

Teacher’s resignation letter: ‘My profession … no longer exists’  - munin
http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/06/teachers-resignation-letter-my-profession-no-longer-exists/

======
tokenadult
This is just another hack propaganda piece from the same Washington Post
column that regularly publishes hack propaganda pieces like this.

I am a teacher in private practice. Teaching is going along just fine as an
occupation if you are responsible for actually meeting your clients needs and
the clients are all free to shop for the services of another provider. My wife
has been a teacher in private practice for her entire working life, and it is
from her that I learned actual entrepreneurship and a dedication to deeply
understanding a subject in order to pass that understanding along to client
learners. The huge claim on everybody's taxes that government-operated schools
have (and the claim on young learner's hours that compulsory schools have)
make it difficult for a teacher to thrive in private practice, but not
impossible. If you have a fire in the belly to teach, roll up your sleeves and
teach. If you would like to break the oligopoly of the current government-
operated schools, fine, do that too, but recognize that plenty of people like
the current system just fine because it protects their jobs from competition
at equal out-of-pocket cost to potential clients.

~~~
manglav
Hack propaganda piece? He has almost 30 years experience in the public school
sector. Isn't that relevant and valuable? You use the words client instead of
student, which is actually the first time I've seen that in writing.

" the clients are all free to shop for the services of another provider". I
don't even know how to respond to this one. What percentage of people can
afford private school? Did you even read this? He resigned due to the
increasing amount of government regulations and his lack of control over his
own classroom. How many "private practice" teachers even exist? 10%? 5%?

"recognize that plenty of people like the current system just fine". That
wasn't the point of this article by far. It was one teacher's experience, not
an editorial on how everyone hates the system. But if you bring up the point,
please cite your sources. Show me what government employed teachers like the
current system just fine.

I really can't believe you referred to a student as a client. It just feels to
me completely against the spirit of education.

~~~
Sodel
> I really can't believe you referred to a student as a client. It just feels
> to me completely against the spirit of education.

Actually, I can completely understand why the OP would say something like
this, and I can see the value in it.

Calling a student a "client" can be a good reminder that, as a teacher, your
main responsibility is delivering something of value -- knowledge and
understanding -- to that student. I think that's more congruent with the
"spirit of education" than thinking a teacher's primary responsibility is to
whatever organization they're part of. (Note: I'm not at all implying you were
saying that! Only that some poorer teachers seem to act that way.)

