Teacher Salary

I was intrigued by the article entitled “Teachers’ Cost of Living Matters More.”  According to the article, teacher salaries in some states are misleading, and you must take the cost of living into consideration.    This article was especially interesting to me because I am considering moving to Chicago in a couple of years and would be teaching there.  Obviously the cost of living is higher in Chicago than it is in Nashville, but does the teaching salary take that into account?  To use Chicago as an example, the article shows the average teaching salary is $47,436 ranking the 16^th in the nation.  If I were to just see that number, I would think that’s pretty good.  However, after the salary is adjusted according to the cost of living there, the salary is actually only $36,183.  That’s not so good.  That puts Chicago at number 42 out of 50 states in how well teachers are compensated (Georgiou, Villarreal, & Moore, 2005).  In comparison, according to another article I found, the average teacher salary in Tennessee in 2009 was $45,927 (Average Teacher Salary in TN, 2011).  The salary is slightly less than in Chicago; however the value of a dollar goes farther in Nashville. 

I am aware that teachers don’t teach for the money.  That is not the reason I want to be in this profession either.  I can see, though, how the pay can deter individuals who may be great teachers but just cannot live off of that salary.  Single parents would struggle and families with a single income.  I think it is important for states to take into consideration the cost of living when deciding the salary.  The article by Georgiou, Villarreal, and Moore makes a good point: “Because the cost of living varies widely from city to city and region to region, public officials and teacher unions should consider how much a teacher's dollar can buy, not just numerical pay, when discussing teachers' wages” (Georgiou, Villarreal, & Moore, 2005). The cost of living is considered in other professions so teaching should be no different.

References:

Georgiou, D., Villarreal, P. & Moore, M. (2005, October 24).  Teachers Cost of Living Matters More.  Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133317

Average Teacher Salary in TN. (2011).  Retrieved from http://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/average-teacher-salary-tennessee.html

Multicultaralism in the Classroom

As America becomes more and more diverse, multiculturalism being taught in schools is becoming more of a hot topic.  There is a need for improvement integrating this concept into today’s classrooms.  Of all the articles I read for this assignment, I agree with Adam Waxler’s  article entitled Multiculturalism in School Curriculum the most.  He believes that multiculturalism should be incorporated into the curriculum, but the curriculum should not necessarily be changed.  He says that “The traditional curriculum can be taught in way that is truly a multicultural education, that addresses various perspectives and allows students to draw their own conclusions” (Waxler, n.d). 

While I was in school, there was not much emphasis on a multicultural education that I can remember.  My school was predominantly white, but there was a good amount of African Americans as well.  I can’t remember studying their history and culture really outside of Black History Month.  That was another point that Waxler made in his article.  He says that cultures should not be taught as separate entities, such as separate months, but they should be taught together throughout the course to truly be multicultural.  I have to say that I agree with him on this point. “Having separate months for different cultures is exactly the opposite of what a true multicultural education should be trying to achieve” (Waxler, n/d).  I honestly wish that I had a more multicultural experience while in school, and had learned more about other’s backgrounds and cultures outside my own.  I think that the school curriculum is moving in that direction and has definitely improved, but it could still be better.

A quote that really stood out to me in the article entitled Toward a Centrist Curriculum by E.D Hirch Jr.  He said, “Children will become adults who cooperate and sustain one another only if the school-based culture they gain makes them feel they truly belong to the larger society” (Hirsch, 1992).  The point of a multicultural education is not only for students to learn facts and details about other cultures, but also to be accepting and respect others’ differences as well. 

References:

Hirsch, Jr. E.D. (1992).  Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133313

Waxler, A. (n.d.). Multiculturalism in School Curriculum. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133312

Religion in Schools

     The separation of Church and State is always a heated topic of debate.  There are few topics that people are more passionate about than their religion or even their lack thereof.  After reading the article, "Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up," I see the issue is no closer to being resolved.  Our nation was founded on Christian principles and also freedom.  However, these two topics tend to conflict when it comes to our education system.
     I personally grew up in a Christian household and have practiced Christianity my whole life.  I believe that God will always be part of life, but I also respect others' choices and own religious beliefs.  I think the school system does too.  A quote I came across during my research says, "All parties should treat one another with civility and respect and should strive to be accurate and fair” (First Amendment Center). I believe that this is a goal of not only our education system, but also the First Amendment.
     At first after reading the article "Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up," I tended to almost agree with Judge Gettleman's ruling against the moment of silence only because I think religion should be left out of schools.  However, once I put thought into it, I don't agree with it at all.  The moment of silence is in no way specific to any religion.  If you are religious you can pray, but if you aren't, a prayer is not required.  The article simply states "it is a student's personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children" (Calefati, 2009). I agree with this point 100%.  It doesn't matter what students actually do during the moment of silence; it is open to all religions and nobody is making it mandatory to pray. Overall I don't believe religion belongs in a school setting because of so many diverse beliefs.  However a simple moment of silence should not offend anyone- Believers or non-Believers.

References:

Calefati, J. (2009). Religions in schools debate heats up.  Retrieved from: https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302

First Amendment Center (1999). A parent’s guide to religion in public Schools.  Retrieved from: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED440021.pdf

The Innovators and The Makers

     I learned quite a lot while reading these articles about the innovators and makers of the school system.  I have to admit that I had never taken the time to really learn about the history of our school system, and I have to say that I am fascinated by it.  What these people were able to accomplish is truly inspiring. 

     The major difference between the Makers and Innovators that stood out to me was the Innovators set out with a mission to improve the education system, whereas the Makers were industrialists who impacted the education system indirectly. 

     All of these Innovators and Makers had a great influence on the public education system that we know today, but one Innovator in particular fascinated me.  I was intrigued by the influence that Deborah Meier has had on the public education system, specifically in inner city schools. I think she stood out to me because I personally have a heart for children from less fortunate backgrounds.  She may not have built our education system from the ground up like some of the other innovators, but she has definitely had a strong voice in her years.  I found it incredible that she reformed schools in Harlem with the lowest test scores and turned them into schools with a graduation rate of 90 percent. The simple way that she explains how she transformed the education system stood out to me the most: “What I wanted was to create thoughtful citizens — people who believed they could live interesting lives and be productive and socially useful. So I tried to create a community of children and adults where the adults shared and respected the children’s lives.” (PBS, 2001)

     I was surprised to see many of the names listed as “makers” of education, but one in particular interested me.  That was John D. Rockefeller.  I was intrigued to see what his role was in building our education system so I looked deeper into his background.  According to the Wikipedia website, Rockefeller financially supported the education system with very large sums of money.  His foundation supported education in the United States “without distinction of race, sex or creed.”  He also funded The John Hopkins School of Public Health as well as Harvard School of Public Health. (Wikipedia 2011). Without his generosity and abundant wealth, these schools may never have existed.  Although Rockefeller didn’t affect the school system by actually working in the field, his money definitely contributed to the needs of education. Reading about the Innovators and the Makers of public education was inspiring to say the least.   

PBS. (2001). Deborah Meier. School: The Story of American Public Education. https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133297

Wikipedia. (2011).  John D. Rockefeller. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Foundation