Just another possible solution:
Make the certification a curved exam so that only x number of teachers makes the cuts. Set the number low enough that there will be barely any surplus in teachers.
this will do a few things:
it will decrease the number of available teachers which will
create scarcity of teachers which will
increase pay and
increase quality because only the best will make the cut.
Connor,
Did you ask those teachers if they are reimbursed for those extracurriculars? This can happen in 2 ways, monetarily per a separate contract for the extra duty–for coaching, or the play, or mock trial or… or they can receive credits towards their professional growth for the purpose of recertification when their teaching license is due for renewal. The latter applying to “organizing the PTA” or other such activities.
I do agree that most teachers will pick up a summer job of some sort or else will take classes to further their professional growth/satisfy state standards of degree progress which in turn will help them earn more. And I agree they will work on lesson plans, some of the time. But if we accept the statement made by sdimbert(and I do) that each class is different, how can they make up the lesson plans till they know the kids they are dealing with?
If they are starving to death in the summer they should have taken their pay over the full year instead of either over 9 months with a higher per pay period amount or over 9 months with a lump sum in June. If they can’t make it, they need to budget better. People who make 16,000 a year can make ends meet.
Anyway nothing personal, but that is the way I see it and if you guys decide to pay teachers more that is great too because as I stated earlier, my fiancee is a teacher.
As far as privatizing schools the first problem that comes to mind would be the creation and enforcement of “industry standards”.
Originally posted by Cervaise:
**
Well-put, even though I disagree. 
It is a teacher’s responsibility to teach the child good behavior, or morals, or anything like that. Let me try to explain why I say that…
Our educational system is an experiment - the largest of its kind in the history of the world. Never before the creation of our Public School System did the government of a nation decide to take it upon itself to educate its masses.
We must always remember that it is still an experiment.
The current goal of the system (stress on “current”) is to socialize our young citizens to grow into responsible members of today’s socio-economic culture. Come to think of it, that has always been the goal; the definitions are what keeps changing.
When the system was invented, the idea was to teach children to sit quietly, follow directions, line up at the door before luchtime, speak when spoken to, etc. Remember, we were training them to be good factory workers following the Industrial Revolution.
Today, things are different. Today, we teach children to question what they’ve been told, think “outside the box,” build a better mousetrap… in short, we teach them to try to always look for a way to do it faster, cheaper, better, smarter. That is what succeeds in today’s socio-economic culture.
Now more than ever, teachers must find a way to cover their bases while remembering to teach the fuzzy stuff - “good behavior, or morals, or anything like that.” That is precisely what is in danger of being left out of today’s “Results at Any Cost/Machivellian” Society.
Good teachers don’t need to have this legislated - they can see where their students are lacking. You’re right that these things should be taught in the home, but many students today have no home. Or have no parents. Or have only one parent, who is incapable of teaching them the morals they need to learn so badly.
One of the hardest issues I dealt with while teaching was how to get my students to question authority on one hand and follow school rules on the other. Ever stood in front of 25 angry 18-year-olds and tried to explain why they are not allowed to leave school during lunch-hour? The truth was that there was no answer (it was a stupid rule) but I couldn’t tell them that. Not easy.
Long story short - Those fuzzy subjects you want to dismiss from the curriculum are the real reason why these children need to go to school. The difference between right and wrong will serve them much better in life than an understanding of the Bernoulli Principle. It was my job to first teach them how to be people, then show them how to love English.
PS - [insert shameless plug for Movie Geek Central here]. Cervaise, the site is great and your reviews are exceptional (even the ones I don’t agree with!). But, I agree with most of them - You are spot on regarding Being John Malkovich (which I just rented) and I have always loved Tony Shaloub!
Jayron - get ready to scream. Michael Jordan’s pay was based on his value to the system - i.e. the Bulls. Of course there’s no system that determines salary in the NBA. My point was that he was compensated in relation to his value, not in accordance with measurable hourly tasks, etc. And I said that the discussion that equates teacher pay with hourly wages overlooks the more significant variable - value to society. The fact is that Michael Jordan was in extremely limited supply - i.e. there was only one of him. And the demand for him was potentially extremely high, since his presence on a team translated to oodles and oodles of money. Therefore, Reinsdorf paid him whatever it would take to make him happy - AND KEEP HIM THERE. He was paid according to his value to the system. Teachers are not. They are paid on a scale much closer to various conventional hourly wages, on the assumption that they are workers.
I hereby pledge to pay teachers twice what I am currently paying them.
No, but seriously. Its not a question of why can’t some teachers make ends meet. Its not a question of which payment plan they use. Its not a question of whether or not they get paid for extracurriculars. If it comes down to a quality teacher saying, “I can’t afford to be a teacher, and I certainly don’t have enough time to coach football for some extra money.” then there is a problem. I’m not aware of something like this happening, but I’m sure its a reality for some teachers.
The tangents we’ve hit are great. Very good discussion. However, I’ve still yet to meet a teacher who is happy with their income. Has anyone else? I know most people would like to earn more money - who wouldn’t? But I personally believe teachers who gripe about their low wages are justified in doing so.
One must not look just at what a teacher accomplishes day to day. Not even year to year. What should be looked at is what a teacher ACCOMPLISHES, period. In the long run, what would have happened without this teacher? In a comparison between a society completely without teachers and our society, how much are those teachers truly worth?
I have to eat now, so someone, please pick this up.
Connor
Connor:
I did it. 
Now you’re aware.
When kid #2 showed up, and the wife said she wanted a house, and an offer came to enter the business world, I showed my Principal a number (lower than that starting salary in the business world) and told him that I would love to stay, and would if he could match.
He couldn’t. I left. Now, high-school students are just a little bit dumber.