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Forum Post: Teaching to the Test Meets Paid Performance: What the Atlanta Scenario Means

Posted 11 years ago on April 2, 2013, 7:31 a.m. EST by OTP (-203) from Tampa, FL
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Wow. 35 teachers accused of cheating. So why did they do it?

It couldnt be that they are paid poorly? I believe the average salary is around 50k a year, thats a nice paycheck. So if anyone did it because of money, it was probably someone making around 30k a year.

Bonuses for better test scores? Again, thats motivated by cash, so it would be lower paid teachers. Some data on the salaries of all those indicted, in relation to the salaries of those who didnt, would be great.

That being said, what was deemed "cheating" by the state is anyone's guess.

What in the hell have we turned our entire education system into? k-12 has turned into a joke. Ive heard numerous teachers state that they cannot teach when kids dont come in knowing the very basics. And not just the basics of school, but the basics of life. Like how to sit still, and how to wait your turn to talk. So there are parents dropping the ball.

9-12 grades is so watered down, its almost pointless at this point. No one comes out with anything decent at the age of 18, hence then needing to go to college. It didnt used to be like this. So why has the school system not kept up with the world? Its going in the exact opposite direction. As we move from a labor society to a brains society, the schools have removed the labor aspect of learning, and not replaced it with anything. Why are all high school students not coming out of highschool with some kind of base for a professional career? Students are not capable? Not at all. "They" simply dont want progress in that area.

College- the first two years are nothing more than rehashed 9-12 garbage. The last two years you get a little bit into your discipline, but certainly most don't come out with the level of knowledge that 4 YEARS should give someone. And yet it costs a boatload.

Teaching to the test, centralizing decision making with the state and even more so with the feds, not allowing teachers to be creative.

This is what we get.

Education is the key. Always has been, always will be. And simply throwing more money at a busted system isnt going to do a damn thing. Shrinking class size is great, but when the teacher is nothing more than a robot at the front, we are still stuck with the same shitty results, just more refined.

All this Atlanta story shows is how broken this entire country is. Too much relying on others to make decisions- others that many times are just rich assholes- and not enough participation.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57577230/atlanta-schools-cheating-suspects-to-surrender/

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9 Comments


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[-] 2 points by GirlFriday (17435) 11 years ago

believe the average salary is around 50k a year

Hahahahahahahahaha.

For whom?

How about you end high stakes testing and stop trying to take something that is unreliable and tying it to careers.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 11 years ago

Right on GF. Twinkle that

[-] 0 points by OTP (-203) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

I thought it seemed a bit high as well, perhaps the very top is skewing it, or the BLS is counting the principal and all associated fat cat positions with it as well?

http://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/average-teacher-salary-georgia.html

[-] 2 points by GirlFriday (17435) 11 years ago

Springfield, IL – $48,015 Chicago, IL – $53,713 Atlanta, GA – $35,903 Savannah, GA – $25,008 Orlando, FL – $31,684 Tampa, FL – $36,630 Miami, FL – $34,501

From 2008. Yep it is skewed. But, there is also a depending on where your location is. http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/teacher-salaries-by-state/

[-] 2 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 11 years ago

Haven't had raise in three years, even cuts, and no cola this year neither.

[-] 0 points by OTP (-203) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

Savannah is 25k?!! What the fuck!!

[-] -1 points by john32 (-272) from Pittsburgh, PA 11 years ago

"College- the first two years are nothing more than rehashed 9-12 garbage. The last two years you get a little bit into your discipline, but certainly most don't come out with the level of knowledge that 4 YEARS should give someone. And yet it costs a boatload. "

Couldn't agree more....I feel like a sucker for the amount of money i'm paying back in school loans that I didn't really learn anything from.

[-] 0 points by OTP (-203) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

College loan defaults jumped 38% this past year. Thats an astronomical increase.

Im a sucker too. That being said, it did help straighten me out, give me something to focus on during a pretty tough point in my life, so it may have been worth it for me.