Choosing Democracy: Why Are Teachers So Upset? - Bridging Differences

Friday, March 23, 2012

Anonymous said...: My classmates and I read this for one of our teaching credential classes at Sacramento State. I was in a group who presented Ravitch’s letter to the class. As we read together, we presented some table topics, such as the significance of the MetLife Survey, wages for teachers, and the argument about tenure. We also asked our classmates what, as future teachers, they were fearful of and how they could help change that.
One thing our class mentioned being fearful of is getting pink slipped our first year of teaching and every year after that. New teachers are already learning to balance so many new pressures and responsibilities; they do not need the added worry of whether or not they will be able to keep their jobs. The class mentioned that to help change this they could stay informed and involved to help stop bad legislation from being passed. I personally agree with Ravitch’s point when she said that, “Teachers and students are not different interest groups. Anyone who demeans teachers demeans education and hurts children.” Some sort of legislation needs to be passed to STOP districts from eliminating teachers, resources, art, foreign languages, and physical education. When this happens, it has a huge negative impact on the teachers, the community, and most importantly, the students.; 9:09 AM

Choosing Democracy