It is so ironic that legislatures everywhere have jumped up and put on all
kinds of extra requirements on teachers to force the lazy slackers to get
a better education product. For example, the Nev. legis. passed a bill
that requires mucho testing in all grades. A friend of mine who teaches
first grade said that the first grade tests will end up taking a full 6
weeks to administer since the kids don't read very well and the test will
have to be given orally to each student individually!! They don't ever
stop to think when they make new rules--do you suppose that losing 6 weeks
of instruction might hurt everyone! I know that there are bad teachers
out there, but I'm not sure all the testing and regulating will help. I
do know that young people are not choosing education as a career because
it's low paying and under-rewarding. In our district there are whole
schools with populations of teachers in their 50's who will all retire
together. I'm sure this is true all across the US--I know that there are
lots of young teachers but I already know of many cases where retired
teachers are coaxed out of retirement by being allowed to double
dip--teach and collect their retirement. Maybe in this year when so many
lost their jobs policy makers can find ways to work out some of the lumps
in thinking and work to make teaching more desirable.
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# Sidnie Miller #
# Elko High School #
# College Avenue #
# Elko, NV 89801 #
# 702-738-7281 #
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