SO ....where do I rank myself politically? I wish I really knew, probably somewhere over the rainbow! I am rather conservative about most things but when it comes to education expenditures, nay not so!! Thus, I am rather disgusted with what SEEMS to be coming out of this legislature. It does not sit very well with me to read in the newspaper that some appointed state employee has been given a $30,000 raise but the cuts to education are alarming with not relief in the future but more of the same.
My View goes like this:: Politicians need to get themselves out of education. They know little about what they are doing except controlling the purse strings. What needs to be realized is that educators are not crazy in their requests... usually.
Teacher assistants are needful in kindergarten and first grade. I would like to see a legislator try to run a kindergarten classroom for a week without an assistant. Often first grade is just as difficult. You need to be an octopus to handle the needs of these youngsters on most days. Try taking them to lunch or onto the playground. Just transitioning from one place to another can be a trial. Can you imagine what it will be like with increased class size? Just imagine for a moment what it is like heading out to lunch with 28 or 30 little bodies trailing along, some crying, some needing their noses wiped, some who forgot to go potty, one who can't get his zipper up, some who forgot their lunch money, or left it on their desk, one who shoved another, another who tripped his friend and got pinched in the process, one who made the wrong turn, two whose shoes are untied, and one who just wants to tattle?? Any volunteers??
In North Carolina legislators don't think teacher assistants are needed. I worked in a middle school last year as a volunteer and I constantly was aware of their need of an extra body on staff to do lots of tasks to help teachers sometimes just to chase down that student who didn't come back from the bathroom or one who escaped the building. My teaching experience was largely in elementary school and I saw the need for every teacher to have some type of clerical help such that they could get on with the teaching, record keeping, and planning needed.
Every university needs to add another requirement to be allowed to major in education. One needs to have a bladder enlargement such that you do not need to empty except early in the morning and after 5PM!!
What is it that makes charters or private schools so appealing? One factor not to be denied or overlooked is small class size. SO with the "legislature guys and gals" at the same time we are offering tuition to "privates" they increase class size in public schools. Does something smell?? Indeed it does!
The next really intelligent thing the NC Legislature does is pull funding for Masters pay!! Super smart folks! Then the Lt. Govie decides to take on Common Core ... in the legislature yet!! I am no authority on Common Core but neither do I think this bunch of politicians are!
The big answer to it all might be to get the federal government out of education by funding the needs of North Carolina schools in North Carolina. Then you can throw out Common Core and go back to using the NC Standard Curriculum.
Just my view folks....you don't have to like it!!
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