utilize PE, art, and media specialists. Not in Utah. The teachers have to do it all. And the demands just keep growing!
In some districts, there are a huge number of English language learners. While many teachers have an ESL endorsement, what we really need in highly impacted schools to get these kids speaking, reading, and writing in English, are ESL specialists. The Office of Civil Rights has a boatload of requirements for these children as does No Child Left Behind. But as usual, the gov't does not provide funding to meet these requirements. In highly impacted schools, we desperately need ESL specialists, much like the PE specialist mentioned in the previous comment. This should be a huge priority. This is not something that can be ignored until the immigration issue is settled.
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