Caroline Said:

ANyone here read John Taylor Gatto and agree with him about his radical opinions against?

We Answered:

I haven't read any of his work, but I've seen a few videos about him. As a 2006 HS graduate, I entirely agree with the premise. Not only is the standardized testing mantra of America's education system a bunch of garbage, children and teens perform poorly on them to boot. I figure this boils down to few incentives for excellent teachers combined with a culture drunk on consumerism. It also comes full-circle with Gatto's belief that modern schooling awards conformity. The concept is not far off from the following of cultural, fashion and gadget trends - which so many young people, influenced by a society inundated with advertising and brand names, are wont to do.

Simply, American children have been outfitted from head to toe to embrace mediocrity and shun innovation/genius. The country's failing education system is both the root cause and a symptom of this, as it was based on Prussia's education concept which was put into play in the 1800s. Now we are in the 21st century, and kids simply want to float through school on the shortest path to a high-paying job so they can live the lifestyle laid out for them by a media-driven consumer society. Take your ACT and SAT, dish out money for college, and wait 2-8 years. There is no internal motivation associated with education in the modern US. I had a couple excellent teachers in high school, but they were flukes unfortunately.

Gloria Said:

What do literacy teachers do?

We Answered:

These teachers specialize in helping adults to learn to read and write and sometimes do basic math. This is not just for non-English speaking but for those who either did not complete school or have had some learning difficulties.

Cassandra Said:

Becoming a teacher in NYC?

We Answered:

You're definitely going to need to switch majors. NYC Teaching Fellows program is a program for mid-career switchers. You could think about teaching at a private school (but most elite private schools in the area require a master's degree plus experience). In addition to certain classes, you will need to take three standardized tests: the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Content Specialty Test (CST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills Test (ATS). The ATS should be taken after you have some experience teaching since it deals with situations that arise in the classroom and learning theory. You will also have to complete two workshop classes on recognizing abuse and one on school violence. These are all qualifications needed for certification. But like I said, you could try your luck in private schools which do not require certification per say. But, when parents are paying over $25,000 per year for their first grade child's education, usually the assumption is that the teacher will be highly qualified and have a master's and experience. Also, due to the NCLB act, teachers are now required to have a master's degree to continue teaching even in the public school system (unless they've been grandfathered in which is not the case for you), so it's something you should think about if you want to teach in the public school system.

Having said all that, I'm not trying to discourage you at all. Teaching is a career choice that has so many rewards that can't be found in other jobs. Check out the NYS Dept. of Ed site: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert. Best of luck!

Richard Said:

Where can I meet a woman (I'm 29) in NYC 9not clubs or internet)?

We Answered:

Ahh no need to fret. Clubs or the internet do not need to be the sole source to meet women. Just go about your life. On weekends take trips to the bookstore, you can tell what she's into by what she's reading. Walk through parks; Central Park, Bryant Park, Union Square... don't be afraid to make approaches. Smile when you make eye contact. Never force anything. Let it come naturally. I once met a beautiful lady just because we were waiting at the bus stop and a bunch of guys were hooting and hollering from their car as they drove by. Looked at me with an awkward smile and I said hey they've got a good point...and boom acquaintance becomes a date.

Joyce Said:

First year NYC math teacher...?

We Answered:

Hey, good luck~ Remember, the new curriculum isn't out yet but they are going back to the Algebra and Geo curriculum, no longer Math A and Math B!

Stanley Said:

I have been applying to be a teaching fellow. Have you had this experience?

We Answered:

I was a DC teaching fellow for two years. It's a long, tough road, and some of us dropped out. People who are used to doing everything well (this kind of program does attract overachievers) suddenly find themselves with days so full they have to do a crappy job at everything. We also find that the teaching culture and administration of DCPS is ridiculously illogical.

As far as working conditions, I taught for two years in a leaky, moldy annex that was designed to be used for five to ten years and had been used for more than 25. There were asbestos tiles in the floor and ceiling that needed to be removed. A pipe above the ceiling of my classroom would freeze and burst every year. The first year, the leak poured into my classroom library until the whole annex was flooded and a ring of dissolved ceiling material was left about a half inch around the walls in every room in the annex.

One day, I was trying to teach in two pairs of pants and three tops. My colleagues pointed out to me that the parents of our Ethiopian and Salvadoran children did not dress their children the way I dressed myself. They also put a thermometer in the hallway which showed a temperature of 45 F. That was a "light bulb moment" for me. We doubled up in temporary classrooms with better heat, but when the time came to demolish those classrooms to make way for new construction, we had to teach 6 classes of fifth and sixth graders in the cafeteria for a couple of days before we were ordered to return our classes to the original, nasty annex.

We had chosen to lose the vacant librarian position in a budget cut, and they moved a class into the school library, cutting off access for other students. We walked our students a mile and a quarter to the public library and a mile and a quarter back to school from time to time.

A water outlet in the building tested at 3 times the EPA's safe levels for lead, and I still believe it was the water fountain across from my classroom.

Most of us are still in teaching, and a few are still in DC even. The ones who are most successful in the DC Teaching Fellows are usually the ones who grew up in DC. I would say that the people in the DC Teaching Fellow office are fabulous people, but there's been a lot of turnover in that office, and I don't know who's there anymore.

I became a DC Teaching Fellow because I wanted to make a difference. I don't know if I did. I felt like I'd been banging my head against a brick wall for two years. I did earn my certificate, but--much to my relief--my job at DCPS was one of hundreds lost in a budget cut.