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As teacher resignation letters increasingly go public -- and viral -- new research indicates teachers are not leaving solely due to low pay and retirement, but also because of what they see as a broken education system.
In a trio of studies, Michigan State University education expert Alyssa Hadley Dunn and colleagues examined the relatively new phenomenon of teachers posting their resignation letters online. Their findings, which come as many teachers are signing next year's contacts, suggest educators at all grade and experience levels are frustrated and disheartened by a nationwide focus on standardized tests, scripted curriculum and punitive teacher-evaluation systems.
Teacher turnover costs more than $2.2 billion in the U.S. each year and has been shown to decrease student achievement in the form of reading and math test scores.
"The reasons teachers are leaving the profession has little to do with the reasons most frequently touted by education reformers, such as pay or student behavior," said Dunn, assistant professor of teacher education. "Rather, teachers are leaving largely because oppressive policies and practices are affecting their working conditions and beliefs about themselves and education."
The study quoted a teacher in Boston: "I did not feel I was leaving my job. I felt then and feel now that my job left me."
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @02:38PM (12 children)
"Higher" learning (for those who choose to spend their own resources), or alternatively (and most likely) vocational skills; the vast majority of people are not only ill suited for "higher" learning, but also are not needed in societal positions where "higher" learning is necessary—they are instead needed in vocational positions, places where they would also be more comfortable, anyway.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @05:09PM (1 child)
Not what the article is about genius. This is a discussion of K-12 education not college.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @05:18PM
Clearly, you do not comprehend this thread.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Friday April 07 2017, @07:07PM (6 children)
I would suggest also some basic life skills that are valuable to almost everyone:
Logic / debate - how to express their thoughts coherently and recognize the common logical fallacies.
Basic handyman skills - how to wire a lamp, fix a leaky faucet, etc.
Personal finance - investments, retirement planning, insurance considerations
Applied civics - how and why to vote, influence your representatives, and take part in local politics from town hall meetings to electoral delegates. As well as a study of the common methods used to subvert democracy.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Friday April 07 2017, @11:19PM (1 child)
Agreed. One might add basic cooking skills and nutrition to that list. It used to be part of "home economics" classes, which also bled over into some of your other categories of household finances, managing basic household tasks, etc.
(And before someone chimes in about how "nutritional" science has a bunch of hokum -- I agree. But we could at least make some attempt to make young people aware of the benefits of a diverse diet, the necessity of consuming vitamins and nutrients, etc. A shockingly large percentage of young kids these days have terrible diets -- poor people have frequently traded old types of malnutrition for new ones in the form of "empty" calories of heavily processed foods.)
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Saturday April 08 2017, @01:30AM
Definitely.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:36AM (3 children)
Yeah, my wife has kids who can't read or write (basically illiterate) or do simple math, but have to attend french class.
NO! They should be learning the basics so they can get by in life (if you can't read cat or dog, what good is chat and chien), and having it drilled til they KNOW it.
Putting them in french class just makes them feel even dumber and makes them act up/skip class.
Have them learn the basics, so they can at least read at the highest level they can attain, and learn simple math and coinage and time(!).
extra on top of the basics is gravy on their mashed potatoes.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 08 2017, @07:55AM
Sounds like those kids need more Bible Studies so they can get outraged when Fox News reports about Christians under attack in Jerusalem, home of baby Jesus.
(Score: 1) by purple_cobra on Saturday April 08 2017, @10:55AM (1 child)
Yeah, in the past it wasn't seen as a terrible thing that some kids just aren't a good fit for university and that everyone concerned would be happier if they did more "vocational" (i.e. manual labour, for the most part) work. I am a graduate who knows other graduates and non-graduates; that factor alone doesn't determine whether they're good people, nor does it make them worth more or less than anyone else. I have friends and relatives who are certainly capable of attaining a BSc (or equivalent), but university just wasn't something they wanted. You can reassure these people and encourage them, but their life is their own to do with as they wish. Now there's this huge drive to have every kid attend university whether that's a good fit for them or not, something that cannot and will not end successfully.
My late mother taught younger children (4-5 years old) for most of her career and for the five years or so before she retired, she saw increasing numbers coming into the classroom with no social skills, no verbal skills, nothing. They were almost feral. That's anecdotal, of course, but anyone interested enough to do the legwork on finding out if the trend in her classroom was replicated across the country would be doing the nation a favour. Blaming the teachers for lack of discipline is to ignore the increasing restrictions on what disciplinary acts are allowed by the relevant regulations; I'm not saying corporal punishment is the right option - it isn't likely to ever be the right option - but if you aren't allowed to lay hands on a child to stop it being violent to itself, another child or even yourself, plus there's the "I know my rights" parents who have kids that parrot this nonsensical shite at the first sign of trouble, then of course they grow up with no self-discipline and no understanding of cause and effect and as such are a net drain on society.
Solutions? I'm buggered if I know. Demonising and undermining teachers certainly isn't going to help.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 08 2017, @09:47PM
There's also the fact that people have access to more information than ever, even scientific studies. Self-education is more possible than it ever was before. Major universities often post the materials (such as books) they use online, so individuals can use that as a guide to learn if they so choose. Schools are not the only way to attain an education, and in fact are often a hindrance to motivated individuals and especially the more introverted ones.
Even as a software developer, I refuse to get a degree out of principle, because what matters is the quality of my education and work.
plus there's the "I know my rights" parents who have kids that parrot this nonsensical shite at the first sign of trouble, then of course they grow up with no self-discipline and no understanding of cause and effect and as such are a net drain on society.
I see no issue with knowing your rights, as schools and governments seem very willing to violate them. Defending your rights doesn't mean you have no self-discipline. What were you referring to there exactly?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:43PM (2 children)
So lets dumb em' all down! Don't want to put in the effort? That's OK! Lots of people would like a generation of mules to do their bidding.
.....
The vast majority of people are suited to finish K-12 without too much pain. Perhaps we can dial back some of the requirements, or better yet offer alternatives. Take personal finance instead of algebra II, sounds good to me. But don't try and sell people the idea that education is worthless, that is either an attempt to screw over society (let the dumb dumbs get taken advantage of amirite???? /s) or to downplay personal insecurities.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @09:17PM
Vocational work requires a great deal of problem-solving skill and the application of specialized, studied techniques.
Most university degrees, in comparison, are total tosh.
Also, so what if you can program a computer; you'll still be calling your HVAC guy to fix your frozen ass when your furnace breaks down in the middle of winter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 09 2017, @02:10PM
But don't try and sell people the idea that education is worthless
But that's exactly what our current 'Everybody's gotta go to college!' system does. Most colleges and universities offer an abysmal level of education that's only slightly better than what high schools offer. The more idiots you force to go into secondary schooling, the worse the education offered will be, since they have to dumb things down to make as much money from the morons as possible. If someone wants to go to college or universities primarily so they can earn a degree and make more money, then they are not suited for that environment; it's supposed to be for academics, or people who seek comprehension for its own sake. We need a fundamental restructuring of the entire system, because we are not truly educating people, but instead we're teaching them to be good at Jeopardy!.