# High School Teacher Starts In-Class "Fight Club" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372 "2004-05-21T15:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/21 "2004-05-22T01:00:41Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Really? Around 12 years ago I was dating a schoolteacher, and she was trying to talk me into becoming one. She urged me to hurry up, because soon it would be mandatory to get a masters, and even tenured teachers had something like a 5 year window to get one. She was happy because she taught in a private school that didn’t have that requirement. This was in MA, by the way. > > Maybe that was just proposed legislation that didn’t pass. Or maybe it was a UL passed around teaching circles. Or maybe I made it up. > > But it’s true!!! Perhaps it is. I don’t know diddly about MA, although I wonder how in ghod’s name they are able to fill their public school vacancies if every blessed person from math teacher to football coach is expected to have a master’s degree. People with master’s degrees can go out and find more profitable (and legislative-crap-free) work than teaching in public schools, as a rule. That’s nuts. Then again, I live in Texas. Perhaps MA has many, many more highly educated professionals than we do that are willing to put up with the long hours, low pay, and general crapola, even if they could do a lot better. Like I said, I dunno anything about MA. I do know that once or twice every decade, some state congressman decides to introduce legislation requiring that all public school teachers have master’s degrees… or Ph.D’s… or Master Teacher certificates… or be willing to work for free… or have super-powers… or be be canonized by the Catholic Church… or some damnfool thing or other. It’s their way of scoring points with the voters – “I tried to improve education in Texas, but the legislature wouldn’t let me!” Perhaps this has happened in MA, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/22 "2004-05-22T01:11:13Z")
> [@ZaLucky1](#): > > As far as New York State (not the city, they have different requirement I think), you have to ::: > > 1. Get your Bachelors in a subject that is taught in the level of teachingyou want to persue … elementary (K-6) or secondary (7-12). > > 2. Go through an accredited program for teaching with student teaching as the last and final test to see if you think you are fit for the field. Then, get your teaching certificate by sneding NYS money, your transcript, and an application. > > 3. 6 weeks later you have a teaching certificate!! > > (And because of new standards)::: > > 1. To teach in a public school you must get your Masters within 3 years in a field related to your subject or the teaching field. Some private schools strongly suggest it, but don’t normally require it. > In NYC, the teacher pool is so few that they are highering (I don’t know how much this is happening recently) noncertified people who have the ‘intention’ of getting their certificate. I have heard that this does not work out so well … #4: This is going to be fun. New York State expects their teachers to not ONLY get their feet under them in a rocky, high-speed career, but they expect them to get on the stick and get MASTER’S DEGREES within three years of getting started? New York is well and truly frog dup, folks. I honestly, simply cannot see that happening. Not unless NY pays their public school teachers truly insane amounts of money, by my standards. #1-#3 aren’t unusual. You can go through an accredited educational study plan ending in student teaching, or you can get a degree in something else, then go through a certification curriculum ending in student teaching. That’s true most places I’m familiar with. _“Noncertified people who intend to get their certificates.”_ In Texas, this is called “Emergency Certification,” and you can get it by signing a pledge to go back and get your certification in X amount of time. They’re trying to do away with it, as part of the general drive to improve the school systems and outlaw stupidity and laziness in the human race. PROS: It gets people into the loop, saves money (if you can hire ECs, you don’t have to jack your incentives and signing bonuses through the roof), takes care of teacher shortages in the short run, and lets prospective teachers know DAMN quick whether or not they’re suited to the profession. CONS: A substantial portion of the ECs are incompetent, and very few have any training or experience. No penalties are provided for those who simply quit and don’t get certified. Some say that ECs drain away jobs that could and should have gone to certified teachers if the schools had simply tried a little harder or been willing to pay a little better. ---
**Author:** ![IUchem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@IUchem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUchem)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/23 "2004-05-22T02:19:11Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > “I’m a NYC high school teacher. Hey, I’ve got a great idea! I’ll have my students beat the crap out of each other in class! I’m sure I won’t catch a world of shit for this…” > > WTF?!? How is it possible to become certified as an educator, and yet still be so obviously bereft of any sense whatsoever?? > > From the [New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/195638p-168972c.html) > > Of course, you **know** what needs to be said: > > The first rule of Math Class is “You do NOT talk about Math Class” Check out the link - this is too weird! ---
**Author:** ![IUchem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@IUchem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUchem)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/24 "2004-05-22T02:33:55Z")
> [@IUchem](#): > > Check out the link - this is too weird! As interesting of a story as this is . . . please remember this teacher has only been accused - he has not been convicted of anything. Not that a conviction in this country (the US) means much when a secret Far be it from me to take up for this guy if the allegations are true - - but I can easily see some 16 year olds making this kind of thing up - - or taking his words out of context - - as he tried to break up the fight. I hope he was wearing bullet proof/puncture resistant and riot helmet while teaching in NYC public schools. 🆒 -IUchem ---
**Author:** ![IUchem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@IUchem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUchem)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/25 "2004-05-22T02:35:40Z")
wearing bullet proof/puncture resistant [_B]ARMOR_\*\* Forgot a word - :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372/26 "2004-05-22T02:56:05Z")
From the article: > [@](#): > > \*Some students defended Murray, saying he is a disciplinarian who does not tolerate roughhousing. > > “You can’t curse in his class, in his room, nothing. No chewing gum,” said junior Randy Michel, 16, of Crown Heights. “I would say he’s strict.”\* Well okay then. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-teacher-starts-in-class-fight-club/246372.md?page=1)