I didn't think teachers could strike

[Broncojohnny]

I'd like to second the athletics budget issue. My dad owns a paving company and we do lots of running tracks for schools plus parking lots etc. The amount of money wasted on stupid stuff is just jaw dropping. This last summer John Tyler(Tyler Texas...) HS completely repaved/rubbered their 7 lane running track. Then, later, they decided they wanted an 8th lane and spent...... one hundred thousand dollars on ONE LANE of running track. This doesn't include the new bleachers, lights, and concession stands they put in. We also worked on a school(can't for the life of me remember the name) that put in 3 new astro-turf fields for their football program plus a gigantic fancy school building. I mean, really? Is it really necessary to have 3 full sized astro turf fields just for football? Really?

This happens because of the Robin Hood program where excess money is sent to South Texas to educate the half of Mexico that has moved here. From what I understand, the Robin Hood split comes after capital dollars are spent, so do the math.

[Broncojohnny]

There are no Teacher unions in Texas so who's to blame for this state's education problems. I think the last time I looked we are ranked 45th, but it could be worse for all I know. It's not the teachers fault. They are tasked with doing a job that is out of this world. In todays society with single parents running rampant and parents that just don't care or give a shit about their kids education the teacher is suppose to be the one that rises above and gives a disadvantage kid a leg up. Get out of here with that bullshit. I respect teachers, but I don't expect them to do God's work for 45k a year.

If you would like to make the case that adding a teacher's union to the mix would make the situation better or have no affect, we'd love hear the logic, I could use a good laugh.

[Slykin]

I'd like to second the athletics budget issue. My dad owns a paving company and we do lots of running tracks for schools plus parking lots etc. The amount of money wasted on stupid stuff is just jaw dropping. This last summer John Tyler(Tyler Texas...) HS completely repaved/rubbered their 7 lane running track. Then, later, they decided they wanted an 8th lane and spent...... one hundred thousand dollars on ONE LANE of running track. This doesn't include the new bleachers, lights, and concession stands they put in. We also worked on a school(can't for the life of me remember the name) that put in 3 new astro-turf fields for their football program plus a gigantic fancy school building. I mean, really? Is it really necessary to have 3 full sized astro turf fields just for football? Really?

[Kimmypie]

It looks like schools are handed bigger and bigger budgets and are failing more and more often. As the grunts of the schools, the teachers are tasked with performing the mission. If the mission is a failure, the grunts have failed. They need to take it up with the admin and their unions about removing bad teachers. Protecting the leeches diminish the brilliance of the amazing teachers. I've had some that I still keep in contact with and one that I went to his funeral because he was such a transformational teacher. And I have 90% that I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire.

The grunt enlist, jackass. They signed up to be there. They are working with other grunts and officers who enlisted & work together in order to succeed. Teachers are working with kids & parents who don't want to be there, many of who have the great ambition in life to get on the wellfare roles to get free shit & who see zero gain in working toward anything gainful. So how's it the same when a teacher can't get a kid to give a fuck as when its people working toward a shared goal again? It isn't fair to be penalized when you bust your ass daily & run up against a brick wall trying to get some cooperation & give a shit going.

[Leah]

I have been saying for years that there are (among MANY other) 3 big problems with the financial situation in most districts.

1) The way the budget is spent and allocated. People employed in education in any district I've worked in can only get reimbursed for or can order supplies from approved vendors. This means (example only) that the set of pencils I can get at Wal-mart on sale for $.49 costs the district $5.00 and if I buy the ones for $.49, I cannot be reimbursed unless we have a contract with them. However, I can order as many sets of $5.00 pencils as my heart desires or I run out of department budget money, whichever comes first.

This is FUCKING RETARDED! The district will shell out 10x more money to buy from a stupid approved vendor-cut that shit out and you could save a ton of money.

2) Money gets allocated in certain funds which can only be spent on approved items within that budget. For example, when I taught in Keller, I was a lead teacher in my department for 4 years. After 4 years, the admin who handled finances came to me and said, 'Hey, we found some money that is earmarked special ed for your department that we thought was for something else, but if you don't spend it by May (this was February), we lose it so order anything and everything you can think of". Seriously?? Why don't you use it for something that's needed, like textbooks for kids, etc? Because that's not the fund for which it is allocated. Another fucking brilliant idea.

3) Programs for children that aren't legal and whose parents aren't taxes. There are so many programs that taxpayers pay for that illegals get for free. Food, medical, supplies, string instruments, bilingual, etc...You name it, they can get it. For free. And here's the kicker-it's ILLEGAL for us to ask if they are LEGAL!

There are a shit-ton more problems in education, but these are just a few that hit hard. Don't even get me started on tying teacher jobs to student performance. Yes, there should be some accountability, but that isn't the way.

[Leah]

There are no Teacher unions in Texas so who's to blame for this state's education problems. I think the last time I looked we are ranked 45th, but it could be worse for all I know. It's not the teachers fault. They are tasked with doing a job that is out of this world. In todays society with single parents running rampant and parents that just don't care or give a shit about their kids education the teacher is suppose to be the one that rises above and gives a disadvantage kid a leg up. Get out of here with that bullshit. I respect teachers, but I don't expect them to do God's work for 45k a year.

Afuckinmen! Can I get a hallelujah??

[Armedtrigger01]

You know where Texas school budgets go? Football programs. I'm sure that is the teachers fault too.

You mean like the 60 million for a football stadium. Oh wait they spent money on the students to they bought a grand piano top of the line spared no expense it must be kept in a climate humidity controlled room with a special platform to move it which is not to be used for practice by students or for performances by students. It's so they can rent it out to professionals to practice on when they are in dfw. That is where the money went in Allen.

[slow99]

I had a chemistry class pre-ap at Keller High where I could score a maximum of 134 on a test.

Chooooooooo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ chooooo$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[FreightTrain]

It looks like schools are handed bigger and bigger budgets and are failing more and more often. As the grunts of the schools, the teachers are tasked with performing the mission. If the mission is a failure, the grunts have failed. They need to take it up with the admin and their unions about removing bad teachers. Protecting the leeches diminish the brilliance of the amazing teachers. I've had some that I still keep in contact with and one that I went to his funeral because he was such a transformational teacher. And I have 90% that I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire.

There are no Teacher unions in Texas so who's to blame for this state's education problems. I think the last time I looked we are ranked 45th, but it could be worse for all I know. It's not the teachers fault. They are tasked with doing a job that is out of this world. In todays society with single parents running rampant and parents that just don't care or give a shit about their kids education the teacher is suppose to be the one that rises above and gives a disadvantage kid a leg up. Get out of here with that bullshit. I respect teachers, but I don't expect them to do God's work for 45k a year.

[Superwho]

Holy hell, you're retarded. The system is fucked from the top down. Teachers are NOT the problem. They are bound to what the legislators give them to work with. Standardized testing doesn't actually teach anything at all.

You know where Texas school budgets go? Football programs. I'm sure that is the teachers fault too.

Pigeon chess

[bcoop]

It looks like schools are handed bigger and bigger budgets and are failing more and more often. As the grunts of the schools, the teachers are tasked with performing the mission. If the mission is a failure, the grunts have failed. They need to take it up with the admin and their unions about removing bad teachers. Protecting the leeches diminish the brilliance of the amazing teachers. I've had some that I still keep in contact with and one that I went to his funeral because he was such a transformational teacher. And I have 90% that I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire.

Holy hell, you're retarded. The system is fucked from the top down. Teachers are NOT the problem. They are bound to what the legislators give them to work with. Standardized testing doesn't actually teach anything at all.

You know where Texas school budgets go? Football programs. I'm sure that is the teachers fault too.

[FreightTrain]

Freight Train- you can learn to take tests. There is actually an art to taking tests in subjects like physics and chemistry, etc. I had a chemistry class pre-ap at Keller High where I could score a maximum of 134 on a test. If we knew 75% of the material, we got a 100. On every question, there were often 3-5 points we had to hit, like doing the dimensional analysis, getting the proper exponents, the final answer etc. She was the only teacher that did that in the school and it was approved by admins. I never scored above a 95 on her tests no matter how much studying I did. In fact, my first few tests were in the low 20's and I did not know how to take them. After lots of tutorials, and 1.5 semesters of the same class, I passed. It was because I worked my ass off.

Now lets take a look at why 'most' kids have bad test grades. It is not because they stink at tests, that is an excuse. They either are not putting forth enough effort or they have a serious anxiety disorder. Dont come in here with your sympathetic bullshit.

Please show me where I posted sympathetic bullshit. What about the kids that are to dumb to learn to pass the test. Funny how you said "most kids'. What happens when your minority is "most kids" and your majority is kids that barely speak english because their parents are in this country illegal. Not to mention the kids are shuffled from school to school because their parents keep moving for jobs or to avoid the law. Maybe things aren't as bad in Dallas as they are in south Texas, but this shit is out of hand down here. Hell just a few weeks ago a board member posted that they enrolled their kid in half english/spanish kindergarten. That should tell you something.

[Forever_frost]

Your issues are with the legislators. Teachers can only work with what they are given.

It looks like schools are handed bigger and bigger budgets and are failing more and more often. As the grunts of the schools, the teachers are tasked with performing the mission. If the mission is a failure, the grunts have failed. They need to take it up with the admin and their unions about removing bad teachers. Protecting the leeches diminish the brilliance of the amazing teachers. I've had some that I still keep in contact with and one that I went to his funeral because he was such a transformational teacher. And I have 90% that I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire.

[Leah]

Your issues are with the legislators. Teachers can only work with what they are given.

Thank you.

[bcoop]

My view is that there are far too many teachers who aren't earning their keep. They aren't teaching, they're indoctrinating if even that. Teacher should be competing, their students success should be theirs. Like we learned in basic, if the students fail (more fail than pass like in Chicago) the teachers should be fired. They also should actually test the teachers to make sure they actually know the stuff they're teaching. I've sat through classes where I knew more than the teachers in college.

If standardized testing isn't the answer, what is? What will bring education levels up? Personally, I'm all for removing the requirement that someone go to school and pay teachers based off of the amount of students who can perform the tasks taught in the class as compared to the rest of the country. I'm also 100% for outlawing unions in teaching. Teachers should have to go to the public and ask them to vote on pay raises and benefits. But then again, I think all public servants should have to actually ask taxpayers for raises

Your issues are with the legislators. Teachers can only work with what they are given.