Originally posted by er1kksen Stewart, I think you're taking that snippet a little too personally. (snip)
Didn't take anything personally and no bitterness in what I wrote either (the wife is making good money). In fact, the wife helped to write that message (to ensure accuracy regarding the requirements and similar), with both of us snickering over one or two of the things written.
Instead, because it once (not that long ago) related to us, we've studied the situation carefully, based on the teaching requirements we're familiar with, the many teachers we've met, what we've heard from those teachers, what we've seen in the classroom, the common myths we've heard, what we've seen regarding children, what we've seen in our society, what we've seen in schools elsewhere (overseas), what we've seen regarding children elsewhere, what we've seen in societies elsewhere, and so on. Our basic conclusions are presented in a nutshell within that message - low teacher pay, negative influences in our society, and so on.
We have to be realistic here. We live in an extremely complex, technologically advanced, world and the ever growing knowledge needed for that cannot really be taught in a few short hours a day for a few months each year. The idea of extending the school year is nothing new (Obama didn't invent it). Some farsighted teachers have been promoting the idea for decades (first heard of it in the 60's while I was in school and it was not a new idea even then). However, while I agree with extending the school year, that will only have limited success if the other factors mentioned continue.
By the way, it's certainly true not all teachers know everything, even about the subject being taught. Therefore, I'm not surprised a history teacher might not be that familiar with geography or a math teacher might consult another math teacher to ensure accuracy. However, in those teachers' defense, few people, in any field, truly know everything about their profession and I'm quite certain those teachers knew far more than most of the students in their classrooms - even if some students thought otherwise.
stewart