OT: High school teacher calls it quits

[Fearful]

[quote=eavesdropper]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have my own opinions about Ms. DeRegnaucourt’s level of expertise. However, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, they are just that: opinions. Unfortunately, the article is devoid of actual information. Even though I may strongly suspect that Ms. DeRegnaucourt may utilize every nonteaching minute of her day immersing herself in “Jersey Shore” and “Real Life: Las Vegas”, it is also possible that she is sitting in her grandmother’s rocker before the fire, marveling over Richard Feynman’s CalTech lectures …

[/quote]
Look, fellas, it’s a crummy article. The writer picked a subject that is weirdly non credible, so it’s a double message: How odd that we have teachers that are self professed ignoramuses, and how bittersweet it is that they are quitting.

What do you expect from CNN. “Linear equations”? “Matrix calculus”? I did my undergrad in physics, and I have to say I could not explain to someone what a linear equation is and how it is different from a non linear equation. Matrix calculus? I suppose I probably would know it if I saw it, but the name does not ring a bell. The author threw those terms in there to make the subject sound a whole lot more complicated than it is. Really, it’s just a crummy article.

It’s “Caltech”, by the way.

[EconProf]

Pemeliza, 60 hours a week for teachers is not the norm. The usual teaching load for high school is 5 contact hours, leaving 3 for correcting & administrative time during the other 8 hours, plus whatever work is taken home, which varies by subject and yes, for math may be a lot. For some other subjects it is not much. Sorry, summers are generally not spent working on curriculum. But teachers do often take additional classes of dubious value to crank up their degrees and certifications to move into higher pay categories.
Good teachers like this one should certainly earn more. Unfortunately, those who work extra hard and are productive get about the same as those who do not, thanks to tenure and union rules against firing the incompetents. Many of those who leave the profession early on are the young and energetic ones who are turned off by the atmosphere and feel they can go farther in the private sector. Too often those left include many who seek only job security and retirement in their fifties.
I taught high school English for one year and it was difficult–not for the hours but the discipline problems. Went into college teaching which was far easier!

[EconProf]

Pemeliza, 60 hours a week for teachers is not the norm. The usual teaching load for high school is 5 contact hours, leaving 3 for correcting & administrative time during the other 8 hours, plus whatever work is taken home, which varies by subject and yes, for math may be a lot. For some other subjects it is not much. Sorry, summers are generally not spent working on curriculum. But teachers do often take additional classes of dubious value to crank up their degrees and certifications to move into higher pay categories.
Good teachers like this one should certainly earn more. Unfortunately, those who work extra hard and are productive get about the same as those who do not, thanks to tenure and union rules against firing the incompetents. Many of those who leave the profession early on are the young and energetic ones who are turned off by the atmosphere and feel they can go farther in the private sector. Too often those left include many who seek only job security and retirement in their fifties.
I taught high school English for one year and it was difficult–not for the hours but the discipline problems. Went into college teaching which was far easier!

[EconProf]

Pemeliza, 60 hours a week for teachers is not the norm. The usual teaching load for high school is 5 contact hours, leaving 3 for correcting & administrative time during the other 8 hours, plus whatever work is taken home, which varies by subject and yes, for math may be a lot. For some other subjects it is not much. Sorry, summers are generally not spent working on curriculum. But teachers do often take additional classes of dubious value to crank up their degrees and certifications to move into higher pay categories.
Good teachers like this one should certainly earn more. Unfortunately, those who work extra hard and are productive get about the same as those who do not, thanks to tenure and union rules against firing the incompetents. Many of those who leave the profession early on are the young and energetic ones who are turned off by the atmosphere and feel they can go farther in the private sector. Too often those left include many who seek only job security and retirement in their fifties.
I taught high school English for one year and it was difficult–not for the hours but the discipline problems. Went into college teaching which was far easier!

[EconProf]

Pemeliza, 60 hours a week for teachers is not the norm. The usual teaching load for high school is 5 contact hours, leaving 3 for correcting & administrative time during the other 8 hours, plus whatever work is taken home, which varies by subject and yes, for math may be a lot. For some other subjects it is not much. Sorry, summers are generally not spent working on curriculum. But teachers do often take additional classes of dubious value to crank up their degrees and certifications to move into higher pay categories.
Good teachers like this one should certainly earn more. Unfortunately, those who work extra hard and are productive get about the same as those who do not, thanks to tenure and union rules against firing the incompetents. Many of those who leave the profession early on are the young and energetic ones who are turned off by the atmosphere and feel they can go farther in the private sector. Too often those left include many who seek only job security and retirement in their fifties.
I taught high school English for one year and it was difficult–not for the hours but the discipline problems. Went into college teaching which was far easier!

[EconProf]

Pemeliza, 60 hours a week for teachers is not the norm. The usual teaching load for high school is 5 contact hours, leaving 3 for correcting & administrative time during the other 8 hours, plus whatever work is taken home, which varies by subject and yes, for math may be a lot. For some other subjects it is not much. Sorry, summers are generally not spent working on curriculum. But teachers do often take additional classes of dubious value to crank up their degrees and certifications to move into higher pay categories.
Good teachers like this one should certainly earn more. Unfortunately, those who work extra hard and are productive get about the same as those who do not, thanks to tenure and union rules against firing the incompetents. Many of those who leave the profession early on are the young and energetic ones who are turned off by the atmosphere and feel they can go farther in the private sector. Too often those left include many who seek only job security and retirement in their fifties.
I taught high school English for one year and it was difficult–not for the hours but the discipline problems. Went into college teaching which was far easier!

[pemeliza]

Econ, I was a math instructor at the college level and it was not unusual for me to put in 60 hours a week especially when I was teaching unfamiliar classes. You are correct that not everyone puts in that kind of time but many in the teaching profession do especially the ones that are innovative and get the best teacher ratings. Who knows how good this lady was or how many hours she put in but apparently she felt underpaid and I am sure that she considered the benefit of getting summers off in her decision to go into a different field.

[pemeliza]

Econ, I was a math instructor at the college level and it was not unusual for me to put in 60 hours a week especially when I was teaching unfamiliar classes. You are correct that not everyone puts in that kind of time but many in the teaching profession do especially the ones that are innovative and get the best teacher ratings. Who knows how good this lady was or how many hours she put in but apparently she felt underpaid and I am sure that she considered the benefit of getting summers off in her decision to go into a different field.

[pemeliza]

Econ, I was a math instructor at the college level and it was not unusual for me to put in 60 hours a week especially when I was teaching unfamiliar classes. You are correct that not everyone puts in that kind of time but many in the teaching profession do especially the ones that are innovative and get the best teacher ratings. Who knows how good this lady was or how many hours she put in but apparently she felt underpaid and I am sure that she considered the benefit of getting summers off in her decision to go into a different field.

[pemeliza]

Econ, I was a math instructor at the college level and it was not unusual for me to put in 60 hours a week especially when I was teaching unfamiliar classes. You are correct that not everyone puts in that kind of time but many in the teaching profession do especially the ones that are innovative and get the best teacher ratings. Who knows how good this lady was or how many hours she put in but apparently she felt underpaid and I am sure that she considered the benefit of getting summers off in her decision to go into a different field.

[pemeliza]

Econ, I was a math instructor at the college level and it was not unusual for me to put in 60 hours a week especially when I was teaching unfamiliar classes. You are correct that not everyone puts in that kind of time but many in the teaching profession do especially the ones that are innovative and get the best teacher ratings. Who knows how good this lady was or how many hours she put in but apparently she felt underpaid and I am sure that she considered the benefit of getting summers off in her decision to go into a different field.

[EconProf]

Permeliza, we are largely in agreement.
My gripe is mostly with the reporter, who must have worked hard to justify a preconceived story thesis: find an unusually good teacher, paid an unusually low salary, and who has made an unusual career change decision to take effect in one year. We should draw conclusions from averages and not anecdotes.

[EconProf]

Permeliza, we are largely in agreement.
My gripe is mostly with the reporter, who must have worked hard to justify a preconceived story thesis: find an unusually good teacher, paid an unusually low salary, and who has made an unusual career change decision to take effect in one year. We should draw conclusions from averages and not anecdotes.

[EconProf]

Permeliza, we are largely in agreement.
My gripe is mostly with the reporter, who must have worked hard to justify a preconceived story thesis: find an unusually good teacher, paid an unusually low salary, and who has made an unusual career change decision to take effect in one year. We should draw conclusions from averages and not anecdotes.

[EconProf]

Permeliza, we are largely in agreement.
My gripe is mostly with the reporter, who must have worked hard to justify a preconceived story thesis: find an unusually good teacher, paid an unusually low salary, and who has made an unusual career change decision to take effect in one year. We should draw conclusions from averages and not anecdotes.

[Author]

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