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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,992 posts) Mon Apr 16, 2018, 12:23 PM Apr 2018

25-Year-Old Textbooks and Holes in the Ceiling: Inside Americas Public Schools

Broken laptops, books held together with duct tape, an art teacher who makes watercolors by soaking old markers.

Teacher protests have spread rapidly from West Virginia to Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona in recent months. We invited America’s public school educators to show us the conditions that a decade of budget cuts has wrought in their schools.

We heard from 4,200 teachers. Here is a selection of the submissions, condensed and edited for clarity.

Rio Rico, Ariz.

Michelle Gibbar, teacher at Rio Rico High School

Salary: $43,000 for 20 years of experience

Annual out-of-pocket expenses: $500+

I have 148 students this year. The district skipped textbook adoption for the high school English department, leaving us with 10-year-old class sets, and we do not have enough for students to take them home. Our students deserve better. Our nation deserves better.

As I near retirement age, I realize I will retire at the poverty level. The antiquated myth of the noble, yet poor, teacher must go. I am passionate about my subject and my students. I am not passionate about living paycheck to paycheck.

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/25-year-old-textbooks-and-holes-in-the-ceiling-inside-americas-public-schools/ar-AAvVWHC?li=BBnb7Kz

10 replies

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Highlight:

25-Year-Old Textbooks and Holes in the Ceiling: Inside Americas Public Schools (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Apr 2018 OP

Public education used to be supported by both major parties pandr32 Apr 2018 #1

The great shame of our era lovemydogs Apr 2018 #2

Another reason to claim 'American Exceptionalism'? sinkingfeeling Apr 2018 #3

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." CrispyQ Apr 2018 #4

It has been a deliberate plan for at least two decades to dumb down the education. Orwell said the notdarkyet Apr 2018 #8

I think it was Karl Rove who said education is a good thing, CrispyQ Apr 2018 #9

couple years back a friend of mines daughter had the same spelling bk her mom had...her name was in dembotoz Apr 2018 #5

I think that's kind of cool, as long as the books are in decent shape. Mariana Apr 2018 #6

Daughter thought it was cool mother not as much dembotoz Apr 2018 #7

You'd think people would connect dilapidated schools Blue_Tires Apr 2018 #10

pandr32

(11,586 posts)

1. Public education used to be supported by both major parties

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 12:34 PM

Apr 2018

lovemydogs

(575 posts)

2. The great shame of our era

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 12:37 PM

Apr 2018

The filling of fat cat and corporate pockets with money that should have been used to educate our young.
Our kids have paid the price for our selfishness. We don't want our taxes raised by a dime per year to pay for education, maintaining our schools or paying for teaching materials.
We are fine with rats running the halls, furnaces not running, over full classrooms, out of date books held together with duct tape, ceilings literally falling down on our kids. ect.
But, ask the taxpayer to pay a dime extra to help, ask our congress to stop the barebones cuts so their fat cat donors can get fatter tax cuts and that is just too much.
We have fallen from one of the top countries in education to the bottom of industrialized nations.
This is our shame.

sinkingfeeling

(51,457 posts)

3. Another reason to claim 'American Exceptionalism'?

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 12:47 PM

Apr 2018

CrispyQ

(36,470 posts)

4. "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 01:59 PM

Apr 2018

A bumper sticker I once saw, & we are paying that price right now.

notdarkyet

(2,226 posts)

8. It has been a deliberate plan for at least two decades to dumb down the education. Orwell said the

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #4)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 03:25 PM

Apr 2018

Greatest fear of the ruling party was an over educated, underemployed group, because they would think and revolt. China, Germany, USSR, all killed off intellectuals in the beginning, to tamp down revolt. Education is not valued by kleptocracys.

CrispyQ

(36,470 posts)

9. I think it was Karl Rove who said education is a good thing,

Reply to notdarkyet (Reply #8)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 03:44 PM

Apr 2018

until people get too educated & then they vote democratic.

Back in the 80s, the GOP started focusing on filling board of education positions & here we are with Betsy DeVos as our SoE.

The damage done is already substantial.

dembotoz

(16,806 posts)

5. couple years back a friend of mines daughter had the same spelling bk her mom had...her name was in

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 02:01 PM

Apr 2018

it......

sort a drove the point home.....

Mariana

(14,857 posts)

6. I think that's kind of cool, as long as the books are in decent shape.

Reply to dembotoz (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 02:32 PM

Apr 2018

Is there a reason the old spelling book wouldn't be adequate for teaching spelling? If it had been a science book, that would be different matter altogether.

dembotoz

(16,806 posts)

7. Daughter thought it was cool mother not as much

Reply to Mariana (Reply #6)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 02:38 PM

Apr 2018

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)

10. You'd think people would connect dilapidated schools

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Mon Apr 16, 2018, 03:49 PM

Apr 2018

and their propensity to vote republican, but I'm not holding my breath

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