Too Much Noise From the School

School cited for excessive noise after neighbor complains to police. For more on the story click here.

Sad situation for our children

In Charlotte, NC and apparently across the country schools have plans to cut teaching positions as municipalities face budget shortfalls. There is a major problem with this trend. Also, here in North Carolina and across the country we've been hearing over and over again about teacher shortages. And these shortages are real. The number of students in each classroom exceeds recommended amounts for effective learning. Programs like Teach for America are working to lure more to the profession. Programs are in place to help those in other fields transition successfully to the teaching world. In addition, in these economic times, many students who were once in private schools will enter the public school system because their recently unemployed parent(s) can no longer afford tuition. So at the same time enrollment will increase, teachers will be cut. Times are difficult and money is short, but how can the best course of action be to layoff classroom teachers?

I'd hate to see anyone layed off - be it administrative staff or classroom teachers. So, I am not suggesting the layoffs be shifted to administrative staff. And there is a need for administrative staff too. But with several very highly paid administrative executives here in Charlotte, and I suspect in many school districts, are there other cuts that can be made? Salary cuts, like many businesses that wish to save more jobs are doing? That talk hasn't come to Charlotte. Peter Gorman, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent, hasn't mentioned pay cuts for himself and his administration staff - or across the board even.

There are also programs and technologies which can be cut at this time. I guess it might be good to examine which would have the greater effect on students 1) overcrowded classrooms or 2)loss of some technological tools which some of our better schools have become accustomed to. It seems like a good teacher could get creative and still teach a reasonable number of students with less technology than the same teacher teaching an overcrowded class. But, that's just my opinion - I may not know best.

What are your thoughts?

An update to: Charlotte, NC teachers reprimanded for web content...

...from the Charlotte Observer "Teachers and Facebook: Privacy vs. standards." What should we think? Are teachers held to a higher standard? Should they be? Are the sexual poses okay? What about the comments about the students?

Charlotte, NC teachers reprimanded for web content

Again - Social Networkers: Beware. Some Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) teachers reportedly (News 14 Carolina article here) had some images and content on their Facebook pages that some parents and school board members thought was inappropriate - stuff like "I hate my students" and "I work in the ghetto," and images of drinking or partying. Of course your opinion of what's appropriate and what's not is subjective, but some people are working the images and comments into a clause that allows teachers to be punished and/or terminated for unethical conduct. I'd be upset as a parent, but should these teachers' pages be irrelevant and untouchable by the school board? Do the teachers have an obligation to not post these things.... or just to make sure no parent, student or administrator sees them? Or should we just not care - it's just personal? Does the fact that because they work with children mean that we are not allowed to know that they party... or like some of the rest of us, don't like their jobs or the people they work with?

This isn't the first time we've talked about this kind of thing here - Social networkers, beware.

Social networkers, beware

As if we all didn't already know, folks who want to learn about you are looking you up online, from Google searches to checking out your mySpace and Facebook profiles. Who cares about the girl or guy you just met checking you out? You may not, but what about a potential employer? According to a recent article a Reuters study shows that since 2006, the number of hiring managers who say they've used social networking sites to find out about potential employees has double to 22 percent. That may not sound like a lot, but as the article says -

"Here's the kicker: About one third of the applicants screened online were dropped from contention after inappropriate content was found on their profile. Yikes."

Some may argue that those things shouldn't matter, but the reality is that for many potential employers, they do. Also as the article states, the greatest danger may be for those transitioning from college students to job seekers. And remember, with these sites, it's not just what you post about yourself, but what others post about you and link to your profile. Again, some may say let folks be themselves and if what is depicted is true, who cares. But the reality is that for lots of companies, when bad press comes to an employee, the company name is often mentioned too and when the employer can chose between slutty alcoholic appearing Sue and clean cut Mary, all other things being equal, Mary probably wins.

Tuition help please

Max Stephenson says he is soliciting money, through email, to help pay some of his $50,000 per year tuition. Is this for real or a scam? Has he been successful? To see if his email plan is legit and whether or not it's working click here.