The Politics of Education

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I was reading the Hattiesburg American this weekend, and I ran across an article that stated that eleven staff members at the Lumberton School District were terminated. This article prompted me to research the members of Lumberton's Board of Education. Seemingly, our board is comprised of individuals that haven't been in a classroom since the days of separate but equal (segregation) and they are making the decisions regarding the education of the children of Lumberton. So much has changed since the days of the three R's. Today, teachers must contend with differentiated instruction, Garder's multiple intelligence, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), Bloom's Taxonomy, INTASC(Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium) Principles and the list goes on and on. Before graduating from William Carey, I opted out of the student teacher program because I was a non-traditional student, and I thought I could easily get hired through emergency certification.
Well, based on the policy set for by the Lumberton Board of Education, I was not hired through emergency certification, but I was offered the opportunity to be a substitute teacher. With emergency certification, teachers are given a year to complete their certification. When I applied at Lumberton School District, I had already completed two trimersters of course work, and would have completed my Master's degree in the summer, but because of school board's policy, I was not hired.
I just find it hard to believe that such obstacles stand in the way of Lumberton residents that are fighting tooth and nail to remain in their community. Year after year, Lumberton's best and brightest are forced to seek employment in other cities because our boards, our elected and appointed officials are making it difficult to gain meaningful employment in our hometown.
Politics should not be viewed as a pleasant job to settle into towards the end of one’s career. Politicians are elected to tackle tough issues, not sit on them

Comments

  1. Call Me Mr. TibbsJuly 5, 2010 at 4:58 PM

    Noticed on the state eductaion website Lumberton is looking for a girls high school basketball coach/ english teacher. Just wondering which is more important? the persons coaching skills or if they have an english endorsement on their license???

    ReplyDelete

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