Despite my sincere attempt to avoid your interpretation that I was either accusing you of "whining about your finances" or that I disagreed with your statement regarding the shackling effect of student loan debt, I seem to have failed. My only point was that you chose the school, understanding it's cost, and you chose your field of study, understanding it's rate of reimbursement, you took out the loans, understanding the cost of their repayment. I wish that no student would be held in debt after graduation, including you, but you made a conscious choice to be where you are, essentially, saying that the worth of your education would prove valuable in regards to its cost. So, while I agree it sucks, you are where you chose to be.
1. That you not only subject yourself to the scrutiny of a group of opinionated (and, admittedly, sometimes ignorant) people and voluntarily, speaks volumes about the pride you take in your personal commitment and dedication to the teaching profession. Nothing I ever say about teachers / schools / education in general, however forceful or acerbic, should ever be mistakenly construed as my attempt at refuting this unmitigated fact. 2. Unfortunately, the teachers here are too often forced into an apologetic defense of the entire teaching profession, which is just a bunch of bull, really. We don't ask Hat, Cotton, Kid or others to defend some shitty lawyer, and shouldn't do so with you guys, at least in fairness. But, hopefully, you guys can decipher that the barbs and sometimes harsh sentiments are never directed at you, personally, nor anyone else, but are only addressed to you in the absence of our ready ability to express these comments to those whom we really intend it, and should rightfully answer it.
It's all good. I know the discussions on education here are in general terms. It is changing in a big way in TN. The older cruisers are nearly gone. Unfortunately, many of the great older teachers are gone as well. My biology teacher retired after 43 years. The guy is one of the most intelligent, best teachers I ever had. New teachers with new attitudes are coming in. It will take a little time for them to get their footing. I cringe when I think back to my early years. The culture is changing quickly- even though the issue of do nothings wasn't that widespread. We have to answer for our results. We can be terminated if we don't do well regardless of years taught. It takes time to revamp something as large. We just need a little patience. I assure you, things are different. We are working hard at doing better. It's just going to take a little time.
While we are quick to lament the few "bad" (ineffective?) teachers who have been largely responsible for the widespread perception of a capsized public education system, so should we be equally willing to admit and appreciate the fact that the difficult task of righting the ship will ultimately fall to the true educators, like yourself, Old, et al. Our desire to encourage and equip should at least equal the vigor of our scrutiny and criticism, or ideally, surpass it.
While we are quick to lament the few "bad" (ineffective?) teachers who have been largely responsible for the widespread perception of a capsized public education system, so should we be equally willing to admit and appreciate the fact that the difficult task of righting the ship will ultimately fall to the true educators, like yourself, Old, et al. Our desire to encourage and equip should at least equal the vigor of our scrutiny and criticism, or ideally, surpass it.
I had a teacher in high school who would use that phrase, and then explain that he always preferred the English system of insults, because the metric system just always fell flat. How do people know they're supposed to be insulted when you compare them to the speed of light in a vacuum? Anyways, he was great. Sadly, I went to a private school who paid the teachers jack-shit, and therefore we never had any male teachers with children last very long. I think he left for Dobyns-Bennett the year after my sister graduated.
Sorry, I was speaking to this quote: More simply, if only for the sake of my own clarity: 1. You chose your college, and field of study. 2. You knew, or should have known, the ROI for these choices (expected income - loaned amounts for tuition = ROI) 3. Your voluntary completion of this degree required loans. 4. You agreed to repay those loans, at known and largely fixed terms. 5. Now, having graduated and immersed yourself in that field of study, you admit finding yourself "staggering" beneath the weight of that repayment, and predict that such will remain until you are of "retirement age". 6. This likely results from your being paid too little to adequately compensate for that burden of repayment. 7. You state these reasons in support of your conclusion that college tuition should be subsidized. My comments were an attempt to gently disagree with your assertion, as I do not believe that the taxpayer should necessarily foot the bill for what seems to be little more than your miscalculation of the rate of return that it would produce. You can both desire and show great acumen in fields such as philosophy, liberal arts, mathematics, or basket-weaving - and pursue them to the highest educational attainment possible. But I don't see why I have to pay for it, when the cost to attain it fails to meet the value it produces. That is, unless colleges and universities admit that they are producing degrees with no marketable value (and maybe there are some, and I have missed them).
Absolutely. That attitude is greatly appreciated. I am inspired to go educate about the Nazi rise to power with renewed vigor. Cover me. I'm going in.
That is in my neck of the woods. My school is DB's training grounds. At least 85% of their mathe dept taught here. And most of their football coaches as well.
That's not too far from where I grew up then. I did Putt-Putt tournaments on Stone Drive on Tuesday nights during the summer in high school. Mostly stayed in Johnson City though.
Stone Drive Putt-Putt....memories. I live about 10 miles west if you take 11W (Stone drive). Small world.
Small world indeed. My parents still live in downtown Johnson City. One of these days when I'm back visiting, I should buy you a beer.
Would enjoy that. There's a new place straight across from the Putt-Putt called Biggie's. I've never been, but the folks I work with love it. Food/drinks type place. Then again, you can't go wrong with Poor Richard's. I would have to go to the Uptown location. Not sure the campus location would gee and haw with me anymore. Holler.
That is what I figured. It is what gives me heartburn when folks say we need to fix the education system by giving it more money; why so administrators can increase their salaries and staffs.
I agree totally on this point. The extra money needs to go where the rubber meets the road. I was also wrong on the $500 raise for teachers. It is a one time "bonus", not an actual raise.
Biggies is excellent, our band plays there every month, and I usually go there most Sundays for an open mic. Tonight I have been requested to sing with the 2012 Albert King award winner, Bart Walker and his band which includes Reese Wynan, former keyboard player with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Bart plays at BB Kings in Nashville. the band is a killer blues band.
