We are all so very happy to see that the First Lady has made reading a renewed priority for our country. The literacy issue is a big one. Kids are being passed year after year and still not able to read in High School. One issue, which is quite evident is the incredible turn over of teachers. There is a 50% attrition rate of teachers in Five years. This is somewhat similar to Corporate America too, but why are the teachers who have studied hard to specifically become teachers calling it quits? Well, one issue is the pay. Some say that if you count the three months off in summer for non-year-round school programs that they make great money for working only 9 months. Yes indeed this is a rational comment and is duly taken into consideration. Some say well, teachers get off early at 2-3 pm so they make a little less. Ah, but they have to grade papers and project assignments so this is not a worthy debate topic. In fact if you look at the pay rates teachers are underpaid and normally do not get advances in pay without completion of other degrees, such as a masters in teaching. In interviewing teachers myself at coffee shops, yes teachers need coffee to deal with all those unruly, uncontrollable kids who lack proper parenting with 1.5 parents on average. The parents generally have not disciplined the kids properly, they expect the teachers to baby sit them. I have heard so many horror stories on the road from teachers, each year it gets a little worse in many regards. Almost all the teachers we talked to had taken their own money and used it to buy school supplies. On average and yes I have been taking notes about $1300.00, this seems highly unfair and totally unacceptable. I propose an immediate account which can be used at various pre-determined stores for supplies for schools, Teacher approved credit cards. They can be spent in online catalogs for schooling, home depot or Lowes for project supplies, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples for suplies. The amount of $2250 per classroom over 20 kids. Fifteen to twenty children $ 1800 and Under 15 kids $1300.00 for such supplies deemed necessary by the teachers. We are all for no child without progress and we ramp up the no child left behind goal, but some of are upset over the lack of money in the class rooms themselves, that is unacceptable and unforgivable and must not continue. We can buy more supplies for the classroom and teach everyone to read and speak the language, understand basic mathematics and learn proper ethics or we can pay for more police, jails and prisons later. It is our choice, if we fail to make that choice we have simply pre-chosen the latter. |
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