The City Council Woman

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

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

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.

Yeah, good point. No one else works so hard. And everyone gets off the whole summer. Give me a break, I work 60 hours a week all year, I don't want to hear about grading papers...put down your moronic pride and wake up, FL kids are in the bottom tier of the country, almost every other state laughs at them and looks down upon them, it truly sad.

Next up is the rant about money right?

[Guest Ari Hinkelberger]

I remember my graduation at USF --which was held in the Sun Dome.  Genshaft honored all the students who had a 4.0.  You know what was really funny?  THEY WERE ALL FROM THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION!

what a joke.  

I will never undestand why the chemistry teacher in high school doesn't have a degree in chemistry.  Why he has a degree in EDUCATION.

Its like asking a guy to help you build a building, but he spent all of his training learing how to sew.  It is the most absurd thing I have ever seen.  What is more troubling is how litttle the voters of America understand how our education system works.  

you know why its hard to be a doctor?  Becuase they don't want any jackass operating on people.  If we only had the same standards for teachers.  The real reason we don't is because it is all about the dollar bill.  It costs TONS of money to run an education system.  People don't want to pay taxes,  so you get what you pay for.

Ari Hinkelberger - who knows that education is one of the few issues that he agrees with Rueben Horowitz on.

[bull2saintleo]

Rueben - making teachers get a masters degree would make an even BIGGER shortage of teachers than the shortage we are currently in right now.

[bull2saintleo]

I will never undestand why the chemistry teacher in high school doesn't have a degree in chemistry.  Why he has a degree in EDUCATION.

You know why teachers have degrees in education, so they know how to teach a subject.  A chemistry major may know everything about chemistry, but may not have the slightest idea of how to pass off their insight to students.  Most education major have a specialization to their education degrees.

[Guest guest]

sorry but our government spends tons of money on education. the problem is they don't do it effectively.

if we had school vouchers and the kids could go to any school they wanted then poor performing schools would go out of business and those that do well would attract more students.

the problem is the school system is a monopoly and we don't have any choice. tie the money to the kids like they do in parts of europe and our system would be much more efficient. unfortunately teachers unions don't want it. Unions are like communism. they don't work in a capitalist world.

imagine if you could only eat at one restaurant in your area. what incentive would they have to provide you with a good meal? they know you will come back if it is the only place you can eat. if you had a choice of restaurants then they would have to earn your business or go bankrupt.

They need to let schools be competitive.

we need school vouchers.

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

Rueben - making teachers get a masters degree would make an even BIGGER shortage of teachers than the shortage we are currently in right now.

Not if you pay them more genius.

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

You know why teachers have degrees in education, so they know how to teach a subject.  A chemistry major may know everything about chemistry, but may not have the slightest idea of how to pass off their insight to students.  Most education major have a specialization to their education degrees.

Another genius excuse for teachers that don't know **** about their subject.

You could send them through a program to 'teach' them how to teach.

[Guest Ari Hinkelberger]

That whole "learn how to teach the subject by getting a degree in education"  is such full so ****.

How about the guy who teaches economics at USF....did he get a degree in education?  NO  

How about our Accounting program..?  (could be the best in the country) does Dr. Stevens have a degree in education.  NO -- he has a degree accounting.

The problem with vouchers is they destroy schools that don't perform.  Sounds like that is what you would want to do, but really that is not at all what you want to do.

Taking money out of a school will no fix the problem.  I am all for allowing kids and parents to choose which school they want to send their kid to, but taking money out of schools is not the way to fix them.  

[Guest guest]

That whole "learn how to teach the subject by getting a degree in education"  is such full so ****.

How about the guy who teaches economics at USF....did he get a degree in education?  NO  

How about our Accounting program..?  (could be the best in the country) does Dr. Stevens have a degree in education.  NO -- he has a degree accounting.

The problem with vouchers is they destroy schools that don't perform.  Sounds like that is what you would want to do, but really that is not at all what you want to do.

Taking money out of a school will no fix the problem.  I am all for allowing kids and parents to choose which school they want to send their kid to, but taking money out of schools is not the way to fix them.  

Business' that don't perform go bankrupt. same thing should happen with schools. it gives them an incentive to perform.

good teachers will be paid more and lousy teachers will be fired.

new schools would replace the ones that don't perform.  entrepreneurs would step in and create efficient well run schools if there is money to be made.

That's how capitalism works. creative destruction.private schools perform so much better because if they didn't then they would be out of business. survival of the fittest.

the system works quite well in the Netherlands and they pay half what we pay per student and get a much better education all around. test scores are much higher and graduation rates are too.

maybe you didn't see 20/20 this week? it was pretty eye opening.

I'm not talking about taking any money away, just letting people decide how they wan't to spend it. People who aren't happy with the product will go spend it elsewhere on a better product.

problem is nobody wants to think outside the box for solutions. they're satisfied with status quo. they think we need to throw more money at the problem.

survival instincts are what drive people to succeed. if the system doesn't use this basic instinct then it will not work. if a teacher at a poor school has no incentive to perform then they won't no matter how much you pay them. if they're fighting for their job then they will.

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

Some research for you guys. 3rd worst in graduation rate, so sad.

http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/shr2005/components/hsgrad.html

To clear some things up - I was not directing my attack only USF's school of education; I was just using it as an example. I think most college's of education need to be changed (or at least in FL).

And yes, there are moron's that graduate from other schools, plenty of them. But I don't know too many morons with an accounting degree, an engineering degree, an MD etc.