SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Enroll In Teach For America And Become A Teacher In 50 Hours!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Enroll In Teach For America And Become A Teacher In 50 Hours!!

I came thisclose to not writing about what I am going to write about tonight. In my ADD state of mind tonight I procrastinated quite profusely before I started to actually type these words that you, John and Jane Q. Public are reading right now. For some reason I went over to E4E's official Blog Monkey™ Ruben Brosbe's blog and was just about to comment on the drivel and the self serving tripe written by him today. But I shant be. If someone else cares to tackle this go for it. Just remember I get a royalty for "Blog Monkey™"

Wendy Kopp and Wilbur
So what has been on my mind? Teach For America has been on my mind ever since I interviewed the erstwhile, and debonair, David Green on my radio show on March 31. On this show, and I probably knew it beforehand, I learned, and was sickened that TFA candidates only had 50, yes 50 hours of training before they were sent into the classrooms in September. Yes, I know, they have this pinko, hippie, liberal, love one another, kumbaya, liberal love ins before, during, and after their training. But still, only 50 hours of training? Two hours a day, 5 days a week, for 5 weeks? This is what we want for our most precious commodities, our children?

If your heart was clogged up from all the grease and fat you have been eating for all those years and needed quadruple bypass surgery, would you feel confidant in the procedure knowing that your surgeon has only had only 50 hours of training in medicine and cardio bypass surgery?

Would anyone feel comfortable  when they get in a 747 to fly halfway around the world knowing that their pilot has only had only 50 hours of training?

How about that cop you need to protect you, or to investigate a crime? Would you or anyone feel safe knowing that that cop only 50 hours of training?

Would the Beatles be the Beatles if they only played a total of 50 hours in Hamburg?

Would parents feel comfortable knowing that the mohel they hired only had 50 hours of training before he clips and snips little Shlomo?

Would a Yankees fan want a pitcher on the mound with the scored tied in the 9th with the bases loaded, two out, and the 7th game of the World Series if this pitcher only had 50 hours in the minor leagues?

A firefighter with only 50 hours of training is this someone that you want to have save your life?

Who would hire a school bus driver if he, or she has only been driving a total of 50 hours in their lives?

Would citizens of the United States be content with soldiers and officers with only 50 hours of training?

Would citizens of the United States be content with a President with only 50 hours of training? Wait, cancel that.

Would citizens of the United Federation of Planets be content with a starship captain with only 50 hours of training?

Was Yoda satisfied with Luke Skywalker and his less than 50 hours of training? Luke was an anomaly. Besides, he had Obi-Wan beside him the entire time.

How would we feel seeing a big rig on the interstate knowing that the driver has only 50 hours of training behind the wheel?

I know everyone's answer to these questions. No one would accept any of these situations. So why is it some have no problem with putting our children, our future in the hands of those with only 50 hours of training? You know why? Because the deformers, the politicians, the billionaires are doing everything they can to destroy the nobility of teaching. To them, teaching is nothing more that flipping burgers.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Preach it! You know what else bugs me? TFA was originally conceived to deal with significant teacher shortages in urban schools 20+ years ago. Today, with massive budget cuts and teachers being laid off left and right, teacher shortages NO LONGER EXIST!! Teaching spots are actually being left open or taken from veteran, CERTIFIED teachers. TFA ensures that our neediest students get the most inexperienced teachers. Smart. Real Harvard-educated smart.

Michael Fiorillo said...

Who cares if kids have an experienced, effective teachernin front of them, especially when they are receiving scripted, Microsoft Foundation/Pearson lessons,or are in rows facing computers?

TFA is there to help create a temporary, non-union, at-will workforce. What you describe as their "pinko, hippie, liberal, love one another..." during the training is just for appearances and self-congratulation of the organization and its credulous inductees.

I may be old school, but there's nothing "pink" about union busting.

Gary Rubinstein said...

The 50 hour calculation assumes that they student teach for all 25 days of the institute, which they do not. They don't get their classes until after the first 5 days, so that leaves just 20 days or 40 hours. Of those 40 hours, half of them are just working with 4 or 5 kids, so that leaves 20 hours in front of actual classes. Now, there is more to training than student teaching, so it would be more accurate to say they only get 20 hours of real student teaching than to say 40 (or 50) hours of 'training.'

Anonymous said...

oh come on! they are rich and white and idealistic! that counts for like... i don't know...at least 50 more hours...right????