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<p>Some of the charter schools aren’t that bad, though.</p>
<p>Some. Personally, I’d go down to Va schools.</p>
<p>I’m in VA, the teachers seem very content. Usually the more challenging classes you teach, the more responsive students you will have. The situation the OP described is EXACTLY mine. I’m interested in journalism but I see myself teaching. Mostly latin, but maybe english or psych. I went to elementary school in DC. Things are just getting worse. If you really want to make a difference, that would be the place to do it. I was a diamond in the rough there, so maybe you’ll run into a “me” there every once in a while. LOL. Tutoring on the side helps, also consider private schools. If I could get a job teaching at Latin at flint hill for example, I’d be set.</p>
<p>The charter schools in theory work better, and some do, but that’s because they’re selective of who they take, and the biggest issue with that is, it’s also privately ran, hence the benefits and salaries are much lower as well. </p>
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<p>That always has been the argument, and while there may be some validity in that, the biggest issue is how we determine whether teacher’s are qualified or not. Basing it off frivolous testing and data, with so many other variables. When you have kids who refuse to learn, whether it’s because of LD, ADD or lack of respect, and whether you put in a Professor from Harvard or a shmuck from the streets, the kids will not do much better. In the three previously mentioned cities of my post, it’s up to principals to decide which teacher’s must stay and which must go. This creates a very autocratic system, where you kiss up to the principal and artificial teaching and testing to ensure “quantitative” success. </p>
<p>There is some merit to poor teacher’s, but overal it’s the kids and lack of participation from parents that make the poor schools. Money is nice, but if kids want to learn, they will do it whether it’s crappy teachers or drawing formulae in the mud like in some Asian schools.</p>
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<p>It depends on the school. There are some Virginia schools that I’d be scared to set foot in.</p>
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<p>Even in supposedly “great” schools, there will always be crappy teachers. Again, it depends on the school, though. The pool of students at a private Jesuit school will be different from an inner-city public school; the former is much more self-selecting, although I will agree that students do have an impact on the classroom atmosphere. A good teacher should be able to engage everyone in class.</p>
<p>high school teachers have a lot of power… so if there’s a hot girl… 
just kidding that’s illegal</p>
<p>^Win!!! And since when did the law stop people?</p>
<p>At smorgasbord: It’s like that in every single state. I only attended elementary school in VA, but there were some highly dedicated teachers there and I learned far more there than I did at a middle school in TN. My principal was willing to pay a large amount of the fees of our field trips for us, as he could afford to. Giving thousands of dollars to children every year takes dedication.</p>
<p>Also, I go to high school and went to middle school in TN. People constantly talk down the education in this state and both the schools I have attended here are not well liked. However, I have had some of the most amazing and dedicated teachers here. Free tutoring, teachers come in early or stay late, and they try to be forgiving, depending on your circumstances. They do everything they can to make sure kids do well. One of my teachers gave us a ton of opportunities for credit and doing well, so it was near impossible to fail. I’ve also had a lot of special type classes. One of my teachers teaches Anatomy and Physiology, giving us a lot of the information/worksheets that she was given in her college courses. Another made up a whole course for Bible History, and another for Mythology, even though they were originally hired to teach things like Biology, Economics, and foreign language.</p>
<p>But yeah, being a teacher can sometimes be tough. To be good, you have to be there for your students. It can also be dangerous though. Recently, the teacher that sponsors two of the clubs I’m in has been in some trouble because a parent accused us members of something. Other teachers have been fired based off idiotic testimonies of a child who easily takes offense at what people do. Pay isn’t always amazing. In my opinion, it’s better than what my parents have now. </p>
<p>Once you get through some college, you might figure it out more. Heck, you could go and volunteer at schools or ask to observe during off days in college at a high school or some other school. I’m volunteering at an elementary school to get a feel for some of the work, myself.</p>
<p>From what one of my teachers told me the issue isn’t as much the pay as much as it is the fact that the pay doesn’t really increase very much the longer you’re there. if you start out making 40 thousand dollar a year by the time you retire you still will probably make under 50 grand. If you’re really worried about not making enough money while teaching consider coaching. Apparently (this is in Texas in 2006) 4A and 5A head football coaches on average make $73,804 while normal teachers on average make $42,400 and apparently there’s one football coach who makes $106,004</p>
<p>I attended Middle School briefly in TN, Memphis specifically. </p>
<p>It was a very good Middle School, and the teachers were great.</p>
<p>MS here in Va, very good teachers.</p>
<p>HS, Amazing teachers.</p>
<p>if you complain about the pay, then don’t teach.</p>
<p>but, screenwriting and journalism won’t pay as much.</p>
<p>Work in Illinois. I saw it was the #1 state for teacher salary when adjusted for cost of living.</p>
<p>As my APUSH teacher said: “I became a teacher for three reasons. June, July, and August.”</p>
<p>If you’re happy and fulfilled, isn’t that preferable to being unhappy, feeling like your job/life lacks meaning, but having enough money to drive a Lexus or Porsche instead of a Honda?</p>
<p>And you can always marry into money. ;)</p>
<p>If you’re smart about your personal finances, you can live very comfortably as a teacher. My French teacher takes frequent foreign vacations and goes out to nice dinners and shows regularly with her hubby (a computer programmer, makes about what she does).</p>