OK--so I'm getting tired of this "holier than thou" attitude from both sides----and the cavalier attitude towards the Head Custodian.
I'm a high school clerk (12 month position) and although I can't teach the kids who pass through my office, math or science, I can teach them how to behave in a business setting and correct their English grammar (and I do it all the time).
I believe there is a place for homeschooling in many parts of our country, but there is also a place for public education. Your child will do best when you take part in their education, not necessarily run the entire thing.
All too often I see parents who have had their children for 14 years, suddenly expect us, in the course of 5 hours to not only teach their kids, but change their behaviour as well.
I've seen kids from homes where their parents (or more often parent) don't know what their kids are doing and don't care---as long as we don't upset their lives.
So, before you make a blanket statement and call all NEA members morons please consider the value on each side of this issue. I am an NEA member---not because I want to be, but because I'd have to pay 85% dues anyway---and I'm not a moron.
By the way, I had to laugh when you said that many Social Studies teachers are called "coach" because they are, but those I deal with here are also some of our best teachers, too! (and many are also conservative)
Don't get angry at the people who are seeing the dirty work of the NEA. Get angry at your own leadership.
Who said anything about being a janator.
The nea is established to protect the mediocre teacher NOT the extraordinary teacher.
The fact the nea puts out anything attacking homeschooling has now given legitimacy to homeschooling as a valid and legitimate competition to public school education.
The nea is always going to be "turf" oriented. More home schooling means less teachers to be hired.
How many children are homeschooled now? 1 to 2 million? How many teacher jobs does that represent?
THAT is what the Nea cares about.
There is zero place for public education as it is now constructed. Public education spends 8-12 thousand per year per pupil. Or for a class of 20, about 180,000 per year. A teacher might get 60,000 of that and 120,000 goes for the building, and overhead. Building and overhead should not cost 120,000 dollars.
This is a monopoly situation and monopolies never serve the public. They don't have to, because they are a monopoly. It is time to give every kid an 8k voucher and let the private sector do this job. Tuition at Stanford is only 24,000 per year (does not include room and board and students do have the option of off campus living). And that includes state of the art everything, Rodin sculptures everywhere, in the most expensive location in the US.
Bette, can the school address that? Do they on a daily basis?