A Teachers Education

Jerrianne Hayslett:

I can't get that electrician out of my mind. He was so incensed at last week's School Board meeting.

Shameful, he said, that South Milwaukee teachers, on average, make more than the average income of South Milwaukeeans. Shameful that the School Board had signed a new contract with teachers.

I don't remember all the stats he reeled off, backed up with proof, he said, as he waved a sheaf of papers of god knows what along with his assertions. But the upshot was that the School District was paying its teachers way too much in relation to other school districts in the the state. Nevermind that South Milwaukee students' high achievement rates reflect the high quality of teachers the district hires. Or maybe the electrician puts no value on high-achieving students. Warehousing kids to keep them out of parents' hair during the day is OK?

Now, I really, really respect the work electricians do. They and plumbers and roofers do stuff I could and would never, never do or be able to do.

Neither would I be able to do what a teacher does. Even a kindergarten teacher. Or make that, most especially a kindergarten teacher. I've spend time in a kindergarten classroom--as a visitor. Believe me, I would last about 10 minutes if I had to be in charge of just wrangling a classroom of those children--adorable as they are--let alone actually have to teach them something.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 20, 2011 1:54 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas