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Chicago to target absent teachers
Chicago Tribune ^ | February 4, 2006 | Tracy Dell'Angela and Darnell Little

Posted on 02/04/2006 8:54:24 PM PST by george76

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To: moog

Hopefully we all can choose a profession that we enjoy. Thus going to work should be generally enjoyable and not just to get a pay check.

However, that is often not the case.

Sometimes it is good to change careers to be re-motivated. Doing the same thing for 30 years can be enough.

Having an ex-scientist from industry might make for a good science or math teacher even if they do not have an "education" degree.


81 posted on 02/06/2006 6:17:33 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: moog

I'm assuming that they weren't able to harvest your friend's brother's kidneys for your friend? Wow, that really sucks. I'm not yet on dialysis, but my function is low enough that it could happen any week now. I have labs again this week; fingers crossed that they will be stable.


82 posted on 02/06/2006 6:17:37 AM PST by Born Conservative (Chronic Positivity: http://www.livejournal.com/users/jsher/)
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To: SoftballMominVA

Taking 40 days off to care for a child with cancer is totally reasonable. That does not look bad.

We are glad that she is fine, now.

Best Wishes.


83 posted on 02/06/2006 6:21:01 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: AmericaUnite

I certainly can relate. Our hospital (large tertiary care center in a rural setting) had almost the same atmosphere as your NYC hospital; mental health days were taken liberally. When they implemented the new PTO/ETO system, it changed the nurses' way of thinking about sick time (as well as all of the other employees). I'm thankful now that I have the sick time built up, because now is when I really need it.

I think there's a lot to be said about your last statement; your conscience is clear because you didn't abuse your sick time, plus you have a better reputation for having not abused it (I recently had to take 3 days off related to my chronic illness; everyone was talking about it, saying "boy, he must REALLY be sick if he took sick time").


84 posted on 02/06/2006 6:26:29 AM PST by Born Conservative (Chronic Positivity: http://www.livejournal.com/users/jsher/)
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To: george76
Hopefully we all can choose a profession that we enjoy. Thus going to work should be generally enjoyable and not just to get a pay check. However, that is often not the case. Sometimes it is good to change careers to be re-motivated. Doing the same thing for 30 years can be enough. Having an ex-scientist from industry might make for a good science or math teacher even if they do not have an "education" degree.

I agree with ALL that you say here. I would like to see some of the things happen in the last paragraph, particularly having more male teachers. AND it is happening in certain places. My brother did that in Texas as a hydrogeologist. He did find out that teaching wasn't as easy as he thought and the pay and benefits were really lousy there as well so he quit after a year. He did enjoy the kids. He went into the Air Force instead.

As a teacher, you learn most by doing it, that's for sure. Good comments.

85 posted on 02/06/2006 6:29:19 AM PST by moog
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To: Born Conservative

Yep, it was too late to get the kidneys. My friend had ONE kidney barely functioning for years. I really wish you good luck. Pray hard is all I'll say. Knowing you to be the sincere individual you are, I'm sure you'll pull through it pretty well.


86 posted on 02/06/2006 6:31:35 AM PST by moog
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To: george76
Seven years ago in Chicago a public school teacher was discovered to have a hidden TV set in her desk. It turned out she watched TV during class for years. The students were prohibited to come up to her desk to show her things or talk to her with out her permission in an attempt to keep her TV set a secret. The teachers union went to the mat for her and she kept her job, only receiving a written reprimand. Thats education in Chicago, enough said!!!
87 posted on 02/06/2006 6:32:01 AM PST by Lockbar (March toward the sound of the guns.)
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To: moog
One important issue is the lack of concern on so many parents in their children's education.

Perhaps the parents are working multiple jobs, perhaps the parents are not very educated and do not want to embarrass themselves, or have some other reasonable excuse.

Parents should get involved. Go to the PTA meetings, go to parent/teacher meetings, and/or other school events.

The kids would see that the parents care. It seems that many immigrant families from Asia make sure the home work is done, the kid is not hanging out, getting into trouble, etc. Their kids often end up well schooled with graduate degrees at the better universities.

88 posted on 02/06/2006 6:36:48 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Kozak
What, 2 months off in the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas and a week at Easter aren't enough? Cry me a river poor poor teachers.

You obviously don't know any good teachers. My wife is up till 10:30 to 11 every night grading papers and making lesson plans. Of her 3 months off in the summer; she teaches 6 weeks of summer school, 3 weeks of seminars, conferences, and continuing education (required).

Not all teachers are as dedicated, but then again, not all teachers are union loving deadbeats either.

89 posted on 02/06/2006 6:38:42 AM PST by phil1750 (Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
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To: george76
One important issue is the lack of concern on so many parents in their children's education. Perhaps the parents are working multiple jobs, perhaps the parents are not very educated and do not want to embarrass themselves, or have some other reasonable excuse. Parents should get involved. Go to the PTA meetings, go to parent/teacher meetings, and/or other school events. The kids would see that the parents care. It seems that many immigrant families from Asia make sure the home work is done, the kid is not hanging out, getting into trouble, etc. Their kids often end up well schooled with graduate degrees at the better universities.

Again I agree with you here. There are PLENTY of opportunities to get involved here for parents. I REALLY appreciate those parents who do. We teachers LOVE stay-at-home moms who form the backbone of a lot of it.

We teachers need to show that we care about the kids. And I think a LOT of us could use a change in attitude.

I do try to apply a lot what I learn from others in my own classroom. Thanks for continuing that. I learn a lot from people here at FR.

I spent some time in Korea. The parents often competed to see who could get the teachers' attention. As for studying, oh boy, did they ever study.

90 posted on 02/06/2006 6:41:20 AM PST by moog
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To: Lockbar

Chicago is really a mess. It looks like they have not yet hit bottom.

Running off Walmart will cost themselves millions of tax dollars per year.


91 posted on 02/06/2006 6:41:49 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: phil1750

Kudos to your wife. Sounds familiar. :)


92 posted on 02/06/2006 7:07:27 AM PST by moog
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To: Lancey Howard

As an employer the easy solution is to pay people at the end of the year for all but, say 3, unused sick days.

Not that hard.

(You do need to have a few sick days for which people won't get paid; otherwise, you'll get people coming in with the flu.)


93 posted on 02/06/2006 7:55:42 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Darn right, I'll cast the first stone!")
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To: george76
Chicago to target absent teachers..

To make sure they have their right adress to mail their paychecks to.

94 posted on 02/06/2006 8:21:54 AM PST by XR7
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To: george76

If a teacher is a professional, how can there even be such a thing as a substitute teacher?


95 posted on 02/06/2006 9:02:43 AM PST by Mamzelle
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To: moog
I went to school 1957-1970. I have 4 children who went to public school. A good number of my best friends were good teachers. In the late 80s, when middle class moms began to enter the workforce en masse, schools began to have to make up for the lack of parenting. BUT, the teachers' unions took advantage of the situation. Now, they are too powerful.

We have a generation of parents who must be re-educated, as from the early 90s up to the present day, it has been too convenient for them to give schools the job of raising, rather than teaching, their children.

BOTH parents and the unions are to blame for current problems. Parents must start raising their children properly and teachers are going to have to start denouncing union liberal politics - or public schools will continue to decline.

The condition of public schools is the mirror of the condition of society as a whole.

96 posted on 02/06/2006 9:11:35 AM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: george76

6-8 % doesn't seem terribly high. I'd say the average large corporation probably has a similar rate. the difference of course, is taxpayer money taken by force versus consumer choice with a private company.

we should expect and get more with our confiscated dollars-we don't.


97 posted on 02/06/2006 9:32:41 AM PST by Rakkasan1 (Muslims pray to Allah, Allah prays to Chuck Norris.)
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To: Rakkasan1

This is revealing...39 week work year.

"$10 million spent annually by district for classroom subs..."

"Chicago teachers missed an average of 12 unscheduled days in their 39-week work year..."

"By comparison, salaried employees nationwide take an average of five sick and personal days during their 50-week work year..."

Nice to have a 39 week work year.



98 posted on 02/06/2006 1:01:19 PM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

Nice to have a 39 week work year.

I concur. however, I don't normally have to worry about being shot or sued nor do I have to deal with these little heathens or their parental unit/guardians.


99 posted on 02/06/2006 1:11:46 PM PST by Rakkasan1 (Muslims pray to Allah, Allah prays to Chuck Norris.)
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To: moog
I missed 1 and a half days last year. This year I have missed 1.

Last year I missed 4 days for jury duty, 3 days taking care of a sick family member, and 2 part days for doctor appointments I was unable to schedule after school hours. Some doctors won't schedule appointments after 3 p.m.

100 posted on 02/06/2006 2:29:46 PM PST by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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