Misleading readers

Jerie

It seems you may be more concerned about government involvement in education, rather than the actual issues that contribute to a quality education.

Since you managed to drag the State & Federal Education System, Teachers, School Boards, Unions, Taxpayers, and Parents through the gutter -- don't you think some facts that led to your conclusions should be presented?

Why don't you present the facts which support your conclusions and let the readers decide if your argument is valid? Just saying government is the problem does not prove it.

I believe he did very good at presenting facts! Let's see your facts geezer?

I am not the one claiming that the Nebraska State Education Association is misleading readers, or our children cannot get a good education because there are too many Federal mandates and too much control. Jerie made that accusation and it is his responsibility to provide the proof to support his claims. Aren't we innocent until proven guilty? Where is the proof?

One of the items that need to be done is to get rid of this "tenure" thing. Then maybe we can get the instructors or teachers in place that will do some good. Education is needed. And not by someone who is not up to par......

edbru

You have a valid concern -- teachers themselves have expressed this.

Think it's hard for schools to get bad teachers out of the classroom? Turns out teachers agree.

More than half of teachers believe it's too difficult to weed out ineffective teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a teacher, according to a survey released Tuesday evening by the Education Sector, a non-partisan think tank.

Tenure provides teachers with job security and generally is awarded a few years after educators enter the profession. It is supposed to ensure teachers can't be fired at the whim of a principal or angry parent.

But it also can make it extremely difficult to dismiss a teacher who is doing a bad job, said Sabrina Silverstein, a Chicago pre-kindergarten teacher. "Even in the best schools, you'll find one teacher who probably shouldn't there. It takes a lot for a principal to get rid of a teacher," Silverstein said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Most teachers think the evaluation process for new teachers should be strengthened, so that weak teachers don't become entrenched.

About 70% of teachers in the Education Sector survey said receiving tenure was just a formality that has little to do with teacher quality.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-06-teachers-tenure_n.htm

I have also included a link to an article expounding on how four schools in Nebraska were able to implement strategies that led to National recognition in academic excellence. It is possible.

The four Nebraska Blue Ribbon Schools-- Bryant Elementary in Kearney, Buffalo Elementary in North Platte, Eustis-Farnam, a K-12 school in Eustis, and Southwest Elementary in Indianola--share many attributes, but they also stand out for their individualized niche strategies that contribute to cultures of academic excellence.

http://www.ed.gov/blog/2010/12/nebraska-schools-use-niche-tactics-to-claim-acade...

edbru

Following is a link you will want to read, it explains Tenure. From this article it states that Nebraska does not have a Tenure system for grades k-12.

I did not realize that - guess even an old dog can learn something once in a while.

http://www.nsea.org/policy/salaries/teacher_tenure.htm

Whatever happened to the days when people just did their jobs? If they did well they were acknowledged and or compensated for it, if they did poorly they were reprimanded and or relieved of their duties, and if they just "Did their share" they stuck around off the radar. I know the answer to that question, we ran into a shortage of people that care. I listen to co-workers daily that feel the company is their enemy and therefore they deserve better.

If there weren't so many legal repercussions involved with removing someone from employment and the government's standards for providing for unenthusiastic X-employees..... perhaps there would be more effort in the work place and by extension better performance, more efficiency and ultimately better products and services at a more affordable price tag. My comment is this:

"Just Do Your Job." don't look for the pats on the back and a raise next week.... those things happen over time when you have shown your salt.

I really began to digress from the topic there and I apologize, but to keep poor employees, (Teachers, Doctors, Managers, Judges) because of a clause is not just at the detriment of the employer, but those that receive products or services from them as well. If someone has a beef with a teacher, an investigation should ensue to get to the root of it. A teacher shouldn't have an automatic "Tough Luck Chuck Card" that they can flash around anytime they want to pester a student. Luckily, I don't see a lot of that around here... some, but not a lot. Just Do Your Job people.

Hey Nick,

I hate to be negative toward you but you really were off the topic here. I do agree with you that there are a LOT and I mean A LOT of lazy people out there right now that feel they have the right to a hand out just because they "never asked to be born" so we are in concurrence there....

No, I think this article was Jerie Quinty's rant at the government... I believe that there is another topic going on in Jerie's world now with contamination of sorts so this will be quickly put in the closet I'm sure, as now there is a local entity to point a finger at.... much more satisfying.

Nick & PensiveObserver

Thanks for the well thought out comments -- it is appreciated.

The function of Unions and their role of representing their members have always been a hotly contested issue. Some Unions are created to meet a demand that is generated by providing qualified individuals for specific tasks -- such as the Technical Engineers of Alaska or the various Unions representing concerns of Teachers. Others are created to represent a group of individuals in a broader spectrum of issues -- such as the many Farmers Unions which will probably play a large role in the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, as well as other issues surrounding the construction and maintenance of it.

Other Unions serve to lend validity to scientific findings such as the Union for Concerned Scientists. This is part of the peer review process, where scientific findings are closely scrutinized for factual context, theories, etc. The most recent examples are the many scientific issues surrounding Climate Change.

During the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline system, Unions from around the country were called upon to provide the workforce that was needed to safely build a construction project of this magnitude. Unions met this challenge by providing the qualified people and the training needed to meet this goal. This is also commonly practiced in the Nuclear Construction Industry where HazMat training is required.

What happened to Jerie? Maybe trying to look up some facts to back up the statement. JERIE WHERE ARE THE FACTS?????!!!!!!

@ Geezer,

I'm not sure where you were going with your comment there about my comment being well thought out but because I didn't truly put a large amount of brain waves to work on my comment I will ascertain that you were being sarcastic. I will say this however, I have been a member of a union and if there is one thing I'm certain of.... the union rules held me back from being fully productive so if One's goal in life is to get as much as possible for the least amount of effort.... the unions is certainly the way to go. Personally I get anxious just sitting around on a mandatory break when I don't need it and indeed it made me feel as though I was being lazy. So far as qualified workers go.... I challenge you to find larger contractors that DON'T adhere to OSHA regulations for work place safety, DOT regulations for vehicle safety, EPA regulations for environmental safety plus a multitude of certifications from their product manufactures to assure quality control, ALL without a union.

I personally work in a field where I have the certification for: Lead Safety, Asbestos Encapsulation, OSHA regulations, CDL Certification, First Ade, Hazardous Material usage, storage and transportation certification directly related to the products that I deal with and the list goes on. I am not union but I assure you my Company is quite capable of handling projects safely, with professional results at an affordable cost in comparison to that of a union company. Argue the validity of unions if you must, there are good ones out there, but my opinion is this.... if more people did their jobs the way they were created to be done, this would be a much more affordable place to live. The Big 3 Auto-Maker Unions haven't really set the world on fire but they have made it more costly to produce a vehicle and by extension the consumer prices go up and the import tariff from foreign auto makers (specifically to give the American Auto Makers a better chance to sell... American) leveled out and so the cost of domestic is as much if not more that foreign cars.

As you can see, I'm not a big union fan.

Do your jobs People.