Big increase in teacher vacancies

[eek.]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Almost 30,000 registered teachers were staying away from the classroom

despite staff shortages in schools, the BBC learned in June.

Can't say I blame them...

A large number of kids seem to be disruptive attention seeking lunatics
...and that's without any alchohol either.

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Big increase in teacher vacancies


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Classroom job vacancies have risen, according to new totals



</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA --><!-- S SF -->Official figures have shown that 1,164 unfilled teaching posts exist in Scotland - a significant increase on last year's figure of 790.


More than 400 jobs were vacant for over three months and most vacancies were in English, maths and modern studies.

Ministers insisted the number of vacancies was low.

However, the Scottish National Party argued the Scottish Executive was in danger of missing its own target of cutting class sizes. <!-- E SF -->

The new statistics have suggested that 4% of English teaching posts need to be filled and 3% of maths jobs.

Ministers stressed, though, that 2,770 newly qualified teachers were starting their careers this month and more were in training.

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</TD><TD class=sibtbg>There's an army of new recruits waiting in the wings ready to bring their skills and expertise into schools



Peter Peacock MSP
Education Minister


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Education Minister Peter Peacock insisted he was on target to cut class sizes in Senior I and 2 English and maths - and also to boost teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007.

"We're committed to attracting increasing numbers of high-quality teachers into the profession, enabling us to cut class sizes and target resources where we believe they can make the most difference," he said.

"Despite the fact that school rolls are falling dramatically, we're increasing the number of teachers in our classroom and there's an army of new recruits waiting in the wings ready to bring their skills and expertise into schools."

But the Scottish National Party's education spokeswoman, Fiona Hyslop, said: "Cutting class sizes was a laudable pledge but making it knowing you would fail is unforgivable.

"The end result is continuing teacher shortages, constant streams of supply teachers disrupting education and staff shortages.

'Failing miserably'

"Head teachers have to pick up the pieces, teachers have to take the strain and pupils who deserve the best education they can get are the ones who could lose out."

She accused the minister of being complacent, as 40% of teachers were due to retire in the next 10 years.

"The executive started late and proceeded slowly in initial teacher recruitment and is failing miserably to tackle workforce planning," Ms Hyslop said.

Scottish Conservative education spokesman, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, said: "This data is more evidence of the need to devolve far more responsibility to schools themselves over their budgets.

"It would enable them to attract and retain the staff they need in their own particular circumstances.

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The SNP's Fiona Hyslop criticised ministers' recruitment policies



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"Central planning and the political straitjacket imposed by national and local politics is not the way to create a teaching profession for the 21st century."

Almost 30,000 registered teachers were staying away from the classroom despite staff shortages in schools, the BBC learned in June.

The General Teaching Council (GTC) was to survey probationary teachers to discover why they were failing to apply.

Discipline problems and too few permanent posts were thought to be to blame.

Education convener at council umbrella body Cosla, Ewan Aitken, said at the time: "In the bad old days when money was tight we did try to save money by offering short contracts but only one or two authorities do that now.

"We realise we have to make posts attractive to staff."



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[Trendsetter+]

i always wanted to be a teacher, that was my childhood dream but.......................................................... i dont think so now, if i was one i guess i would already be in jail for yankin some crazy ass kid in the head...:lolBIG: :lolBIG: so i change my mind

 

[eek.]

I would do the job if I could bring a cattle prod into work.

Dealing with drunk adults in a pub or driving a taxi on the night shift is preferable to being trapped in a room with thirty of the little darlings.

 

[stacilu]

Teaching, ha. Might be the most difficult job in the universe.
Try facing a gang of 9th graders hell bent on making you
crazy, not interested at all in school, and their parents
at many times worse than their kids. Teaching at the
college level is like a walk in the beach compared to public
school hell.

I got a great idea to fix this mess, test and test and test,
this should really work. Why don't they get the brilliant
idea of asking the teachers how to remedy this situation?

 

[Redneckman]

Teaching, ha. Might be the most difficult job in the universe.
Try facing a gang of 9th graders hell bent on making you
crazy, not interested at all in school, and their parents
at many times worse than their kids. Teaching at the
college level is like a walk in the beach compared to public
school hell.

I got a great idea to fix this mess, test and test and test,
this should really work. Why don't they get the brilliant
idea of asking the teachers how to remedy this situation?

Good idea, except the teachers unions will require that teachers demand more money. To hell with outcome based education. Pay the teachers.

 

[bblight]

My oldest girl got her certification became a high school english teacher for a year in Brockton. She wanted to pass on her love for the written word and had a passion to teach.

What a joke - a student she was having problems with assaulted her -(he got in her face, pushing and threatening her). When she went to the administration with a complaint, the principal just about accused her of initiating the "confrontation" actually taking the students side against my daughter (by the way, this was a student with a criminal record and a history of agression towards teachers).

Needless to say, my daughter finished her contract and got the hell out.

Without administrative oversight and classroom discipline, teachers can't teach.

The shame of this is that the criminals get coddled and the borderline kids are being denied the education and structure that they need to enter the workplace with a fighting chance at success and to have decent economic lives.

This is another problem that liberalism and not holding people responsible for their actions is causing.

 

[bblight]

Teachers are the last people that should be involved in classroom oversight! They and their unions are part of the reason we have this problem.

First, we have to understand why we have an reducation system. If it's to train the students to be good parents, good citizens and poroductive members of the economy. the we should structure the classroom and the curricula to meet those goals.

Set and maintain standards for classroom discipline
Set minimal expectations of conduct and effort
Create rewards for achievement and disincentives for underachievers.

These are all simple standards to set up and maintain. We will continue to turn out students who are subparr until we do this.

 

[JudgeWapner]

I went to college to be a teacher and taught for several years. Easy job if you don't give a shit. Very hard job if you care. Got tired of working for chump change and losing sleep over kids, whose parents were indifferent.

 

[Redneckman]

Well said, bblight.

 

[bblight]

Judger, the problem isn't parents - the problem is support.

When I was a kid, my parents didn't know or care where I was or what I was doing - but the school system made sure that I was in school and meeting the standards, or I got kept back, or went to reform school - and the courts did hold my parents responsible for certain of my actions - so I would have felt pressure from tmy parents if the courts got involved.

The point is that I was a borderline student and the system forced me to live up to certain mini,mal standards, or I would have suffered the consequences.

Once I had kids and grew up, I had the the educational background I needed to suceed and the GI bill to help me get my BA.

Those minimal expecatations I had to live up to in public school helped to make a major difference in my life.

It's a shame that we're dooming so many kids to a life of hard work and poverty because of a lack of expectations and allowing these kids to fail in self responsibility.

 

[go2guy]

Teaching, ha. Might be the most difficult job in the universe.
Try facing a gang of 9th graders hell bent on making you
crazy, not interested at all in school, and their parents
at many times worse than their kids. Teaching at the
college level is like a walk in the beach compared to public
school hell.

I got a great idea to fix this mess, test and test and test,
this should really work. Why don't they get the brilliant
idea of asking the teachers how to remedy this situation?

SO TRUE!

 

[JudgeWapner]

BB, the problem is many fold, especially in the cities. Always loved teaching, but just ain't worth it. Could have taught at a private school, but my strength was working with kids whom everyone else had given up on.

 

[go2guy]

My oldest girl got her certification became a high school english teacher for a year in Brockton. She wanted to pass on her love for the written word and had a passion to teach.

What a joke - a student she was having problems with assaulted her -(he got in her face, pushing and threatening her). When she went to the administration with a complaint, the principal just about accused her of initiating the "confrontation" actually taking the students side against my daughter (by the way, this was a student with a criminal record and a history of agression towards teachers).

Needless to say, my daughter finished her contract and got the hell out.

Without administrative oversight and classroom discipline, teachers can't teach.

The shame of this is that the criminals get coddled and the borderline kids are being denied the education and structure that they need to enter the workplace with a fighting chance at success and to have decent economic lives.

This is another problem that liberalism and not holding people responsible for their actions is causing.

See you had me then lost me with the liberalism crap as usual. Administrators are scared to address many problems these days because of fear of losing their jobs or lawsuits. That doesn't have shit to do with be liberal or conservative. I blame the parents more than anything.

 

[go2guy]

Judger, the problem isn't parents - the problem is support.

When I was a kid, my parents didn't know or care where I was or what I was doing - but the school system made sure that I was in school and meeting the standards, or I got kept back, or went to reform school - and the courts did hold my parents responsible for certain of my actions - so I would have felt pressure from tmy parents if the courts got involved.

The point is that I was a borderline student and the system forced me to live up to certain mini,mal standards, or I would have suffered the consequences.

Once I had kids and grew up, I had the the educational background I needed to suceed and the GI bill to help me get my BA.

Those minimal expecatations I had to live up to in public school helped to make a major difference in my life.

It's a shame that we're dooming so many kids to a life of hard work and poverty because of a lack of expectations and allowing these kids to fail in self responsibility.

Support from who? By the way teachers unions aren't strong everywhere believe it or not. As a matter of fact, they are getting weaker by the minute. It seems like you like to find a scapegoat for every social problem that is discussed here in the forum. Maybe you should look in the mirror first before issuing out blame.

 

[JinnRikki]

bblight

When I was a kid, my parents didn't know or care where I was or what I was doing

Interesting, were your parents Republicans also?

 

[stacilu]

Judger, the problem isn't parents - the problem is support.

When I was a kid, my parents didn't know or care where I was or what I was doing - but the school system made sure that I was in school and meeting the standards, or I got kept back, or went to reform school - and the courts did hold my parents responsible for certain of my actions - so I would have felt pressure from tmy parents if the courts got involved.

The point is that I was a borderline student and the system forced me to live up to certain mini,mal standards, or I would have suffered the consequences.

Once I had kids and grew up, I had the the educational background I needed to suceed and the GI bill to help me get my BA.

Those minimal expecatations I had to live up to in public school helped to make a major difference in my life.

It's a shame that we're dooming so many kids to a life of hard work and poverty because of a lack of expectations and allowing these kids to fail in self responsibility.

You are a complele enigma on one hand you say one thing and then
you almost completely contradict yourself. Mr. Blight allow me to teach
you something, you need not have an extreme postion on every political
issue. How is it that you seem to be an expert on every issue that is
discussed? Let me assure you this, you know very little about
most subjects and almost nothing about this subject. (teaching) I learned
many years ago that when I know little about a subject it is best to
listen and research. Obvious you do neither.

Since you were a neglected and maybe even an abused child I can understand your cynical attitude about almost everything. Now you have the guts to say teachers should be the last people consulted about education. That is such a stupid remark that I won't even comment on it. Proves to me and the readers that you haven't a clue about what you are saying. And then you equate liberalism to the break down of discipline. No, BB the problem is adminstrators and law enforcement not addressing the issue. Liberals are not against discipline and self responsibility. You just think they are and buy the bs handed to you by bigger idiots than you. Did you ever think that maybe a priest or minister or maybe even a therapist can help you with your neglected and probably unhappy childhood.

I was a teacher in both public schools and private college. Maybe, I know
a bit more than you do. If you don't have discipline it is almost impossible
to teach. I observe the younger teachers trying to teach a group of
kids that are doing everything but listening and learning. It is a disgrace.
not always the younger teachers fault. We need discipline and the teachers are taught not to yell or threaten in any way. They are almost helpless. Every school needs an alternative school manned by the best teachers who incidentially are usually the best disciplinarians. Also, when a student crosses a line determined by teachers and is a constant problem that student should be immediately arrested and charged with harassment. These kid are afraid of nothing but their parents being fined. Fine a parent a few times and you will see a different child. I have never before heard this idea
pushed by anybody. But I used it quite effectively when teaching 9th graders.
Juniors and Seniors are a different breed--usually. Honor students are always
a different breed. These kids almost teach themselves, they only need direction, evaluation and assignments. The kids we are losing are the kids
that are being neglected by teachers because they can't handle them.
We need discipline first, class size second and parental and law enforcement
responsibility. Give your public school teachers these assets and you will
see tremendous strides in education. Did you learn anything?

 

[eek.]

The big change I see in society is who is responsible for what in public.

In the old days an adult could grab a wayward/vandalising kid until the police came and carted him back to his parents.

Nowadays as an adult you would get done for assault.

The State made grassroots community responsibility and accountability illegal, and backed it up with the force of law.

So people let kids smash stuff up and just walk on by.
And there's not much point phoning the state people like the police since they lack the resources and the will to do much about it anyway.
They might turn up an hour or two later, if they can be bothered.

 

[stacilu]

Eek


No calling the police will not work. You must file paperwork
with a magistrate. That does work and the kid must appear
in court to answer the charges. Decent judge will almost
always favor the teacher unless the arrest is not warranted.
Believe me, I know, I did it.

 

[Coldweather]

The problems are several. The curriculums are awful ; students for the most part fail to understand the purpose of education; the majority of teachers can't teach and are boring, incompetent and protected by liberal unions.

 

[919]

bblight
Interesting, were your parents Republicans also?

lmao...i think it's funny he doesn't think the parents are part of the problem....in many cases they are exactly the problem....