This is why teachers in America suck so bad. It's not even a job worth working because of the low salary and heathen children. Raise the wage up higher than a professional athlete and only hire the best of the best to train our future minds
Raise the wage for teachers? Why on Earth would we do that when we can spend trillions on the military industrial complex instead? Do you even think about the children's future?
Smart kids will study on their own and succeed, regardless of the teachers. Unmotivated kids will not study regardless of the teacher.
The military industrial company is what secures USA's interests around the world keeping it the number 1 economy which ultimately benefits all its citizens.
As a teacher...what a shit take. We have some amazing teachers who pour their hearts out into our students every day. We are fighting an uphill battle against lazy irresponsible parents who shouldn't have children, a government that wants to monitize our profession through privatization, and a society that believes they are entitled to an opinion on a profession they've never tried to do themselves. Our teachers do not suck, they are the backbone of this nation.
There's nothing that infuriates me more on reddit than people shitting on the education system when they have no knowledge, clue, or idea about what they're talking about.
While I definitely get there is a lot of ignorance. What qaulifys someone for opinion? Over a decade inside that system? People who will interact with system for decade or more for own children siblings etc.
Or learning about it in isolated environment. And developing opinion on your isolated experience in your own class.
Like definitely some ignorance but as a public service. Who people depend on not exactly something that should be devoid of public opinion.
Nor is the best management for accountability in any organization "self management". We see it across every aspect of governance. The we investigated ourselves and found no wrong doing.
Don’t pay much heed to him, he’s just regurgitating anti-US babble that for some reason pervades the Redditverse—it’s not a real representation of reality.
Society is certainly entitled to an opinion in that profession, the opinion that matters most are the parents, unfortunately sh1t areas are full of sh1t people so there isn't much hope for them
You're right in many ways, but teachers and the ways they're forced to "educate" in the US are particularly bad, to the extent that I would argue that the vast majority of my teachers in American elementary, middle, and high schools made learning less appealing and more challenging than it had been before I entered their classrooms. This is not just my experience; this is a process I have encountered over and over again while working with first-generation college students and truant kids.
The uphill battle is exactly why the quality of education is often poor. You say that "some amazing teachers" are pouring their hearts out, and that's true, but it's just not enough to overcome the reality that American educational standards and the manner in which they are taught to students are so terrible that educational environments are often deeply traumatic for students (both because of the way they're graded and the way faculty treat them) in the same way that the system doesn't work for the teachers who are motivated purely by giving students the chance to learn something new and valuable every day.
You're right that the person you're responding isn't correct in saying that teaching in the US isn't a job worth taking, but I think you're missing a big part of the point. Whether it is their intention or not, most American teachers cannot feasibly offer a quality education to their students — not necessarily because they are incapable of doing so personally but because the system itself rarely allows them to. At the very least, many teachers fail to do what they can to make education a fruitful and effective experience for their pupils, and rather than defying grading norms and adhering to educational principles that actually work, they are forced by their circumstances, perspective, or superiors to punish mistakes, discourage divergent curiosity, and give unhelpful deadlines. In that sense, yes, most teachers do suck. It's not their fault (most of the time! Some teachers are just bullies who "grew up"), but I'd argue that it's true.
No, read it again. They are literally saying teachers in America suck because without paying teachers proper salary, you’re going to get the bottom of the barrel people to do it. If we paid teachers more, we would get better quality teachers. It’s an ignorant take. It’s along the lines of, “why would I want anyone flipping burgers to make $15 an hour?”
Because the motherfucking corporation hiring them can afford it, they just might have to accept less than utter global domination with their brand. It’s crazy how many people are blind to what’s really happening in this world.
I'm saying teachers suck. I will admit the good teachers are phased out in favor of ones that are willing to just teach to the standardized test material. Either way, its an easy degree, easy job, easy hours, tons of time off.
What other job do you only interact with people dumber than you (kids) with zero oversight?
Ok so, as someone who was both gone through the American education system and now has kids in the American education system I can confidently say that no, we do not have some amazing teachers. At best there are some passable teachers. But not a single one is amazing.
We have a fucking epidemic of illiteracy in this country, you don't get that with amazing teachers.
"A society that believes they are entitled to an opinion on a profession they've never tried to do themselves" you mean like almost every job ever? It's always easy to talk about how others should do their job, it is by no means a teacher-only thing.
I have a lot of respect for teachers but calling them THE backbone of a nation always seemed pretty elitist to me and every teacher says it as if somehow their profession is so more important than other jobs. Construction workers build houses, roads,... which to me seem equally as important. Also not every teacher has it in them to change lives. I'd say most of them just teach just like most other people "just" do their job. Nothing wrong with just doing you job but this sentence always just rubs me the wrong way as if every teacher is extremely engaged with their students.
Yeah, I know a few former teachers and they all say roughly the same thing- they knew it was a low paying job but they got into it because they wanted to teach, but between kids who act like violent morons with no impulse control, parents that fight them on everything (and sometimes also act like violent morons with no impulse control) and admin that never has their back it’s just not worth it.
I don’t know how it is in other parts of the world but where I am the number of children is rapidly decreasing so schools are competing for an ever shrinking number of students. This is more pertaining to private schools though.
Admin has now become almost adversarial. They will side with the students 100% of the time so that little Johnny doesn’t complain to parents or ask for a transfer. We’ve basically become babysitters without any recourse when students misbehave and are forced by our bosses to act as servants for spoiled kids.
To give you an example, I caught 2 G10 boys smoking in the bathroom. Brought them to the principal, don’t worry I got this he said. Later on I asked the boys how their parents reacted. They don’t know. The school didn’t think it wise to tell the parents because they would look like clowns allowing this to happen and parents might send the students elsewhere.
Not only that but it leads to a race to the bottom. Students that would not have previously been admitted to the school suddenly are. We’re talking students that have behavioral issues or grades that are nowhere near what is required. Parents are sold a lie (of course she’ll be able to do A-level next year!) and blame teachers when miracles don’t happen.
I could go on and on but it feels as though it is getting exponentially worse with every new cohort. It’s extremely frustrating and most teachers I know are looking for a way out.
Not the entire world. In example, for Albania, my homeland, you also need to do additional university years of teaching beyond just the certificate of the subject you teach. There’s no such thing as a lawyer-turned-law professor in Albania because one requires degrees for actually teaching while one doesn’t. My mom’s a 3rd grade teacher and she gets paid well.
In the states you have to continue to re-certified and most teachers have double masters, as that’s a way to maximize their income. My kids elementary school has 100% certified teachers (masters) with 75% completed their second masters. They all make absolute dog shit pay.
Yeah I don’t think people understand how strict the requirements to teach are. Not to disparage, but it also sorta matters what state you’re in. I have a 4 year degree, 75 graduate units post degree (teaching credential and extra units including a masters degree) all of which took about 7 years of schooling.
People love to shit on teachers because they either think it’s easy or didn’t like their teachers growing up. It’s hard work and most of us do it because we want the best for our students. It’d be nice if more people understood how educated we are like you do. We’re more educated than most jobs and get treated like we’re undereducated. But like I said, graduation makes it worth it. Seeing kids who gave up on themselves at one point or another make it, that’s why we teach 😊
sorry, hun, but that is not what the rest of the world does.
unfortunately, becuase US trends keep catching on in other countries, we are suffering the same fate.
its really shitty.
like why frozen pizza filled with corn syrup and fizzy drink filled with corn syrup? please, do better for the kids. just to have a smile on their face? but ruin their health and taste buds for years to come?
I was a High School teacher for 9 years. If I could just go to work and teach the kids I wouldn't have left. The actual working with the kids part was generally enjoyable and fulfilling. It's all the other shit that makes the job annoying at best and miserable at worst.
I was a daycare worker for 5yrs & no, we are not glorified babysitters. My center had actual curriculum & we were attached to a private kindergarten. We made sure our kids were kindergarten ready & i loved working in pre-k the most. I wasn't a lead, but i got a chance to lead & i would cover the kindergarten class after offical class was over. I loved it so much i almost went back to school to be a kindergarten teacher. The kids & the work isnt the reason I chose to leave childcare.
Its all based on property taxes. That funds schools. Where i went to high school teachers made like $95k+ in California but 10 miles away it was only $65k in a worse part Of town.
Just to piggyback off this, something I always like to remind people of. If over night, every single CEO, CFO, etc were to disappear, there would be the slightest of hiccups but the system churns on just as it always has. If over night teachers, or trash collectors, or janitors were to disappear, the system crumbles and screeches to a halt. Teachers should never have to worry about money. Tax the rich out of existence.
It is a job worth working because you are not there for the money but there to make sure the next generations can be able to put their best self forward.
Everybody in my family who has been a teacher is either quit or snapped and been fired teaching in this country indeed sucks I remember asking one of my cousins why she quit and she told me that the school she works at sides with the student over the teacher I said yep that do it.
They actually have pretty good wages comparatively, seriously look up the stats on it. Why you hear they always get paid low is because they are paid from a public budget and need to justify their salaries. Teacher's unions spend a ton of money spreading this propaganda, which is why it's commonly parroted.
Yeah man, teachers are famously all wealthy and you NEVER see teachers working other jobs just to pay their basic needs due to the enormous amount of money they make.
This is all union propaganda, likely linked to communism and I guess Joe Biden is involved as well.
Define wealthy. They certainly aren't rich but they are doing a lot better than most people in America, and are on par with other careers around a similar education level.
But your last part of your message shows you just want to exist in an echo chamber
Whenever I read about what teachers get for pensions where I live, I suddenly don't care about the "low salary"
Oh, 75K a year for the rest of your life? Guaranteed by the state constitution and cannot be taken away? You know, my salary rivals a teacher's salary too when you factor in that I have to save for retirement.
Edit: Love that I am getting downvoted for this. Show me a job that you work 5 years and you are practically guaranteed to keep your job no matter what until the day you retire as long as you put in the minimum effort.
My friend's a physician. His wife works for a NorCal school district. She's worked out how to maximize her pay raises yearly (bunch of ongoing education and other titles/courses, etc.). She's making ~ $130/yr + full bennies, pension for life. She has another 10 years before retirement, so who knows what it'll climb to.
School also pays for a yearly overseas vacation that she goes on with some kids in her language class (flight/accommodations fully paid).
I'm not saying every teacher makes that kind of money, but fundamentally, the path is there.
Also, when following the money, the real issue is administration - something like half the school budget is siphoned off by administrators, while the teachers are the ones left to deal with all the, you know, teaching, and discipline, and Wrath_O'_Parent.
You still have to get to the end to get that pension, low income earners don't tend to live healthy or do much of any hobbies, that lowers life expectancy. Also if you go bust and end up homeless? Goodbye job.
People get confused because they look at the annual salary and forget to divide by 0.75 (teachers are part time). A full time teacher who does summer school, makes six figures.
I grew up with a single mom as a teacher. They don’t get paid well AT ALL. If they did she wouldn’t have had to work another job to ensure my brother and I could still have decent clothes and attend things like soccer
My mom has maybe 2 weeks off of working on summer vacation (and even then she’s thinking ab her kids) and works the rest of the time bc she needs to do lesson plans and prep work. Despite that, teachers don’t stop working immediately when the school year stops anyways. They typically are required to work for a week or two more
Teachers work 5 extra days. If they are doing lesson plans over the summer that’s a result of poor time management. A lesson plan after the first year is essentially fixed, give or take a few tweaks.
I’m not saying teachers aren’t passionate and do lesson plans for fun, but that’s not part of the job. An accountant can bring their work home for fun too if they like crunching numbers.
This is from my experience analyzing teacher productivity. I’ve shadowed numerous teachers to evaluate their processes and gotten feedback from people I know in the industry.
For instance, my friend teaches 5th grade and has been using SUNO AI and Chat to make animated music videos for his class after hours. This is a nice gesture and is a passion for him, but by no means a necessary part of the job.
And teachers work a fuckton more than their contract states - btw mine wasn’t limited to 1500 hours (or any number) and they could add whatever the fuck they wanted, including days in the summer.
Stop talking about what you don’t know about. You clearly don’t know anything.
Teachers can choose to have their part time wages paid on a full time basis for better budgeting, but no, they have very high hourly pay comparatively.
Many western countries pay more. Then if you go based on ratio of pay you can get for that job versus other jobs it is lower than pretty well all first world countries.
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u/Drosenose 6h ago
This is why teachers in America suck so bad. It's not even a job worth working because of the low salary and heathen children. Raise the wage up higher than a professional athlete and only hire the best of the best to train our future minds