This blog post is in response to: http://www.edutopia.org/groups/elementary-school/63840
Hector, the person who wrote the blog post above, is not happy with the American school system and how it compares to the school systems of other countries around the world. Hector claimed that Finland has one of the highest ranking school systems in the world. He gave credit to the country for only allowing the top tier of their college education graduates the opportunity to apply for teaching positions. Those who do not make the cut are simply not allowed to apply for teaching jobs. Hector claims that unlike in the U.S.A., the country of Finland places a very high value on their education system and is willing to pay their teachers high wages to educate their youth. By paying their teachers competitive wages, top tier college graduates strive to become a teacher just as people in the U.S.A. strive to become engineers, doctors, accountants, and lawyers. If teachers in the U.S.A. were paid better, the quality of education might go up? I have mixed feelings on this rationale. What do you think?
I agree, mixed thoughts, but I don't think this would happen. There are a lot of teachers, the good/great ones who don't do it for the money. Yeah, its nice to get a paycheck but sharing our knowledge with the kids is what makes our day. If we were to pay teachers more, I think colleges/universities should make it more difficult to acquire a teaching certificate. It takes a lot of schooling and difficult classes to become and engineer or doctor. I'm not saying you or I didn't take hard classes, but when we got our job and we jumped through the hoops to get tenured, you were safe from getting fired unless something horrible happened. I think if your a bad teacher and are not meeting the standards the state or district has set forth or have a lot of complaints, then you should be dismissed like any other job. They need to change the tenure laws, which Michigan government is currently doing.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with good teachers getting paid more. The ones who work all day, take it home with them, and plan to make the lessons more enjoyable. We are shaping the future decision makers of the world. We are creating the doctors or engineers, why shouldn't we be more acknowledged for it?
I think that it is unfortunate that other countries can place a higher regard for education than here in the U.S.. I would have to think that putting higher standards on education would make some improvements to how educators are teaching. I think if high expectations are made for who is educating, then the standards would have to go up and educators would get certainly get paid more. I think their are always exceptions to this rule, but I think competiveness in a field could help spawn great educators.
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