Very good post and I agree. Let me expand my view.
Most public service jobs are a sacrifice of the present for the future. I.e. get paid crap today for a future pension that affords comfort. Or time, work more from September to May and be free from June to August. It is what it is.
I too understand what he is trying to say, but he can't seem to define what the problem is. One post his problem is about when his free time is (which hasn't changed much for a public teacher in like 100 years) while the next post says it is about societal changes (school shootings, opioids, etc). One post is about $, but later he say it isn't about the $. Again, in the end, teaching is a job. You have to sacrifice one thing for another.
Kids have to go to school from September to May and I would like some stability in the class room. (side note, I would like them to go to school from Sept to August with more breaks across the "seasons", but its not my call). As a teacher, you either sign up for that or you don't. If I want to read into your post, I agree that most parents suck at parenting. Therein lies the core problem.
Thanks for the additional color. I tend to be a bit defensive on the topic. Yes, parents sucking is a real problem, but it’s more than that. There’s multiple material issues.
The expectations are high but the teachers aren’t given the tools to meet those expectations. When you have a couple of special needs kids in the classroom with one aide that is minimally trained to work with special needs kids, it is extremely difficult to get the rest of the kids to hit their benchmarks.
Another example. In my daughter’s room a couple of years ago there was a kid with behavioral issues. He’d act up, break things, throw stuff, and used words I’d get fired for using. And rather than remove him, they’d move the rest of the kids until the situation got resolved - they’re called room clears. It happened often. The administration blamed the teacher . . . How are kids supposed to learn how to read in that environment?
Classroom profiles today are a lot different than when we were kids. I never had kids with severe autism or Down syndrome in my classes. I think it’s great that they are now. But the resources need to be available to support that. They’re not. It falls back on the teacher to move mountains.
My wife starts back with training and in service days in mid August and is finally free about June 10th. Darn near 10 months. How does she get her kids to hit their benchmarks. Lots of hard work. Over 50 hours a week all year.
Granted it’s from the DPI, but from 2010 to 2022 median total comp decreased 20%. This isn’t because of offshoring or obsolescence due to technology. Retention is a real problem too. I don’t have comparisons to other jobs, but it’s certainly not good for teachers in WI.
So yes, it’s a parenting issue. It’s also a resource issue, an administrative issue, and a societal issue. As someone who didn’t have any people in my life that were teachers, I think I had a fairly common perception of what teaching was. As someone who’s now seen it first hand - teaching isn’t what most people think it is. The free time and benefits that should make the trade-off palatable aren’t there like most people think they are.
