OT: High school teacher calls it quits

[svelte]

Hate to break it to you all, but there aren’t that many people who really need math skills above oh say geometry to get by in life. There really aren’t.

As long as one understands the concept of interest and how it affects finances over time, one can really do quite well in life.

Hell, I would be happy if most people would actually take the time to balance their checkbook instead of trusting the bank’s monthly report.

But to imply that the US is going down the tubes because our high school math teachers aren’t geniuses who can integrate in their sleep I think is just plain incorrect.

I enjoy math almost as much as you guys, but I certainly don’t use trig, calculus, linear algebra or statistics a great deal and have, in fact, forgotten alot of it.

[an]

I agree with you guys on the compensation issue. This brought me back to the movie “Waiting for Superman”. What I remembered was, Michelle Rhee offered the teachers to have their average pay increase to about $120k from ~$70k, if they would agree to remove their tenure. Which would allow her to fire the bad teacher. The teacher union refused to even let the teachers vote. So, in essence, they rather protect the bad teachers from being fired instead of helping the good teachers get paid more.

[an]

I agree with you guys on the compensation issue. This brought me back to the movie “Waiting for Superman”. What I remembered was, Michelle Rhee offered the teachers to have their average pay increase to about $120k from ~$70k, if they would agree to remove their tenure. Which would allow her to fire the bad teacher. The teacher union refused to even let the teachers vote. So, in essence, they rather protect the bad teachers from being fired instead of helping the good teachers get paid more.

[an]

I agree with you guys on the compensation issue. This brought me back to the movie “Waiting for Superman”. What I remembered was, Michelle Rhee offered the teachers to have their average pay increase to about $120k from ~$70k, if they would agree to remove their tenure. Which would allow her to fire the bad teacher. The teacher union refused to even let the teachers vote. So, in essence, they rather protect the bad teachers from being fired instead of helping the good teachers get paid more.

[an]

I agree with you guys on the compensation issue. This brought me back to the movie “Waiting for Superman”. What I remembered was, Michelle Rhee offered the teachers to have their average pay increase to about $120k from ~$70k, if they would agree to remove their tenure. Which would allow her to fire the bad teacher. The teacher union refused to even let the teachers vote. So, in essence, they rather protect the bad teachers from being fired instead of helping the good teachers get paid more.

[an]

I agree with you guys on the compensation issue. This brought me back to the movie “Waiting for Superman”. What I remembered was, Michelle Rhee offered the teachers to have their average pay increase to about $120k from ~$70k, if they would agree to remove their tenure. Which would allow her to fire the bad teacher. The teacher union refused to even let the teachers vote. So, in essence, they rather protect the bad teachers from being fired instead of helping the good teachers get paid more.

[KSMountain]

My personal opinion: if she can transmit some enthusiasm for math and learning to her students (not saying this article proves she does), then that is more important than whether she is into topology (the only field where, ironically, donuts and coffee cups are considered to be the same shape).

This touches on some elements raised already: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576461571362279948.html

[KSMountain]

My personal opinion: if she can transmit some enthusiasm for math and learning to her students (not saying this article proves she does), then that is more important than whether she is into topology (the only field where, ironically, donuts and coffee cups are considered to be the same shape).

This touches on some elements raised already: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576461571362279948.html

[KSMountain]

My personal opinion: if she can transmit some enthusiasm for math and learning to her students (not saying this article proves she does), then that is more important than whether she is into topology (the only field where, ironically, donuts and coffee cups are considered to be the same shape).

This touches on some elements raised already: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576461571362279948.html

[KSMountain]

My personal opinion: if she can transmit some enthusiasm for math and learning to her students (not saying this article proves she does), then that is more important than whether she is into topology (the only field where, ironically, donuts and coffee cups are considered to be the same shape).

This touches on some elements raised already: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576461571362279948.html

[KSMountain]

My personal opinion: if she can transmit some enthusiasm for math and learning to her students (not saying this article proves she does), then that is more important than whether she is into topology (the only field where, ironically, donuts and coffee cups are considered to be the same shape).

This touches on some elements raised already: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576461571362279948.html

[EconProf]

I think there is a good chance she reconsiders her decision to leave teaching after the upcoming year. Much of the pay gap she describes between teaching and nursing is closed if you look at the hourly rate, not the annual pay. With 3 months off in the summers and generous vacations during the school year that nurses don’t get, the monetary difference is small. She should include her retirement, medical, and other benefits into her total compensation too. Further, why is she getting only $38,000 per year, less than in previous years, and this with her advanced certifications. This is less than average starting salaries for teachers nationwide (according to the article). I wish the reporter had delved into why this county (which includes Cape Canaveral, is an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is pretty average demographically for Florida) pays so little.
Moving to nursing can involve weird hours, coping with imperious doctors and stifling bureaucracy and be a lot less fulfilling than giving kids an “aha” moment. She seems good at teaching and inspiring students, and that is the most important part of teaching, so I’ll bet she sticks with it.

[EconProf]

I think there is a good chance she reconsiders her decision to leave teaching after the upcoming year. Much of the pay gap she describes between teaching and nursing is closed if you look at the hourly rate, not the annual pay. With 3 months off in the summers and generous vacations during the school year that nurses don’t get, the monetary difference is small. She should include her retirement, medical, and other benefits into her total compensation too. Further, why is she getting only $38,000 per year, less than in previous years, and this with her advanced certifications. This is less than average starting salaries for teachers nationwide (according to the article). I wish the reporter had delved into why this county (which includes Cape Canaveral, is an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is pretty average demographically for Florida) pays so little.
Moving to nursing can involve weird hours, coping with imperious doctors and stifling bureaucracy and be a lot less fulfilling than giving kids an “aha” moment. She seems good at teaching and inspiring students, and that is the most important part of teaching, so I’ll bet she sticks with it.

[EconProf]

I think there is a good chance she reconsiders her decision to leave teaching after the upcoming year. Much of the pay gap she describes between teaching and nursing is closed if you look at the hourly rate, not the annual pay. With 3 months off in the summers and generous vacations during the school year that nurses don’t get, the monetary difference is small. She should include her retirement, medical, and other benefits into her total compensation too. Further, why is she getting only $38,000 per year, less than in previous years, and this with her advanced certifications. This is less than average starting salaries for teachers nationwide (according to the article). I wish the reporter had delved into why this county (which includes Cape Canaveral, is an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is pretty average demographically for Florida) pays so little.
Moving to nursing can involve weird hours, coping with imperious doctors and stifling bureaucracy and be a lot less fulfilling than giving kids an “aha” moment. She seems good at teaching and inspiring students, and that is the most important part of teaching, so I’ll bet she sticks with it.

[EconProf]

I think there is a good chance she reconsiders her decision to leave teaching after the upcoming year. Much of the pay gap she describes between teaching and nursing is closed if you look at the hourly rate, not the annual pay. With 3 months off in the summers and generous vacations during the school year that nurses don’t get, the monetary difference is small. She should include her retirement, medical, and other benefits into her total compensation too. Further, why is she getting only $38,000 per year, less than in previous years, and this with her advanced certifications. This is less than average starting salaries for teachers nationwide (according to the article). I wish the reporter had delved into why this county (which includes Cape Canaveral, is an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is pretty average demographically for Florida) pays so little.
Moving to nursing can involve weird hours, coping with imperious doctors and stifling bureaucracy and be a lot less fulfilling than giving kids an “aha” moment. She seems good at teaching and inspiring students, and that is the most important part of teaching, so I’ll bet she sticks with it.

[Author]

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