Starting to feel like we're really living in an era of activism and protest. Which (maybe? probably?) is a good thing. I wish this article dug a bit deeper into the national & local education funding landscape(s). Regardless, I never hesitate to get behind education. In my opinion, the USA under-prioritizes education across the board - not just monetarily, but also culturally and socially. It's a huge missed opportunity because education is a great investment in our shared future as a society. Having said that, I'm also a fan of choice (in many cases) and experimenting with more radically innovative education models. Compulsory education - especially when the education is garbage - really is a nightmare.
I'm torn about how I feel about the teacher strikes. My first reaction is anger that teachers are depriving two-thirds of Arizona's public school students of an education. The students have no control over the situation, but they're the ones suffering. Can't teachers strike on weekends or over the summer? Then I think about how these teachers are making a long term play because increasing teacher salaries will attract skilled people to become educators and enable schools to be provide better resources for students. What is the appropriate amount of short term sacrifice for long term gain?
Yeah. I don't think anybody would pay attention if teachers went on strike on weekends/holidays/summer. I just looked it up - striking is, by definition, "a refusal to work organized by a body of employees as a form of protest."
Regardless, this strike is already over now, so this is kind of old news. We need some new good education articles on this site!! Looking at you @erica ;)
Starting to feel like we're really living in an era of activism and protest. Which (maybe? probably?) is a good thing. I wish this article dug a bit deeper into the national & local education funding landscape(s). Regardless, I never hesitate to get behind education. In my opinion, the USA under-prioritizes education across the board - not just monetarily, but also culturally and socially. It's a huge missed opportunity because education is a great investment in our shared future as a society. Having said that, I'm also a fan of choice (in many cases) and experimenting with more radically innovative education models. Compulsory education - especially when the education is garbage - really is a nightmare.
This image is about a year old, but I can see why teachers in AZ are unhappy: https://www.cbpp.org/total-state-k-12-funding-below-2008-levels-in-most-states-0
I'm torn about how I feel about the teacher strikes. My first reaction is anger that teachers are depriving two-thirds of Arizona's public school students of an education. The students have no control over the situation, but they're the ones suffering. Can't teachers strike on weekends or over the summer? Then I think about how these teachers are making a long term play because increasing teacher salaries will attract skilled people to become educators and enable schools to be provide better resources for students. What is the appropriate amount of short term sacrifice for long term gain?
Yeah. I don't think anybody would pay attention if teachers went on strike on weekends/holidays/summer. I just looked it up - striking is, by definition, "a refusal to work organized by a body of employees as a form of protest."
Regardless, this strike is already over now, so this is kind of old news. We need some new good education articles on this site!! Looking at you @erica ;)