Teaching Kids to Read

We are all so very happy to see that the First Ladyteachers to baby sit them. I have heard so many
has made reading a renewed priority for our country.horror stories on the road from teachers, each year
The literacy issue is a big one. Kids are being passedit gets a little worse in many regards. Almost all the
year after year and still not able to read in Highteachers we talked to had taken their own money
School. One issue, which is quite evident is theand used it to buy school supplies. On average and
incredible turn over of teachers. There is a 50%yes I have been taking notes about $1300.00, this
attrition rate of teachers in Five years. This isseems highly unfair and totally unacceptable.
somewhat similar to Corporate America too, but whyI propose an immediate account which can be used
are the teachers who have studied hard toat various pre-determined stores for supplies for
specifically become teachers calling it quits?schools, Teacher approved credit cards. They can be
Well, one issue is the pay. Some say that if youspent in online catalogs for schooling, home depot or
count the three months off in summer forLowes for project supplies, Office Depot, Office
non-year-round school programs that they makeMax, Staples for suplies. The amount of $2250 per
great money for working only 9 months. Yes indeedclassroom over 20 kids. Fifteen to twenty children $
this is a rational comment and is duly taken into1800 and Under 15 kids $1300.00 for such supplies
consideration. Some say well, teachers get off earlydeemed necessary by the teachers.
at 2-3 pm so they make a little less. Ah, but theyWe are all for no child without progress and we ramp
have to grade papers and project assignments soup the no child left behind goal, but some of are
this is not a worthy debate topic. In fact if you lookupset over the lack of money in the class rooms
at the pay rates teachers are underpaid and normallythemselves, that is unacceptable and unforgivable and
do not get advances in pay without completion ofmust not continue. We can buy more supplies for the
other degrees, such as a masters in teaching.classroom and teach everyone to read and speak
In interviewing teachers myself at coffee shops, yesthe language, understand basic mathematics and learn
teachers need coffee to deal with all those unruly,proper ethics or we can pay for more police, jails and
uncontrollable kids who lack proper parenting with 1.5prisons later. It is our choice, if we fail to make that
parents on average. The parents generally have notchoice we have simply pre-chosen the latter.
disciplined the kids properly, they expect the