Incompetent Teachers – whos teaching your children ?...

[hwnorth]

Each of the 50 states has specific qualifications for becoming a teacher and enforces a system of certification and licensure for public school teaching. While these qualifications vary state to state, all require at least a bachelor's degree and some specialized training. Many states also require teachers to train as substitutes or in an apprentice role for a prescribed period. Still, there is a growing sense that teachers are not qualified, or not as qualified as they could or should be.


Over 53% of teachers did not feel they were qualified to teach their subjects.


a few quotes go as follows ..
<LIST>

• 
  <LI>
• “<SIZE size="100">One national survey of 4,000 public school teachers, cited by The New York Times, found only one in five believe they are well qualified to teach in a modern classroom.”</SIZE></LI>
  <LI>
• “<SIZE size="100">The Washington Post cited another study which found at least one of every five public school teachers has neither a major nor a minor in the subject they are teaching, another NCLB requirement.. Another comment was that at least 25% of teachers are not qualified to be in the classroom.”</SIZE></LI>
  <LI>
• A 1991 survey of college graduates who had taken the Armed Forces Qualifying Test showed that graduates with the lowest IQs were more than twice as likely to go into education than those with the highest IQs.</LI>

</LIST><SIZE size="100">Apparently </SIZE>Teacher Certification Doesn't Guarantee Competency

Teacher Training/Competency Information on Healthline
Viewpoint: Teacher Certification Doesn't Guarantee Competency - The Buckeye Institute



Thoughts and finding for your community? I would consider this a pretty major issue when on top of all the other issues (ie: abuse, sexual misconduct, etc) from so many teachers, this would be the top of my list.



How do you feel about the teachings/schooling in your area for your children

 

[Lissa]

<I>Over 53% of teachers did not feel they were qualified to teach their subject</I>s.

That's very disturbing but I'm not surprised. I know a few teachers that have horrible grammar and spelling. When you have to correct a teacher, you know something is very wrong. I'll definitely be on the lookout for "dumb teachers" once Oliver starts going to school.

In my opinion, I don't think teachers are nearly as qualified and educated as they should be.

Great topic.

 

[HappyMomma]

Mine is still in preschool, but I am very active in communicating with her teacher and I like her very much. She is known in the area for having some of the best prepared students for kindergarden.

I just hope that in the future, I am able to have some control over the situation if and when we do encounter a teacher that is simply not up to par.

 

[Lissa]

Thoughts and finding for your community? I would consider this a pretty major issue when on top of all the other issues (ie: abuse, sexual misconduct, etc) from so many teachers, this would be the top of my list.

jtee started a thread awhile back regarding a teacher's alleged sexual misconduct. Hold on and let me see if I can find it. I'd like to hear jtee's thoughts on this issue.

http://www.parentingforums.org/f2/seminole-county-teacher-accused-fondling-girls-4522.html[/URL]

 

[hwnorth]

How does this happen.... how do we teach our children to trust ... when teachers arent educated enough to educate our children and then violate them, clergy members sodomize and the once trusted members of society are not only NOT doing what is expected of them, but also taking away the innocence of children.
It seems to me that if Im not doing my job effectively that I loose my job... so why doesnt this apply to teachers?

 

[HappyMomma]

How many parents talk to thier children at a young age about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate?

 

[gr8mom]

Just another reason for me to homeschool, something should be done about it though.

 

[hwnorth]

<I>"Teacher Testing: </I> Current law is that states certify teachers and decide what their requirements are; there are currently no national standards nor testing. Liberals favor raising teacher pay and oppose teacher testing on the grounds of treating teachers more ‘professionally’."

source - speakout.com

 

[Jennie]

This is just all very disturbing.. There is no place to go anymore to get great education or to feel like your child is safe.. I have 3 children who are all in school. I live in Las vegas and the school system here is not up to par at all. My 10 year old currently goes to school in Ca at a smaller school to get the time and attention he needs. ( he is special ed ) Our teachers here are just bombarded with students in one class. my 6 year old has over 40 kids in her class. and that is the 3rd school she has been in. its out of control these days. they can't build the schools fast enough (let alone fund them) nor find teachers qualified to teach in them. They started having parents teach in our schools because we were so short.. We are now considering moving back east. in hopes that it gets better.

 

[budnkota]

I'm a sub teacher, and I haven't found anybody that I'd consider incompetant - but I worry some about some of the attitudes. I was in the breakroom one day listening to this woman rant about how MTV was blocked in her home and would remain that way even though her kids were grown, blah, blah.
My concern wasn't so much that she had it blocked, as it was the message she was putting forth - that she chooses to remain ignorant about what these children are exposed to and the world they live in. I don't think that's OK. Kids are a product of their environment, and it's a very different enviro than it was when any of us where kids.
I come from Wisc, which is pretty stringent in their teacher requirements. I had planned to be a special ed teacher a lifetime ago, but the math requirement was so extreme that it just repelled me. I didn't want to spend all of eternity trying to master this complex math (I have a hard time with math).
Many states are now doing 6 month accelerated programs where if you have a bachelors or above, you can get a teaching degree.
Maybe people would be more interested in being teachers if they didn't have to worry about getting shot up and made a little more money..

 

[hwnorth]

California - entery level - Degree = BA
Teacher $163.57 per day
Industry Professional $199.26

 

[jtee]

I love the movie "Grand Canyon". In the movie there is a line "This isn't they way its suppose to be". For me, in the context of this thread that means that Teaching, of all the professions, should be at the top in all categories, not in the middle or worse. It should be tough to become a teacher, and those who are pass a bar type exam, should get paid top dollar because they would be the best of the best. Kids in public schools would be taught by teachers who inspire kids to learn because the teachers themselves were taught by amazing teachers when they were kids. Instead of being impressed by living next door to a doctor or a lawyer, it should be more impressive to live next door to a teacher.

That is the way it should be.

 

[Teresa]

As a teacher, I'm going to be completely honest here. After four years of college, I didn't feel that I was any more prepared to be in front of a classroom full of students than I was when I graduated high school. Yes, I was equipped with four more years of education, and with more classroom experience, but I still had the same teaching strategies that I had BEFORE I went to college. Not to say that I didn't feel competent to teach, because I did...and I was commended often for being good at my job. I just feel there's something missing from the curriculum....but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

 

[Teresa]

How many parents talk to thier children at a young age about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate?

We did....almost as soon as the children were old enough to talk, we began to tell them about good touch and bad touch. I'm very glad we did, as my middle child was molested by an older stepsister at the age of three, and she was able to tell us about it because she knew it was "bad touch." (Also the reason I advocate teaching children the proper names for their body parts from the beginning....she was able to tell everyone exactly where she was touched, in words that didn't need to be translated by Mom).

 

[HappyMomma]

We did....almost as soon as the children were old enough to talk, we began to tell them about good touch and bad touch. I'm very glad we did, as my middle child was molested by an older stepsister at the age of three, and she was able to tell us about it because she knew it was "bad touch." (Also the reason I advocate teaching children the proper names for their body parts from the beginning....she was able to tell everyone exactly where she was touched, in words that didn't need to be translated by Mom).

Also, when a child is able to communicate immediately that something happened, the therapy can start right away rather than after months or even years of further damage.

 

[Mindy]

Wow.

I think that things may be a little different in Canada.

All of my highschool teachers were absolutely brilliant.

My History teacher was 28 years old. He had a Masters in History, he could have done ANYTHING and he chose to teach higschool for $25,000 a year. He obviously loved it, and it showed. We all loved History too.

My math and science teachers were old school, but highly educated. Every one of them had a Masters in something. They knew their subjects inside out, I had rarely even seen them open the books. They knew all the material.

How much do teachers make in the U.S.?

Here in Canada I feel teachers are seriously underpaid and they have one of the most important jobs in the whole world.

 

[Lissa]

Here teachers probably make $40,000.

 

[budnkota]

My History teacher was 28 years old. He had a Masters in History, he could have done ANYTHING and he chose to teach higschool for $25,000 a year. He obviously loved it, and it showed. We all loved History too.

I don't mean to be condescending, but I am curious exactly what you think a masters in history qualifies you for? Some museum job, which is far and few between beyond entry level - and not a whole lot else. My son's former step mother has a masters in English - and works as a high school teacher. From what I get, she HATES it. HATES, HATES, HATES. But there aren't all that many jobs for somebody in that field, unless they are in a big city and able to get some editing/publishing job...

I don't necessarily think the most educated is the most qualified. "Knowing it all" isn't the way to inspire kids to learn. It's a passion for finding out more, finding interesting ways to present it. You can have the most intelligent, gifted, knowledgable invididual in the world. If they can't connect with the kids and teach on their level, it doesn't mean a thing

 

[jtee]

As a teacher, I'm going to be completely honest here. After four years of college, I didn't feel that I was any more prepared to be in front of a classroom full of students than I was when I graduated high school. Yes, I was equipped with four more years of education, and with more classroom experience, but I still had the same teaching strategies that I had BEFORE I went to college. Not to say that I didn't feel competent to teach, because I did...and I was commended often for being good at my job. I just feel there's something missing from the curriculum....but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

I think is an excellent post. Teaching is much more than knowing the subject matter.

 

[jtee]

I have close relative that teaches High School (less than 5 years) and he admits that he might switch careers in a few more years. Nothing wrong with switching careers, but I get a sense he doesn't have a passion for teaching like some teachers do. Having a passion for teaching\learning has huge impact on students in the classroom.