Why is it so difficult for teachers to get fired?

[Sikeliot]

In school I had so many teachers who did a horrible job, didn't know how to teach to save their lives, and sat behind their desk reading the newspaper or on their computer while we had to do worksheets and handouts. Despite many of our complaints (and our parents') we didn't learn a thing, they never lost their job.

Why is it so difficult for a teacher to get fired?

[Hess]

Unions

[Feral]

I've commented this in another topic, but I think it may apply as well in this one.


Sorry to interrupt and make an off-topic comment. But I'm sadly agree with this. Although is not purely fault of the politicans, most argentinians are ignorants about what politics are and how important it is. This pseudo-democracy teach us, by not teaching us, to be blind with a lot of important stuff.
If the people have proven to be functional, there is a good chance to get a job. But that doesn't mean most of the population are truly educated; In my opinion, most of argentinians lacks of culture in general. The educational system is quite antiquated. It's hard for a lot of kids to adapt to it; Education should be guidance, not just conditioning. Because of this, education in Argentina is more about having luck and will, than anything else. And sadly, it's a "every man for himself" in almost everything.
And the ethnic pride is quite cuestionable in most of the cases. As an argentinian I believe there's a lot that needs to improve (and not just economically); But a lot of people, mosty politicians, won't let it happen --they appreciate too much the profit they get from it.

If you believe your education is worth more than a crappy teacher, then you should do something about it. But I wouldn't know exactly what.

Some teachers need to be teach about teaching. :P

__

But to answer your question; What made you think it's only about teachers? There's a lot of people who are really bad in their office, but they still keep their jobs. So, the answer to it, is that people have low standards. The proper thing to do should be to rise them, but, again, I wouldn't know how in this particurally situation.

[Bardamu]

In the US it is the fault of unions. In the old days of accountability teacher contracts were renewed (or in some cases not renewed) annually.

[Loddfafner]

It is trendy these days to blame unions but teaching requires a huge amount of dedication, patience, and very thick skin. Some measure of security is necessary as no one in their right mind would want to do it, what with all the pressures from parents and administrators and politicians.

[Hess]

It is trendy these days to blame unions but teaching requires a huge amount of dedication, patience, and very thick skin. Some measure of security is necessary as no one in their right mind would want to do it, what with all the pressures from parents and administrators and politicians.

If a teacher's doing a bad job, he should be fired- there are alway better qualified teachers pining to take his place.

the Unions attempt to subvert this simple free market truth by keeping incompetent and sometimes downright dangerous teachers in schools.

[Mary]

Because school is about instilling compliance. If you want an education, go to the library, it's free.

[The Lawspeaker]

A lack of teachers. We have a severe shortage of people working in the fields of education and healthcare and those are exactly the areas where the government is cutting.

Way to go. :rolleyes:

[Defiance]

Because school is about instilling compliance. If you want an education, go to the library, it's free.
You're damned right. The education system isn't about education at all; it's really little more than 13 years of brainwashing and conditioning.

I simply would not send my hypothetical kids to school; certainly not to public school. Curriculum is generally just useless, redundant trash anyway. Don't even get me started on multiracialism.

[brunette]

Because some of their pupils have crushes on them.

[Soul System]

As a teacher, I agree with Loddfafner and Civis Batavi.

In fact US contributors are talking about a different system than the one existing in Europe. Their system has social control mecanisms like intellectual compliance, political correctness and ritalin.

A good reason for teachers not being able to be fired is that they can teach real content, and won't have to bow down to special interest groups, religious freaks "du jour" and hypocritical parents.

Most people having a grudge with teachers either :
- were terrible pupils themselves
- overestimate themselves (it's always beneficial to let them speak, so as to pick up their internal contradictions)
- are covering their children no matter what
- or were never in contact with school since they left it, and rely on third-party information (usually TV)

It's true that there are terrible teachers, but given the conditions they work in, it's easily understandable they are not outperforming. If you don't have the urge or a higher calling to share knowledge, it is a grinding job.

There is a deliberate lowering of standards in the media that date back to the late 60's at the very least. Add to that the not-deliberate influence of videogames, texting and Facebook, and you have the material teachers have to work with. But, to the parent in denial, their child is always "special" and the teachers are always at fault.

The day real teachers get fired, there will be a black market for knowledge, and then those who cried for fire teachers will cry because they won't be able to afford one.

[Teyrn]

Unions.