K-12 Schools & COVID

[The Sultan]

40 years is probably about right. It coincides with woman's liberation. Women have always been the backbone of K -12 education and 40 (50,60,70) years ago opportunities for women in the work force were limited - almost non existent. Most of the best and the brightest chose teaching (or nursing) as a career because it was all that was available. Now the smartest, most creative and most driven  women have options - and the people who once were teachers can now be doctors, lawyers, business professionals, etc. - IMO the solution isn't giving our present teachers more money/greater benefits - it's raising salaries/benefits in order to attract a new generation of more qualified teachers.

LOL.  Come on....  40 years ago was 1980.  Not 1950.

[tower912]

There have been upsurges in absenteeism in both health care and fire and police personnel.  This isn't limited to teachers.

Completely anecdotal, but I work with a local alderperson who shared that the municipality is seeing more and more police and fire personnel turn down overtime that was routinely taken in the past and the people overseeing those areas are saying it is due to limiting exposure.

tower and brew could chime in here too.

This wave is racking us worse than previous waves.     Actually browning out machines.    First time since the great recession.  Of course, part of my department's problem is they have never brought staffing up to pre-recession numbers.    20% smaller than 15 years ago.  Less cushion, less people available to work.       Same thing on the police side in my municipality.    Overtime not being picked up.    Dispatchers telling car accidents to trade insurance and drive away if the accident is minor.   Other minor calls just being shunted to the side.   
    I feel horrible for the teachers.   I look at that family in Oxford, Michigan, and realize that there are a whole lot of parents out there just like that.     Self absorbed with terrible parenting skills.      And the teachers actually do their job and report troubling behavior and the parents are able to walk away and refuse to deal with it.  If the teacher attempts to discipline, the parents come and scream at the teacher as their child has never received discipline because they are perfect.   
   Projecting that to the current COVID wave, the teachers have little to no idea what the vaccination status is in their classroom and if they attempt to enforce masking, some darling is going to project the Karen tendencies of their parents and throw a hissy.     As well as parents sending their children to school knowing they are symptomatic.     
   Lenny, I am sure your school district would appreciate you signing up to substitute teach.     And this is a question directly to you.   If you won't, why not?

[Lennys Tap]

I get it Lenny, the plebs should be happy with gruel.  And they should be thankful they even get gruel!  Sacrifice yourselves and your mental and physical health for the greater good of the economy!

Maybe, just maybe, we should start paying our 'essential' workers what they're worth to society and treating them with respect.  Calling them heroes, and thanking them for their service is a platitude at best, and insulting at worst.

Sorry, Hards - you don't get it -at all.

[Hards Alumni]

Sorry, Hards - you don't get it -at all.

You're right, brother, I'm the one that time has passed by.   

[Pakuni]

Cops are fleeing the profession and departments are having an extraordinarily difficult time filling open positions. Departments that would get 500 candidates to show up for a testing session five years ago are thrilled if they get 100 today. Nationwide, departments are operating at about 93 percent staffing.
So, the idea that cops are sucking it up while teachers are being babies is provably false.

[Pakuni]

IMO the solution isn't giving our present teachers more money/greater benefits - it's raising salaries/benefits in order to attract a new generation of more qualified teachers.

Huh?

[Lennys Tap]

LOL.  Come on....  40 years ago was 1980.  Not 1950.

Guess you missed my 50, 60, 70. It started 60-70 years ago and has gained steam each decade. And it's (women's liberation, that is) a very good thing. But one of the casualties has been K-12 education.

[Lennys Tap]

Cops are fleeing the profession and departments are having an extraordinarily difficult time filling open positions. Departments that would get 500 candidates to show up for a testing session five years ago are thrilled if they get 100 today. Nationwide, departments are operating at about 93 percent staffing.
So, the idea that cops are sucking it up while teachers are being babies is provably false.

Cops are fleeing because of Covid? Guess you missed the BLM riots, defunding efforts and all the rest from the "summer of love".

[Pakuni]

Cops are fleeing because of Covid? Guess you missed the BLM riots, defunding efforts and all the rest from the "summer of love".

Cops are fleeing the profession because they feel disrespected.
Teachers are fleeing the profession because they feel disrespected.
Lenny finds one understandable, the other despicable.

[tower912]

Cops are fleeing because of Covid? Guess you missed the BLM riots, defunding efforts and all the rest from the "summer of love".

Both things can be true.    And far more have died from COVID over the last two years than from violence.   

[Hards Alumni]

Guess you missed my 50, 60, 70. It started 60-70 years ago and has gained steam each decade. And it's (women's liberation, that is) a very good thing. But one of the casualties has been K-12 education.

So you're argument here is that we don't have as many teachers now as we did back then is because women can be doctors and lawyers?



Please remember to show your work!

Strange.  My parents (one a teacher/principal/administrator, the other a teacher, both for 40+ years) basically forbid me from being a teacher for none of those reasons.  I was told parents suck, the pay is garbage, school board members are buffoons, and you don't actually get to teach anything anymore. 

[Lennys Tap]

   Lenny, I am sure your school district would appreciate you signing up to substitute teach.     And this is a question directly to you.   If you won't, why not?

Tower, I'm 73 years old. I volunteered my time to coach baseball and basketball until my late 60s. Now I volunteer at the local food pantry. Probably doesn't measure up to your standards/expectations but I'm at peace with myself.

[The Sultan]

Guess you missed my 50, 60, 70. It started 60-70 years ago and has gained steam each decade. And it's (women's liberation, that is) a very good thing. But one of the casualties has been K-12 education.

40 years ago means they would be 62-63 now.  I guaranty you there are PLENTY of good teachers who are younger than that now, both women and men.

[tower912]

Tower, I'm 73 years old. I volunteered my time to coach baseball and basketball until my late 60s. Now I volunteer at the local food pantry. Probably doesn't measure up to your standards/expectations but I'm at peace with myself.

Good for you.  I appreciate anybody giving back in whatever form.   

[Lennys Tap]

So you're argument here is that we don't have as many teachers now as we did back then is because women can be doctors and lawyers?



Please remember to show your work!

Strange.  My parents (one a teacher/principal/administrator, the other a teacher, both for 40+ years) basically forbid me from being a teacher for none of those reasons.  I was told parents suck, the pay is garbage, school board members are buffoons, and you don't actually get to teach anything anymore.

You obviously have trouble connecting dots. I can't help you with that.

Sorry that your parents were so unhappy. It's left a mark.

[MU82]

Cops are fleeing because of Covid? Guess you missed the BLM riots, defunding efforts and all the rest from the "summer of love".

Don't forget about the winter of hate, when well over 100+ cops were injured during Trump's violent coup attempt one year ago today.

[forgetful]

40 years is probably about right. It coincides with woman's liberation. Women have always been the backbone of K -12 education and 40 (50,60,70) years ago opportunities for women in the work force were limited - almost non existent. Most of the best and the brightest chose teaching (or nursing) as a career because it was all that was available. Now the smartest, most creative and most driven  women have options - and the people who once were teachers can now be doctors, lawyers, business professionals, etc. - IMO the solution isn't giving our present teachers more money/greater benefits - it's raising salaries/benefits in order to attract a new generation of more qualified teachers.

In many cases, the teachers today are better trained, better educated, and better qualified.

They are just now realizing that they are over qualified for a crappy job, that pays bad, and where you have no autonomy or respect.

[Lennys Tap]

40 years ago means they would be 62-63 now.  I guaranty you there are PLENTY of good teachers who are younger than that now, both women and men.

Of course there are - some incredibly smart and gifted people still choose teaching. But a whole lot of Uber talented people who didn't have much of a choice now do - that makes the pool from which our teachers come a weaker one.

[Lennys Tap]

Don't forget about the winter of hate, when well over 100+ cops were injured during Trump's violent coup attempt one year ago today.

I'm counting on you to remind us all on a regular basis. Good job!

[Hards Alumni]

You obviously have trouble connecting dots. I can't help you with that.

Sorry that your parents were so unhappy. It's left a mark.

That's some interesting projection you've got there, Tony.

My parents taught me to stand up for myself and others when they're being wronged.  Yours must have told you to keep your head down and ignore injustice.

You: Teachers who don't want to work in dangerous conditions are bad
also You:  Police officers who don't want to work in dangerous conditions are justified

You're just a run of the mill hypocrite.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah, butt ewe worant taught ta knot vote fore memburrs of da Squad, hey?

[warriorchick]

   Lenny, I am sure your school district would appreciate you signing up to substitute teach.     And this is a question directly to you.   If you won't, why not?

I actually gave some serious thought to signing up to substitute teach where I live during the school year.  The problem is that you are expected to be available every single school day in case they need you.  If you turn down assignments more than a certain number of times (I don't remember the exact number, but it was relatively small), they drop you from the list.

I have other things going on in my life and I can't be on call every day.  If I could sign up for just the blocks of days where I would be available, I would do it.

[4everwarriors]

Boychik, dat's meshuggah thinkin' on ur part, aina?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Yeah, butt ewe worant taught ta knot vote fore memburrs of da Squad, hey?

The elderly are often easy targets for scams, propaganda, and disinformation due to their rapidly declining cognitive skills.

[MU82]

I'm counting on you to remind us all on a regular basis. Good job!

Sure thing. And thanks to you for bringing up BLM riots for the 8,800th time, too.

Of course, those weren't a coordinated effort by the president of the United States and members of Congress to subvert our democracy. Happy Insurrection Day!