teachers

[low_delta]

An acquaintance of mine was in the Peace Corps in West Africa. He was a teacher. He mostly taught mathematics, but he said he once taught sex ed to a class of 120 twelve-year-olds. He is now back here trying to get work as a substitute teacher. He is on the call list for two nearby towns, but he can't get work here in Grafton because he doesn't have an education degree (his degree is in physics). That doesn't sound so bad except that Grafton has trouble finding subs. Right now, he's doing data entry as a temp, here at my company.

Comments

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

That's a bummer--he sounds competent.:(

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

many school districts like to hire people with education degrees.......it might be bs, but it's just another layer of paper covering the district's rear......

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I think hiring teachers with education degrees is a good thing - as long as there are actually teachers around who fit that bill.

Re:

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

perhaps for general education......elementary education, etc......i would agree......

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

I would consider working at a public high school, but the public high schools would not consider me. I'm not "certified." I have a master's degree that technically is "terminal," meaning I could get tenure at a four year college. But to teach in a public high school, I would have to go back to college to get certified. It's a lot of bull shit, especially if you consider how the public schools complain of not having enough qualified teachers. The ideas of "certification" and "tenure" should be cast aside, along with the sorry pay teachers get. Imagine a world where teachers made what stock brokers make today, while stock brokers had to struggle to survive! I'm dreaming on, I know.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

You could teach at a college, but not a high school?

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

yep! Is that fucked up, or what? Don't get me wrong, I prefer to teach at the college level because I get more free time for my own work. But with the so-called shortage of high school teachers, one would think they would be more open minded.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I guess the public school system has to work harder at appearing proper.

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

I think that's true to an extent, but I also think it is based on teacher's unions trying to protect their own. Colleges have to worry about accredation and who they hire, too.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more of local parents watch dogging their school boards, and making them end up overcautious.