[Diva]

Originally Posted by Linus

Is it all about $$$; a lack of students as parents send their kids to private schools; a lack of faith in the public education system; a decrease in enrollment; or all of the above that is causing administrations to do this kind of drastic result? I do agree with you, Diva, in that unions often protect those that really shouldn't be teaching. I wish (and as a former member of a professors' union in Ontario) that there could be performance evaluations taken into consideration as to whether the union will protect your job or not.

I totally agree with that 'performance evaluation' thing. Teachers are observed, of course (or should be), but in the schools in which I taught I was given notice. So any teacher could put on their A+ lesson. I think the way it OUGHT to be ~ if a teacher is doing their job as they should ~ is that the principal (or asst. principal) SHOULD be able to drop in. My principals always knew they could. (I've had principals come in and I would hand them the music and 'made' them sit with the choir!)

Public schools go downhill in some area and the parents yank their kids out and take them to private schools. ALso, parents sometimes expect the teachers to raise their children, the kids are discipline problems and they're taken out of public and taken to private. But that's another thread.

I'm just thinking that our priorities are SOoooooooo out of whack here!