Nonetheless, I definitely want to drop by a KIPP school and do some research myself.

From my experience with KIPP teachers, those schools are getting the folks who love to teach, day in and day out, and want the bureaucracy out of their way. I can empathize, and though I chose to stay in the public schools, I’m not going to knock those who are willing and able to get at it for a few more weeks a year than most other teachers.

I don’t know what KIPP’s turnover is, but if the schools continue to do a good job of educating their kids, I’m not too concerned about it. The schools are, after all, for the kids, and if turnover is high but the kids are learning, then so be it. What relatively little I do know of KIPP suggests that their teachers are not burning out, but I can’t say that for certain.

Why don’t you go check one of them out? When I called them and asked if I could visit, they were more than willing to accommodate.

Sounds like you’re having a cool time and gaining much good stuff which you can pass on to your kids… kudos for the obvious dilligence with which you’re approaching the whole conference experience!

I am a tiny bit ambivalent about Gladwell… having read both “The Tipping Point” and “Blink” – both those pieces struck me as momentarily seductive but left no lasting resonance. I am in no way denigrating his obvious education and achievement, am just expressing my own personal experience if his work. I can imagine that he is an awesome and highly inspirational speaker however, with much knowledge to impart.

Keep up the good work and look forward to hearing more about your time in the gorgeous mountains!

Glad you like the mountains. I loved Gladwell’s talk as well.

e

Yer bud, Cezanne.

Summer vacations are important not just for us but for all professions, and I think there isn’t a good teacher out there that would want it any other way. I’ve worked in other professions before, corporate, small office, menial jobs, and never did I feel any personal attachment to those jobs the way I’ve had to with teaching. Never did I have to take work home like I do with teaching. Never have I had to think about my public image more than with teaching. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen with other professions, but it takes a lot out of your person as well as your life if you don’t get enough time. (Again, going back to Cezanne).

Furthermore, I think we need to start thinking about why it is that others who aren’t in the teaching profession don’t get the 2 months (not 3, 2) vacation. Is it because they really really really want them in the office all the time? Yes and no. They will work individuals to the bone, and once they’re dried the person out, the person moves, they don’t have to give the person a raise, and they can get the next person in at the same base salary they were charging to the last person. It can’t be just because people have so many talents that people switch careers 4-5 times in their lifetime after college.

Also, many people who talk about summer vacations with teachers are usually (not speaking of you) have a hard time criticizing the major corporations and billionaires who, if we even tax them 1%, we’d all have free healthcare any ol’ way. This is why teachers are sensitive about their own summer vacays. In other words, let’s start looking at all the exportation of jobs, and the dirt free labor, the skyrocketing profit margins, and the cutting of vacation time. I know people whose contracts stipulate that, if they give up vacation time, they’ll get basically chump change in return. If they work for 2 years straight, they’ll get an extra day. Wow!

Just something to think about as this discussion progresses. This explanation’s much clearer, I must say.

I never said anything about you (teachers) remaining effective in a year long class setting. A tad presumptuous are we? Any job with long hours will have an adverse effect on effectiveness. That is not specific to teaching. Do you think that I remained an effective supervisor working 70 hour weeks, and holidays all year long? And no, I didnt get OT. Although supervising and teaching are different, they call on the same fundamental leadership skills. And yes Sherman, I was on stage, (you have heard of HR, complaints, corporate dress code, write up’s, performance appraisals, leading meetings, coaching and developing staff -its a stage dear, and I was a fabulous actress :)).

Although dealing with people who are considered adults, I encountered a number of interactions and conflicts that were very much like those of children. Learning curves are different; adults, like children, have different skill sets and I had to develop those. Just like a teacher develops students. Imagine teaching an Old Dog new tricks. These are adult learners, and I have to lead them. Very challenging. Especially managing attendance and time sheets, monitoring calls, revieiwing quality scores, having one on one and team meetings. This is not considering the volumes of personal lives you interact with and touch. When you are a leader, of children or adults, it takes a lot out of you, even without the administrative portion.

Please believe, I understand burn-out, which is why I changed jobs. Kinda like the young and burned out teachers…

Lastly, Teachers are fortunate because they have summers off. If they had to work full year round, it’d just make it more like “any other job.” Since I work an “every other job,” I can’t say I would sympathize with the teachers only getting 4 weeks of vacation like I do. Agree or not, it’s the truth. Maybe you all don’t know because you don’t have (and perhaps have never had??) “every other job?” If I had the summer to “re-charge” I probably would have remained a supervisor. It can be very fulfilling…

Much like teaching seems very fulfilling.

Teaching being a career or a job has nothing to do with what my point was in my previous comment. That aspect relates far more to the quality of the teacher, their need to develop themselves in their craft. However, please consider, for some teaching is a job, for others supervising a team of 17 to 20 needy ass adults is a career.

Thankfully I know neither of which are my calling.

I admire teachers. In many cases they have the minds of our youth even when their parents do not. Lord knows I love Jose to death for what he does, (he’d have to tell you about the little boy on the bus in Chicago and how that touched me), that does not negate the fact that I am not remotely bothered by the idea of them having to work over the summer. Nor does it mean that I haven’t noticed a decline in recollection of learning material in students, (ie my younger sister) over the long summer. I’d even support spreading out the breaks. Take a month 3 times a year, rather than all at once. Being out in the summers does not prepare children for the reality that the summers are most likely not going to be theirs when they grow up either.

Just my opinion.

Later.

Sherman, maybe you’re right about the attrition rates for teachers, but I still feel with the way things are going, that attrition rate will drop. Nonetheless, good points on the stats. I didn’t choose the speech Malcolm was going to say; I simply wrote the notes I heard.