The City Council Woman

[Bubbles]

WOW!!!  Thanks, ______ Eats It!

[___ Eats It]

Rueben, this should help you get more informed as to the state of the educational system as it exists in Florida today:  

http://www.altcertflorida.org/

Bubbles, you're welcome.  My wife is a 2nd grade teacher with a Master's degree in ESE and SLD, and I'm getting awfully tired of Rueben's ignorant rants regarding teachers when he obviously has no clue about the realities of teaching in Florida.

Rueben, did you realize that teachers in Hillsborough County, on average, get only $100 PER FREAKING YEAR to buy supplies for the ENTIRE YEAR for 20+ students?  Do you realize that, on average, our already underpaid teachers are having to fork out $500+ per year on supplies for their own classrooms because the schools can't afford to supply the students.  Now tell me again how situations like these are the problems of USF's College of Education?

In closing, I'd like to comment that I've been in the classroom observing my wife (and others) teach, as well as participate in The Great American Teach-In every November... and whiny little complainers like you wouldn't last 15 minutes with kids in a classroom.

Show our teachers some respect.

[___ Eats It]

Here's a classic excerpt from Rueben's rant about teachers from the Mad Cow:

So a buddy is moving to a new city, and he's newly single. He's doing the internet thing, talking to girls. So he sends me this profile of a Tampa area 3rd grade teacher that he came accross. She must be one of the dumbest girls I have ever seen (read), and I've seen my met a lot of dumb girls.

Here's a few sentences out of her profile:

"I am a teacher so a lot of my free time is devoted to work."

- Huh? free-time isn't work dumba$$.

Rueben ~ Fire these idiots and implement yearly testing on teachers.

Actually, Rueben, for most teachers free time is scarce, as their jobs don't end once the students go home.  There are papers to grade, supplies to buy, parents to conference with (if you can even freaking get them to give up 30 minutes of their busy schedules to discuss their children's education), meetings that go on LONG after the 7 AM to 3 PM workday is over, extra-curricular activities such as fundaisers and the like that teachers like to hold to, you know, raise money for supplies to educate YOUR children, etc. etc. etc.

It's comical how vocal and yet how clueless you are about some things.

[___ Eats It]

Ok, I'm done ranting.

[Guest BullsFans]

The Bucs train in Orlando so does that mean that Tampa should share its NFL title with Them :

What title?  The last time I checked the Buc's aren't the Super Bowl Champs....that's ancient history.....they aren't even in the hunt for it this year.

Who cares...it's a waste of money to put up signs like that at  the taxpayer's expense.

[WoolyBully]

The frau teaches AP History and is Department Head at Sickles. She has her fair share of dead-wood in her department, and there's nothing she can do about it.

Much in the same way we in Korporate Amerika have to suffer the slugs that permeate our offices.

Face it boys....dumbness abounds...and no matter what your walk in life, open your arms and embrace the stupidity! Trust me..you'll sleep much better.

BTW: Iorio is between a rock and a hard place. Embrace the Yankees and snub the Rays? Tough call.

[Guest BullsFans]

 It's comical how vocal and yet how clueless you are about some things.

A perfect fit....send him to Tallahassee :-/

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

Rueben is basing his opinion largely on the internet dating profile of one third-grade teacher in Tampa that his buddy ran across... check the Mad Cow board for that thread.  Ever since then, he's been the champion of Florida's schools.

Rueben, did you know that in Hillsborough County, you don't even NEED to be degreed in education to teach in the public school system?  That's right, due to the massive shortage of teachers in Florida, you can basically come from any background, pass a basic test to gain employment as a teacher, and as long as you commit to obtaining your certifications within a certain period of time, you can work as instructional staff in the Hillsborough County School System.

If you want to rail against the lack of a growth plan for the county and/or state that causes these conditions, fine.  But to direct your anger at the University of South Florida's education program shows ignorance... there are far larger problems with our schools than USF's COE, and, in fact, were it not for the fine graduates of the COE, our local schools would be worse off.

Do us a favor and perform at least a modicum of research before you spread your misinformed criticism across an entire body of professionals.

Well, let's see here.

FL schools are a freakin joke and I won't be swayed otherwise. To say otherwise is like saying our BB team is good; and I base that on the teachers I know, the students I know, and the statistics from the govt. So do some research ACC and come back to me with some evidence of your own. And I never knocked the lack of growth plan, that was Ari; I do agree with him though.

Yes, I realize anyone can teach, and that was exactly my point -- there are no standards, it's pathetic. Any moron can become a teacher. Why don't we just let anyone become a doctor or lawyer then? Seems like we're putting our priorities in the wrong bucket.

I'll tell you what needs to be done imo:

1) Pay teachers more, way more.

2) Pay math teachers way more than art teachers

3) Make teachers get a masters degree

4) Implement testing on teachers, make sure they really know the material they are teaching, and have incentives based on their test scores.

5) Stop protecting teachers based on their tenure

6) Pay the teacher down in the ghetto as much as the one in Tampa Palms

Bubbles - I apologize for offending you, I am truly sorry. I realize there are many great teachers.

55% of high school kids graduating in 4 yrs speaks for itself. Bravo FL teachers, you're doing a great job.

Fart,

Rueben

[Guest Ari Hinkelberger]

How do you fix the Florida Education system.

1.)  merit based pay which consist of numerous factors.  (1. where do you teach .ie bad neighborhood good neighberhood  2. level of education  3. test scores from students in your class 4. the amount of people who we have to teach your course.  If we don't have enough science teachers basic economics says we should pay science teachers more.)  I think we should pay teachers who teach in poorer neighborhods 50% more.  the idea that the lady teaching at Tampa Palms Elementary should get paid the same amount of money that the poor lady teaching king high gets paid is a travesty

2.) Pay teachers who have degrees in what they teach MORE.

3.)  Test every two years from 1st - 12th.

4.)  No more social promotion -- if that means the graduation rate falls to 20% so be it

5.)  Start school later in the morning.  No reason for a kid to be anywhere other then their bed at 7:30 a.m.

6.)  Reduce school size to no classes biger then 15.  (Costs TONS of money, but you get what you pay for - raise taxes if we have to)

7.)  TEST - TEST - TEST - TEST.  and more TESTING.  Don't give me this teach to the test crap.  That is the way they educate you in everyting known to man.  IF the test isn't covering what you think should be taught, then we should adjust the test.

8.)  School should be from Aug 1st - June 1st.  

I have about 400 more ideas, but I will spare you the time.

There is a reason the state is called FlorDUH!~

Ari Hinkelberger.

Who agrees with many who say that the NEA is an organization not interested in teaching kids, but interested in protecting teachers jobs.

That should get people fired up.

[Guest Sprtsfn627]

Take a look at USF's school of education; tell me it's not a complete joke...No offense to the good teachers that came out of it, but I personally know 5 or 6 MORONS that graduated from USF that are now teaching FL's children.  

It's not just a USF thing....there are plenty of morons that graduate college.  While a degree is a great thing, it is not the only thing that dictates knowledge.

As for the recognizing the yankees....what an awful slap in the face that would be to the Devil Rays.  They might as well pack up and move out if this passes.  They just can't seem to get any love here  :-/