Teacher Bonus

[TexKan]

Well - they voted and the Teacher bonus program passed - we'll see how well this works. Just thought I would share this with those who have to struggle with this in the future.

http://www.click2houston.com/educati...76/detail.html

[Jolly Rancher]

Another way for deception to thrive. I know of teachers who pad the grades of the students so the teacher's abilities look really good. Makes it look like the students are really learning. Did you know that, in certain classes, if a student brings in a signed grade card from the parent, the teacher gives the student an automatic "up" in their letter grade, or 100 points, etc.?

I have a great problem with the "Every child will learn" issue. I think every child should learn, but not at the expense of others.

Do you know that we have teachers that can't teach a classroom. So, the school system brings in a "tutor teacher" for the classroom. A teacher that helps the other teacher. I say that if the first teacher can't teach, replace her.

Now I know I just started a huge bag of worms and I will hear from many. I do not profess to know the answer.

[TexKan]

The "uping" of grades is what we used to see as "extra credit". Been around for years. Now I don't know if this plan will work but the world works off "incentives". That''s just the way it is. Since the "benchmark" will be actual STANDARDIZED test scores and teachers won't have a hand in the grading or anything else - it just might work. I know in Texas these tests are state wide you prepare for them just like you would the SAT. We'll see. I don't have any kids in school - just grandkids and for them passing grades are expected and delivered - end of story. Besides they all like sports and it's no pass no play at the house as well as at the school.

Just thought it was thread worthy since it's the first in the country... figgered it was gonna filter to KS in a few years after ya'll are done fightin bout who or what science is............ sorry just had to add that......

[Bubba]

On a similar subject....did anybody see 20/20 last night on ABC? It was called Stupid in America. It compared the public schools in America to the schools in Belgium. They put a school in the US against a school in Belgium and each took some kind of international test. Both classes said the test was pretty easy and they thought they did good. The Belgium class scored an average of 76% and the American school scred an average of 46%. Most of the kids in the American class couldn't tell what the Bill of Rights were or what was the cause of the civil war.

It seemed to me that most of the Belgium kids spoke English, as a second language, better than the American kids spoke English.

The show then went on to show how the schools that keep saying that they need more money per shild to teach them did poorly against some private schools that taught kids with much less money per child.

They also said how in Belgium the money that is tied to each student, goes with the student and not with a school district. The child/family chooses where to go to school and the money goes with the child to that school. If a school consistently has poor student grades on testing, the school fails and is closed down and the children go to a school that has a better record of teaching kids.

I thought it was a good concept, if you can't teach kids, close them down and send kids somewhere else. It also showed how more money doesn't show how well a child is taught. Dodge City should learn this.

[Lone Gunman]

Originally Posted by Jolly Rancher

Another way for deception to thrive. I know of teachers who pad the grades of the students so the teacher's abilities look really good. Makes it look like the students are really learning. Did you know that, in certain classes, if a student brings in a signed grade card from the parent, the teacher gives the student an automatic "up" in their letter grade, or 100 points, etc.?

I have a great problem with the "Every child will learn" issue. I think every child should learn, but not at the expense of others.

Do you know that we have teachers that can't teach a classroom. So, the school system brings in a "tutor teacher" for the classroom. A teacher that helps the other teacher. I say that if the first teacher can't teach, replace her.

Now I know I just started a huge bag of worms and I will hear from many. I do not profess to know the answer.

I agree JR when it comes to money people will do what they have to do to get their share even if it means cheating. When the very person who will get the money is also the person who controls the grades students learning goes out and money in their pocket replaces it. That's like allowing a person to to write their own job performance evaluation to determine what kind of a raise they will get.

[TexKan]

I saw or heard some of that story - look at it this way - Belgium is teaching us how to educate, Netherland is teaching us how to build dikes, China is teaching us how to bring a car in at $10,000. Odd that the test market for the Geely is in Peurto Rico.........What a slice of American Pie. Like they couldn't have chosen any WalMart around to "test sell"........That's off my original thread thought but when I heard China and cars - I just saw a big yellow smiley.............

[Jolly Rancher]

I don't have a problem with 'extra credit'. When I was in school, it meant doing extra work (for the student, not the parent).

[Jolly Rancher]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Just thought it was thread worthy since it's the first in the country... figgered it was gonna filter to KS in a few years after ya'll are done fightin bout who or what science is............ sorry just had to add that......

LOL!

[TexKan]

Originally Posted by Jolly Rancher

I don't have a problem with 'extra credit'. When I was in school, it meant doing extra work (for the student, not the parent).

Yeah but you know how everthing is "different" nowdays. Parents actually knowing whats goin on is a rareity. So for us that "extra credit" meant extra work like a science project or providing a visual with a book report - now days if a teacher can document "parental knowledge" with a signature - it's like havin some protection when that parent becomes irrate when Johnny fails the class and comes to the school to "have your job"....... I can see why a mere signature would be of value. Afterall we have always "paid" for insurance - maybe the payoff is too high - but I can see the value of it.

[Lone Gunman]

I watched the show too Bubba and felt ashamed of US schools. When the American students were asked about the Bill of Right the said "I don't know" when asked what the civil war was about they said "I don't know". What the hell are they teachin them?