How I Joined Teach for America—and Got Sued for $20 Million

[Syt]

pt. 2

When I asked other teachers to come help me stop a fight, they shook their heads and reminded me that D.C. Public Schools banned teachers from laying hands on students for any reason, even to protect other children.

That's crazy and certainly not the case in Rhode Island.

By all means, when you become a teacher, please oh please oh please put your hands on someone else's child.

We're directed specifically that it's our responsibility to break up fights if they occur.

It is going to be like that Joe Clark film where some kid will beat your Spic ass in the cafeteria.

... perhaps that's where Tim will go, "I'm not locked in here with you ... you're locked in here with ME!"

[Jaron]

Rules on how to break up fights vary wildly in my experience. In junior highs, where the children are still wee'uns, it is more likely the teachers will get involved since they are still bigger and stronger than most of the kids. The kids are also still somewhat afraid of adults at the 12-13 age.

In high school, it seems to be more "stay the fuck back, call security".


And remember, Timothy: Most administrators will be happy to throw a teacher, especially a new one, under the bus if it helps them weasel their way out of a lawsuit.

From what I saw in my student teaching, few administrators are willing to stand up to the "I will sue you!" parents.

I saw one kid, he was like an 8th grader who was terrorizing his band teacher. She reported it and wanted him suspended or something and his parents (who were both lawyers) raised hell and said his behavior was part of his IEP and the teachers had to tolerate his outbursts and comments because they were part of his special needs and threatened to sue. The admins all backed down and told the teacher to just deal with it. She quit before the end of the school year.

[DGuller]

Surely there has to be a backlash at some point, no?  Things that idiotic cannot be sustainable.

[Jaron]

The education system is BROKEN. Completely, utterly broken. Beyond salvage.

The teacher I used to work for and I would sat and talk before school and during breaks about conspiracy theories and we eventually agreed that the government is setting up the school system to fail with stuff like NCLB. In California, they have said by 2012 or so they want the California High School Exit Exam  to have a 100% pass rate. Now come on, you know no standardized test is ever going to have a 100% pass rate among students taking it.

As long as the government keeps schools failing, no one will utter even a whisper when Obama privatizes that too.

[jimmy olsen]

The education system is BROKEN. Completely, utterly broken. Beyond salvage.

The teacher I used to work for and I would sat and talk before school and during breaks about conspiracy theories and we eventually agreed that the government is setting up the school system to fail with stuff like NCLB. In California, they have said by 2012 or so they want the California High School Exit Exam  to have a 100% pass rate. Now come on, you know no standardized test is ever going to have a 100% pass rate among students taking it.

As long as the government keeps schools failing, no one will utter even a whisper when Obama privatizes that too.

Yeah the requirements of NCLB are insane, Soviet industrial goals were more reasonable.

[The Brain]

People do not desire working education for the masses. I am not 100% certain why, but people suck anyway so who cares.

[Jaron]

People do not desire working education for the masses. I am not 100% certain why, but people suck anyway so who cares.

[The Brain]

People do not desire working education for the masses. I am not 100% certain why, but people suck anyway so who cares.

What's the problem, J-dawg?

[Jaron]

People do not desire working education for the masses. I am not 100% certain why, but people suck anyway so who cares.

What's the problem, J-dawg?

We want the masses to be educated. Maybe in Europe you like your peons stupid, but in order for socialism to take root in America, it requires the lower and middle classes to be educated, aware of their history, and to have a strong sense of entitlement.

[Siege]

Fuck, another article quoted without bolds?

Sav deserves a week locked with Jaron in a 4x4x4 room with no toilet and no water or food.

[Jaron]

Fuck, another article quoted without bolds?

Sav deserves a week locked with Jaron in a 4x4x4 room with no toilet and no water or food.

Aww, poor Jew can't read?

[Siege]

Fuck, another article quoted without bolds?

Sav deserves a week locked with Jaron in a 4x4x4 room with no toilet and no water or food.

Aww, poor Jew can't read?

Can't read and can't shoot.

[Razgovory]

Well highlighting interesting parts won't do you much good will it.

[Malthus]

Allowing teachers to physically discipline children isn't the answer (except to lawyers' dreams).

You say that like it was a bad thing. 

[BVN]

What a depressing story. Proper education is a cornerstone for a good functioning of society...