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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: 3, Insightful) by Arik on Friday April 07 2017, @04:42PM (11 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Friday April 07 2017, @05:31PM
It would be nice if you had a citation for that. Are you possibly thinking of JoeySalads' Transgender Bathroom Hoax (Gender Analysis 20) [youtube.com]? The controversy pre-dated that April 18, 2016 [youtube.com] video.
Bathrooms and locker rooms: the transgender witch hunt (Gender Analysis 17) [genderanalysis.net]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @05:54PM (6 children)
And frankly that IS a problem. Because the women and girls who use that bathroom weren't comfortable with his presence, and it's hard to blame them.
Oh, so it's a problem because of people's feelz. I see. I thought we should just have unisex bathrooms, but clearly we have to make sure everyone feels good. No black people in white bathrooms, because otherwise you might upset a KKK member. Note that you can't argue that we should do everything to appease one person's subjective feelings and remain consistent when you say that another person's feelings don't matter. It's totally subjective.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday April 07 2017, @06:20PM (1 child)
You check the numbers. People who complain about being forced to use a different restroom than the one they want to are like 1% of the population.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday April 07 2017, @06:40PM
Sure. But that, in and of itself, doesn't really mean anything. Just because they're ~1% of the population doesn't mean they're not human or that it's somehow ok to act as if they were not.
But I think we need to think carefully about whether a particular action actually does that 1% any good waaay back before we start thinking it's ok to force it on people that don't agree. Is this about helping that 1% of the population, or is it just about keeping the general population divided into competing colors and riled up at each other?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday April 07 2017, @06:33PM (3 children)
Which is part of why I say it's a manufactured issue. It's nearly 100% feelz in terms of the mainstream discourse. It's all about manipulating emotions and stimulating feelz. The blue americans sympathize more with the gender disphoric who feelz bad about not being able to use the restroom he or she would prefer, the red americans sympathize more with the ladies that don't want their customary safe space violated like this, both sides get riled up, who profits?
"I thought we should just have unisex bathrooms"
I could cope with those personally, I have in other places with other cultures, but that would be a very hard one for the typical american to adjust to. And frankly it's not very reasonable to demand that they do.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:45PM (1 child)
I've heard of some in Europe where each toilet has a closed room with a locking door, but the sinks are out in the open. I'd be alright with that, but it would make other things a little less appealing. Who wants to see a girl they're attracted to coming out of a toilet she just blasted into oblivion (or wants to be walking out of one they just rode hard and put away wet when a girl they find attractive is waiting for them to get out)?
(Score: 1) by Arik on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:55AM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:48AM
Hard to adjust to? I have been thinking over the last several months that this would be precisely the solution that everyone should get behind; you just go do your business and no one else has to know what your junk looks like. Problem solved. In fact, every Starbucks I am familiar with does this already. And I have noticed that other businesses are starting to move in this direction as well. Maybe you need to get out more?
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Friday April 07 2017, @07:01PM (2 children)
Nope, sorry, it's always you assholes who try to block my way or are asking me to leave until I whip out my cock. Then you shut up all sheepish like and let me go about my business.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Friday April 07 2017, @07:06PM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:18PM
I'd have to say "advanced infiltrator-class woman suit" pretty much covers the "passable" part, yet she's being forced to use the men's room due to her lack of female genitals, by the sound of it. She has every right to fuck with peoples' heads until they start treating her like a human being instead of a walking collection of genetics and genitals.
I've been in the same situation. I just took a different tack. No need to whip it out, just embarrass the hell out of the men by giving absolutely zero clue that you're still biologically male underneath the clothes and makeup. Sooner or later they stop making you use the men's room.
Today of course, I'm full-stealth, pass fairly well, and I always use the ladies' room (even in the face of a certain state bathroom law); if someone gives me shit about it, they'll have more to worry about than what's between my legs.
(posting anonymously because too many people here and elsewhere would recognize me)