Educators, y'all have an exodus??

[Howard Roark]

Hopefully so, and hopefully they will shut down public education for good.


T

How do you educate the population when this happens?

 

[sgsjr]

George Bush's insane "No Child Left Behind" propaganda will be one of the major contributors to this exodus. I don't know why he thinks this is a good program, I guess the catchy name.

 

[pbradley]

Teachers and LEOs are the most underpaid & underappreciated people in the workforce IMO.

It is easy to find a profession that would pay more but it is hard to find one with a higher level of personal satisfaction

According to the Ga dept of education, an average teacher's salary in Ga is over $42,000 a year; the whole state average for all groups is less than $40,000 a year.

This means that a group of civil servants (that's what teachers are - government employees) is making on average more than the people who hire them.

How much should teachers make?

 

[RThomas]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/08/18/teacher.turnover.ap/index.html

I have worked with several x-teachers. Most say they left because of the pay and no chance for advancement. Also, it takes a lot of time and effort- it doesn't end when you go home. They have to plan their lessons, grade homework, ect.

 

[broadhead]

Fellow Teachers,
Treat the uninformed incites (notice I did not say insights) posted in this thread as you would students who just try to "get your goat.". Ignore them and the annoying behavior will stop.
Broadhead

Phil,
Over fifteen years ago, I researched teacher burn out in graduate school. If I remember the numbers correctly, even then, one in three teachers left the profession with in the first three to five years. The average career span of a teacher was only three years. If this data still holds true, or if the percentages have increased, in addition to our aging population retiring, the percentage you stated would not surprise me. (I know...long sentence)
However, in addition to my regular teaching job, I teach part time in the Georgia Southern University College of Education and I can assure you students are beating down the doors to replace those that are retiring and those that find out that teaching is not their calling.
Broadhead

 

[GeauxLSU]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/08/18/teacher.turnover.ap/index.html

RT,
Thanks for the link. At least I'm only half crazy. I assume this means the country as a whole (it's not specific to Georgia). But that 40% is still shocking, retiring or not...
Good new is...

Overall, 83 percent of teachers say they are satisfied with their jobs, a level that has held steady over the last 15 years. Yet, beyond retirement, teachers say they have plenty of reasons to consider leaving: concerns over pay, dissatisfaction with school bureaucracy or plans to work in another education job, among other factors.

I wonder if 83% of the general population are satisfied with their jobs? I'd love to be a teacher, but yes, it would be a financial move I can not make at this time. For me, it would have to be young elementary school or college. No way I could deal with older middle school or high school (or rather no way they or their parents could deal with me.)
Hats off to all our educators!

 

[GeauxLSU]

Phil,
Over fifteen years ago, I researched teacher burn out in graduate school. If I remember the numbers correctly, even then, one in three teachers left the profession with in the first three to five years. The average career span of a teacher was only three years. If this data still holds true, or if the percentages have increased, in addition to our aging population retiring, the percentage you stated would not surprise me. (I know...long sentence)
However, in addition to my regular teaching job, I teach part time in the Georgia Southern University College of Education and I can assure you students are beating down the doors to replace those that are retiring and those that find out that teaching is not their calling.
Broadhead

Broadhead,
No doubt and hopefully good news. The numbers quoted in that article do suggest that we are about to lose a TON of experience in the teaching ranks. I suppose that could be viewed a variety of ways.....

 

[leo]

While it's probably true

that 40% of Georgia teachers should go, unfortunately ... IMO .... we would probably loose the WRONG 40%

Treat the uninformed incites (notice I did not say insights)

Well said...........

 

[Sling]

My wife is a teacher and we have many teacher friends. Sgsjr hit the nail on the head!!! That added to the fact that so many parents don't do their job.

 

[Howard Roark]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/08/18/teacher.turnover.ap/index.html
Most say they left because of the pay and no chance for advancement. .

I have spent 13 years in college (5 years as a full time student) preparing myself to be a teacher / educational leader. The only way for a teacher to advance is to move out of the classroom into admin. Even though I could move I chose to stay in the classroom for now.

I'm not sure how much I have invested in my education but it is a fair amount of money.

 

[Sling]

If that is the reason why has it not been an issue before?
"...dissatisfaction with school bureaucracy or plans to work in another education job..." makes more sense.

 

[redwards]

Fellow Teachers,
Treat the uninformed incites (notice I did not say insights) posted in this thread as you would students who just try to "get your goat.". Ignore them and the annoying behavior will stop.....

Very well said!!
I am thankful for all the teachers who taught me in the 50's and early 60's. Those of you today who teach are to be commended. I am sure it is not easy to teach children and teens who have no clue as to what the word "respect" means.

 

[hpurvis]

I can not believe some of you are so ignorant as to attack our teachers. They are doing the best they can in a bad situation. It is a calling and I personally could not do it because I have not been called to teach. I was called to preach and that is the only way I could do that. I certainly wish that you who have chosen to attack our teachers would go and spend days at school as I have mentoring students and trying to help bring them along. My wife retired this year from school as a parapro and she misses it but it was really getting her down as she spent 8 years in special ed. She and I both are still partners in education and mentors and it is a blessing to be able to do this. I would recommend that those of you who are so negative on our teachers become a mentor and get involved and lets help our teachers and the students instead of attacking them. You would most certainly change your mind if you go and spend some quality time in school. BTW I am not a proponent of government education but it is the best thing we have right now. Let all work together to make it better.

 

[gtaff]

pbradley ,
I am not sure where you get your figures but I am no where near that average as a first year teacher.

According to the Ga dept of education, an average teacher's salary in Ga is over $42,000 a year; the whole state average for all groups is less than $40,000 a year.

This means that a group of civil servants (that's what teachers are - government employees) is making on average more than the people who hire them.

How much should teachers make

Mr. Roark and all the others out there as a first year teacher thanks for all of your support.
I did get a positive from tatonaka's negativity. He was right I did have several misspelled words. That does coming from fast typing and not paying close enough attention to detail of typing in Woody's. So from now on as a teacher I should probally watch how I type and spell seeing how I may be held to a higher standard.

 

[GeauxLSU]

pbradley ,
I am not sure where you get your figures but I am no where near that average as a first year teacher.

Gtaff,
I would not expect you to be anywhere near the average if it's your first year. You should understandably be near or at the bottom.
The question is, considering the amount of education most teachers have, is that measely $2,000 extra average salary, sufficient given the job they are called to do, the implications of not doing it properly, and again the credentials they bring to the job?
I think most will agree, teachers are NOT compensated enough. However, in a free market society, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY (ask) FOR. People whine about the public education system (and PLENTY of it is justified) yet don't want to PAY more for teachers (assuming they are all or even part of the problem). So we are left with at a stalemate.
Many people may be hesistant to want to throw more money at it because they are like me. Have absolutely zero confidence in government run programs and don't think the government does ANYTHING as well as the private sector could, but I admitedly do not have a solution to the public school situation.
I will say this, kids today are learning things (or at least or 'supposed to be' learning things) YEARS ahead of where they were less than one generation ago. I suppose that could be viewed as substantial progress. I just had a girl who works for me tell me her FIRST GRADER'S curriculum includes some ALGEBRA! I'm pretty sure in first grade I was more concerned about hunting frogs in the creek at recess.

 

[pbradley]

pbradley ,
I am not sure where you get your figures but I am no where near that average as a first year teacher.

G - that's probably why they call it an average.

The numbers I quoted come from the Ga. DOE, the Ga. DOL, and the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (www.gppf.org)

As a former reformed activist for the Libertarian Party, I used to have to read lots and lots of policy and white papers on public issues.

 

[Boyd Green]

Entersting thaught...

hte onlee peeple that ahlf reesponted to dis post htat no wut they R talkin bout R the teechers thmselfs.

ole' bufalo chip an othter repleyes R not eeven klose two hte reel truff.

I no cuz I are a teecher and ever teecher I no has more degrrees than a kat haz runin geers.

Eye fer 1 hav 3 bachlers and a masters

Thank you to those of you that understand education and the challenges it brings. Thank you for supporting teachers.

 

[Boyd Green]

Oh, by the way....

I didn't know that ANY teachers in GA are unionized!? There are 2 professional organizations but no union.

 

[Mac]

Well said Boyd Green !!!!!!!!!!!!1

I have responded twice to this post.

Cooled down and deleted it.

 

[broadhead]

hte onlee peeple that ahlf reesponted to dis post htat no wut they R talkin bout R the teechers thmselfs.

ole' bufalo chip an othter repleyes R not eeven klose two hte reel truff.

I no cuz I are a teecher and ever teecher I no has more degrrees than a kat haz runin geers.

Eye fer 1 hav 3 bachlers and a masters

Thank you to those of you that understand education and the challenges it brings. Thank you for supporting teachers.

Uh...Boyd? uh...mmmm...you mispelled teacher in case you didn't notice....