DPS EFM Roberts Imposess Sweeping 10% Wage Reduction ETC.

[English]

The posts by teachers like DT and English are SO impressive here. FWIW, I have a [[long expired) teaching cert myself. Went an extra year to obtain it. Subbed for awhile, got my life threatened a couple times. Decided I'd stick with the original plan plus couldn't get a teaching gig anyway. Schools churned out way too many teaching degrees 25 years ago and they still do. I wouldn't be a teacher in DPS for ANY amount of money. So I'm stuck training Mexican engineers on how to do my job [[Ford's long term plan) and we all compete in the race to poverty. A race that won't end until the [[former) middle class gets hungry then all Hell's going to break loose.

Oh, no. Corporate training is my back-up plan. Don't tell me that when the higher ed bubble bursts, there won't be anything in that sector, either!

I also agree with you about all hell breaking loose. I am frightened by the idea, and hope that we get some visionary leadership in the CAY, Lansing, and DC very soon. We can't continue to go into debt, but our society is falling apart at the seams.

[mwilbert]

Leadership is a good thing, and it would be great to have some, but our political problems are largely institutional and aren't likely to be overcome by leadership. Given the sclerotic nature of the system, the impetus for change is going to have to come from below, although I don't have a high degree of confidence as to how that might shake out. The other possibility I see is some sort of coup, although I doubt that would work out any better.

[Patrick]

Watch this video that has been going around with Matt Damon making a good point:


http://gawker.com/5827002/matt-damon...wn!them-apples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzT5iKpxjFA

[Novine]

"It is critically important. There's no way to pay for it. "

Then it's not critically important. Critically important things get paid for by society.

[Jimaz]

Watch this video that has been going around with Matt Damon making a good point:


http://gawker.com/5827002/matt-damon...wn!them-apples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzT5iKpxjFA

Loved it. "I bit my tongue—instead of his." LOL!

[65memories]

English...thanks for your sane input on this issue [[By the way...clear some space in your messages...I tried to send you a message.)

[DetroitTeacher]

HAHA...as I read the post on med school I could only think one thing. I could do it if I weren't so freaked out by blood and guts and weren't a sympathetic vomiter. I also don't like being around dead things [[which would totally screw me in the long run).

I did take some law classes but decided that I would be miserable doing that. I much prefer to be around gangly teens all day.

I think I am going to be royally screwed when it comes down to brass tacks. I can get another job/career in another field, I just won't be happy doing it.

On a side note: I went "school supply shopping" today [[and got great deals). Still ended up costing me about 250.00 and not one thing, save a new eraser and purple pens for grading papers, was for me directly. It's all stuff that my kids will need in the fall [[paper, copy paper, pens, tissue, girly bathroom necessities, etc). Will someone keep me out of Target and Staples, please? I really can't afford this with the cuts and such coming down the road.

[DetroitTeacher]

English...thanks for your sane input on this issue [[By the way...clear some space in your messages...I tried to send you a message.)

Ditto...I'm trying to contact you and can't!!

[Rochelle St.]

I am opposed to any more wage cuts for working people.
The Elite and ruling classes just want to get rid of us, or reduce our numbers.
The fucking retailer I work for hasnt given me or any of coworkers even a cost of living in three years, although the corporate fat cats continue to get their big salaries and bonuses.
Time for American workers to band together, dont accept low wage, part-time jobs!

[Anchor Bar]

WXYZ: Amidst layoffs and pay cuts, DPS buys emergency manager brand new $40,000 SUV

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_n...2440%2C000-suv

[English]

Ditto...I'm trying to contact you and can't!!

Sorry folks -- I'll go clean things up right now...

[firstandten]

Stop paying high priced consultants to come in and tell us how to fix it, for a start. No one has had a viable answer to the knee deep in chit question of how to right size DPS.

We also need to get parents involved in their chid's education and make it a priority in the home, like we had when DPS was a great system. Without parents buying into their kid's education, nothing will work. Cass, Renaissance, King, CMA all work and have great results because the parents are involved [[for the majority of the kids) and take a vested interest in their child's education and demand excellence from the kid. I don't see that a lot where I am.

Over time and reading some of the excellent posts from the educators on here I've come close to an 180 on this issue. I know there are some bad teachers, some that work the system. I believe you have bad apples in every profession. I also believe the majority of teachers are hard working, deserve their pay and then some.

I would guess that a common characteristic of every failing school is lack of parental involvement. What I mean by that is not only are parents not making meetings at school but parents are not preparing their children for school, monitoring and checking homework, but most importantly they are not making their children understand that as parents they have non-negotiable expectations for their children's academic performance.

Too many parents don't want to put the effort in to reinforce the educational process in the formative years, They must think there kids will get educated thru osmosis. Now granted the teachers do the "boots on the ground" work as far as education, but parents in general need to be more proactive at least in their expectations from their children.

I found this article which was written in response to the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal, but it could just as well apply to DPS because there is basically the same type of mentality.

http://rollingout.com/news-politics/...h-the-parents/

[DetroitTeacher]

I've seen children of Parents 1-5 in that article [[more times than not)! However, I don't blame the parents for the teachers cheating for the kids! I would much rather have a child fail honestly on one of those stupid tests than to have them ace it dishonestly. I don't care how great it makes me [[and the child) look, I would NEVER advocate cheating of any sort!

I do agree with this paragraph in the article, "Parents have to not just tell their children that education is important, they have to show them by their actions. They must be consistent and make education a priority in their homes through conversation with their children about various topics in life, exposing them to multiple and varied learning opportunities outside of school, supporting and helping them regularly and persistently and showing their children that they also have an open mind toward learning and like to learn".