Teaching

SHT is writing a series about teacher deficiencies in the State of FL.....overdue...I have long had concerns about the state of public education in the US, and even more so in Florida. Granted, there is no easy fix. There are mutliple culprits. Fed. & State governmenst need to take responsibility for enacting legislation which has hamstrung school districts... requirements are handed down ( and some of them are ludicrous) without the accompanying dollars to implement; institutes of higher ed need to take responsibility for graduating folks as teachers without giving these eager souls the correct tools to manage their future classes... it's simply not enough to have proficiency in your subject area; teachers need to take responsibility for not setting standards of personal dress (why do you want to look like your students? would you trust a doctor or lawyer who dressed so casually?) and decourum, classroom management (students want and need clearly defined, consistent and fair rules and regulations); parents need to take responsibility for the personal, at-home mangement of their progeny.... and not expect schools to turn at out-of-control hellion into a member of the choir of angels.

Public education is a priviledge and a right. At this point, I see both aspects being abused.