Discrimination-Based Teacher Education Plan

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Wayne Maybury

Anthony, we have a 4 year old grand daughter that is with us 2 days per week . I have been doing ABC's and numbers with her since she was 2. She didn't understand at first but she can now do the full alphabet as well as count to the mid teens in English and in French. I am trying to teach her how to write her letters but she hasn't grasped the concept quite yet. She likes to make lots of H's but no A's, B's or C's so far. None the less, I try to spend a few minutes doing something constructive with her every day. It has to be fun for her and of course a 4 year old has a very short span of attention. I have learned to be patient.

Wayne

One major goal of a parent is to help your child be the best they can be, be the "smartest" they can be, to the best of their ability, whatever that may be.

I now can really relate to my parents, how they must have felt about me whenever I did well, probably the same feeling I have for my kids when they do well. What a terrific feeling.

[Wayne Maybury]

Anthony

I look back and realize that I could have been a much better student when I was young. Learning was just too easy for me so I never really became very good at studying and/or preparing for exams. I always passed and at the time, that was good enough for me.

Fast forward past years of motorcycles, fast cars, lots of girls and too much beer; to a married man with a wife and 2 daughters. I went back to school at night and earned a B. Comm. followed by an M.B.A. I can tell you that I had to learn to be a good student at that point in my life or else I would never have been able to achieve that level of success.

After graduating with an M.B.A., I began to teach part time and I continue to do until this day.

Wayne

[trularin]

I was a professor at a university and I taught high school.

At no time did a review board ask me if I could teach.

And, I am sorry to say that there are those that can not even teach PE, yet they sit in a class room and do little of nothing.

There are others that put what they can into it and usually get a good following.

It is all in the teacher.

You really got to wonder, did they start out as bad teachers or did they become that way over years of battle field experience.

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by turnpike boy

Not directly. Wife is an elementary teacher (32 years) and daughter is also (4 years). While not a teacher myself, it is impossible to escape the impact that administrations heap on staff when so close to the action. It would take far too long to give you blow-by-blow examples, but they are manifest to both in my family.

PDUB, as Anthony noted parent involvement plays a major role in the success - and lack thereof - of kids in school. The sh*t that happens here is almost too surreal to accept as fact....but it is.

How about you, PDUB? - are you an employee of the system?

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

No.............

Yes, the parents/family are the driving factor!

No, I am not an employee of the system. However, I have been a tenured professor in higher education, and worked at multiple institutions, large and small, in the past.

Tenure is a complex issue. Though, tenure would not really be an issue for you TPB, since that is typically found in higher ed., rather than in primary and secondary education. As for "heaps of impact," to a great extent, gov't regulation plays a large role. And, I think it is only going to continue to get worse.

In general, I think administrators are not using tenure as a means to stack the faculty ranks with lackeys, etc. Rather, it is department-level faculty, acting on agenda, who seek to recruit "like-minded" comrades to join the ranks. This is especially true in public institutions' arts type programs... less so in science, technology, and engineering. It is much less of an issue with private institutions. I have seen very good talent unfairly chased out due to political/world view conflicts.

The notion of tenure is noble... protecting academic freedom. One does not have to look far to see the potential for abuse of academic freedom in the recently revealed emails from the climate scientists in the UK. Researchers going against global warming were/are likely at risk. The video on the Cloud Mystery that Kirkham posted is another indicator of this potential.

Tenure as an institution is clearly under attack and has been for some time. But, I think that the problem/reason it has come under attack is two-fold. First, faculty have lost control of the academy. In the process, they have not been fastidious about policing their ranks for adequate performance once a person achieves tenure. To be sure, they are active in regulating performance at the tenure/promotion review process. But, this is lost in some cases after the full-professor rank is reached. The primary responsibility resides with the faculty to take action, but they typically don't. In fact, when an administrator attempts to take action there is an outcry of foul; a perception of attacking academic freedom. No doubt, the problem is that it is a slippery slope; one that could easily be abused. Thus, many are reticent to attempt to oust a tenured faculty member. Yet, each year tenured faculty are fired/dismissed for cause. And lawsuits abound.

Second, many faculty have crossed the line into political activism, which compromises their integrity as teachers. No need to give examples... we've all seen them in recent years.

I think that in some cases, the faculty have called this scrutiny on themselves. Faculty that become lazy/unprepared create and issue. Faculty that teach agenda driven (on either side) topics stray from the initial protection of academic freedom as outlined in early documents.

Both the public at large and the academic community should look back to the AAUP's 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, and re-establish the tenure system under this form (I think this is available at the AAUP website). This documentation provides definitive guidelines to validate solid parameters for professional conduct within the tenure system, dispelling some of the suspicion by those outside of the academy that tenure was conceived and devised merely as a means of securing a life-term position so that professors could relax and get by with as little as possible. The original intent of tenure is clearly stated; it was not for the well-being of the professor or individual colleges, but for the welfare of society – a means of promoting the common good.

Within each of the sections on academic freedom, there is a protection for the teacher, but these protections are accompanied by restrictions and responsibilities. Section a promotes that the teacher is to have academic and research freedom, but only so long as teaching duties are not neglected. Section b outlines that the teacher is to have freedom of expression in the classroom, so long as a personal, unrelated agenda does not interfere with the subject matter. In section c, the document notes that teachers have all the rights of private citizens. However, due to the respect afforded to the noble profession of teaching, they must conduct even matters in the private community with honor, accuracy, dignity, and respect, knowing that the opinions expressed reflect not just personally on the individual teacher, but also on the institution in particular and the profession in general.

Now, most institutions are addressing something called "post-tenure review." This is another process for evaluation of senior faculty, meant to dispell public dissatisfaction with the tenure system.

I must say that most of the people I worked with were quite productive. Higher ed. faculty typically have a three-pronged responsibilty set that includes teaching, scolarly activity, and service. I was fortunate to have been able to accomplish all three successfully. Many do it very well, but you know what they say about a few bad apples...

This became longer than I had anticipated, so I will stop here. If anyone really is interested (NOT!), I'll be happy to discuss potential consequenses of dismantling the tenure system. I hope this helps in general understanding of the system...

[Cobrabill]

Tell me why anyone(let alone a 29 year old teacher) should have guaranteed employment?
If someone is"fire-proof" there is no incentive to do anything other than sit on your a$$.

[Excaliber]

Tell me why anyone(let alone a 29 year old teacher) should have guaranteed employment?

I thought PDUB's post above was a good review on "why" myself. My X is a tenured prof, there is plenty of motivation to continure to excell in her position. Some may be satisified to simply sit back at that point and draw their salary. Others will still strive to better themselves, climb the corporate ladder if you would, agressively go after grants in order to do more research. More research, more grants usually mean more money, more travel to interesting places as an invited speaker (travel paid for, perhaps even a speaking fee). There are still plenty reasons to better yourself within the system, or not, I guess you could just sit back and draw your pay check. But your respect might well go down the tubes. Respect at the PhD level is a powerful motivator.

Come to think of it, my X was about 29 when she got tenure...

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

I thought PDUB's post above was a good review on "why" myself. My X is a tenured prof, there is plenty of motivation to continure to excell in her position. Some may be satisified to simply sit back at that point and draw their salary. Others will still strive to better themselves, climb the corporate ladder if you would, agressively go after grants in order to do more research. More research, more grants usually mean more money, more travel to interesting places as an invited speaker (travel paid for, perhaps even a speaking fee). There are still plenty reasons to better yourself within the system, or not, I guess you could just sit back and draw your pay check. But your respect might well go down the tubes. Respect at the PhD level is a powerful motivator.

Come to think of it, my X was about 29 when she got tenure...

Let me re-phrase...NO-ONE should have a guaranteed job for life.NO-ONE.

And a lot of this conversation is focused on the university level.On the level that matters(grade-high school)"tenure" really needs to go.

[Ralphy]

I have nothing against MLK. But does my child need to spend 12 years studying the guy for a week year after year? That has to be the most time spent in one area on any subject!

Sorry for jacking your thread, still waking up.

[Excaliber]

NO ONE DOES! A tenured prof can still be fired.

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

NO ONE DOES! A tenured prof can still be fired.

Really?How many have been vs need to be.And it takes an"act of congress" to do it.And once again you are talking university level.

The system needs to change.

[Excaliber]

Eh eh, how hard is it to get rid of a senior union member? Or a senior Government worker? Many other examples. But fundamentally I agree, the system needs to change.

What we need is "more regulations and more Government control", yeah, that's the ticket!

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Let me re-phrase...NO-ONE should have a guaranteed job for life.NO-ONE.

And a lot of this conversation is focused on the university level.On the level that matters(grade-high school)"tenure" really needs to go.

If you read my post, you saw that I mentioned primary and secondary teachers don't have it... as far as I know... please correct me if I am wrong. As far as a "job for life," again if you read my post, that is not what tenure is about.

[Jamo]

PDUB

Great post...hope folks read it thoroughly. I've been a guest lecturer for quite awhile at the university level, so I've been an close observer of department-level politics. You nailed it.

[RAZOR]

My wife has been at a state university for the past 14 years, the system is political and many time corrupt with the use of their power. They do not measure a good job or success as many of us do that are outside of academia. Political correctness is one measuring stick they use, too many professors are agenda driven which is another standard and is accepted as long as it is liberal. If you are in any minority group and complain long enough you get your way, one reason all of this happens is because the administrators totally lack any courage.
I have met many of the Professors, and administrators some are great people, some are total whack jobs. We send our kids there to get educated and they get indoctrinated, as you see I do not have great confidence in the direction that higher education is going. Its just another area of our society that have been overtaken by liberal Utopian dogma.

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by Jamo

PDUB

Great post...hope folks read it thoroughly. I've been a guest lecturer for quite awhile at the university level, so I've been an close observer of department-level politics. You nailed it.

Thanks Jamo!

And as Razor just mentioned, 'tis true, 'tis true...

[turnpike boy]

Originally Posted by PDUB

If you read my post, you saw that I mentioned primary and secondary teachers don't have it... as far as I know... please correct me if I am wrong. As far as a "job for life," again if you read my post, that is not what tenure is about.

Not correct. Virtually all states confer tenure on elementary and secondary school teachers on the first day of their 4th. year on staff. Thruout that time they are observed (evaluated) a minimum of 3 times each school year. The observation serves as the primary tool for dismissal prior to tenure; after tenure they are still subject to the same evaluation process, altho it has now become considerably harder to remove them.

Problem is, it takes anybody 3 years to become reasonably competent at a new job. And a first year teacher is considerably cheaper than a third-year teacher - hence, there is usually (in times of tight budgets) a predictable turnover of staff prior to that first day of the 4th year. If you do manage to stay on the administration's good side then your chance of staying are good...even if you are a slug. Generally, it is the candidate the Superintendent brings in that is the slug....and guess who invariably makes that 4th. day without issue.

Academia is another world altogether. The "publish or die" motivator there is a powerful incentive - for elem/secondary it is relationships with the parents. Feedback here to administration is virtually always fatal, especially so in the first 3 years. And Gov't regulation impact is largely procedural at the elem/secondary level; i.e., No Child Left Behind regs that mandate classroom inclusion of behaviorally-disturbed and functionally-impaired kids. Mostly just a slightly difficult requirement but not a key to retaining employment.

Public school environments are a morass of favoritism and exclusion. School boards abrogate their duty to the public by leaving hire/fire decisions to their Superintendents - who, unsurprisingly - quickly establish favorites and discards. It is difficult to fire a tenured teacher - but by no meand impossible. It DOES take commitment and a willingness to see it thru by the administration - but it is by far easier and less costly simply to harass and intimidate the staff until they decide they can take it no longer. Frequent grade level changes, class lists that contain the most troubled kids or kids with parents that are known antagonists, scheduled prep times that are constantly interrupted with cafeteria or playground duties, etc. - the list is endless. And going after the most-senior members of their staff establishes two things to the rest; that no one is immune, and if that senior member says "enough", payroll now has dropped dramatically. Good news in times of tight budgets.

If you think that situations like this are exceptions, you are mistaken. Morale suffers in all workplaces, but when it does it is generally for specific reasons. When morale sinks, so does the process, be it education or production or whatever.

[SP01715]

My wife left the private sector (working for a CPA firm) about 5 years ago and went to work for the state (benefits, retirement etc...). She has promoted past people that have worked in the same job capacity for more than 20 years because they are lazy.

They don't want to work hard, they don't seek further education, and they don't want to test for promotions because it is too much work. These people would rather make less money and work less.

In the time she has been there they were only able to get rid of one person, and it was extremely difficult. The union (SEIU) controls everything, and makes the firing of any employee almost impossible. every employee is forced to pay union dues as well.

This is the type of environment that union controlled government creates. If an employee refuses to work, or can't do the job they should be fired.