Big Education Ape: Oct 5, 2023

HISD MEATAXE MIKE MILES CUTS CURRICULUM DEPARTMENT THEN FINDS "PORN" IN SCRIPTED LESSONS

Oh, boy! Have you heard the latest news from the Houston Independent School District (HISD)? It's a real doozy, folks! Apparently, there's been a bit of a scandal involving an eighth-grade reading assignment. And let me tell you, it's a doozy!

So, here's the lowdown. The assignment in question contained some mature content. We're talking about a passage from none other than the legendary Maya Angelou herself. Now, normally, that would be cause for celebration. Maya Angelou is a literary icon, after all. But this particular passage depicted a scene between a man and a woman in a hotel room. And guess what? It included references to drinking whiskey and passion. Whiskey and passion, people! In an eighth-grade reading assignment! Can you believe it?

Naturally, the district was quick to respond. They discovered the inappropriate material before it was distributed, thank goodness. But here's the kicker: the Houston Federation of Teachers Union offered their help to the district, and they said no! Can you believe it? The teachers union, trying to lend a hand, and they turned them down. Talk about a missed opportunity!

Now, the poor teachers are left to pick up the pieces. They have to spend their valuable time reviewing, correcting, and rewriting materials to ensure that students get accurate and appropriate resources. I mean, come on! These teachers have enough on their plates already. They don't need this added stress.

But fear not, my friends! The HISD has taken some action. They've hired 25 out of the 32 teachers needed to review lesson plans. Progress, right? And they're even launching opportunities for teachers to partner with district leaders and provide feedback to make their curriculum stronger. Well, it's about time!

But let's not forget who's ultimately to blame for this whole mess. That's right, folks. It's none other than Superintendent Mike Miles. I mean, seriously, Mike? Cutting the curriculum department? What were you thinking? Maybe old MeatAxe Mike should change his name to Magic Mike because he sure knows how to make things disappear!

But in all seriousness, it's good to see that steps are being taken to rectify this situation. Our students deserve the best education possible, and that means having access to appropriate and engaging materials. So let's hope that the HISD can learn from this incident and ensure that it never happens again.

In the meantime, let's give a round of applause to those hardworking teachers who are going above and beyond to make sure our kids get the education they deserve. They're the real heroes in this story. And Maya Angelou? Well, she'll always be a literary legend, even if her work occasionally finds its way into eighth-grade classrooms.

So there you have it, folks. The scandal that rocked the HISD. Whiskey, passion, and a whole lot of drama. Who said education was boring?

HISD curriculum: Teachers blame Superintendent Mike Miles for inappropriate reading assignment ending up in 8th-grade classroom - ABC13 Houston https://abc13.com/hisd-superintendent-mike-miles-8th-grade-handout-inappropriate-reading-assignment-in-school/13864152/

TEACHERS PAY PENALTY REACHES RECORD HIGH

BILLIONAIRES CELEBRATE DEFUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CRUSHING TEACHERS SPIRITS

Attention all billionaires! Are you tired of public education being accessible to the masses? Sick of teachers having livable wages and benefits? Well, have no fear, the Billionaires Playbook for Destroying Public Education is here!

First on the agenda, defund schools. Why waste money on educating the youth when you could be using it to buy another yacht? It's simple economics, really. Plus, think of all the tax breaks you'll get for donating to private schools instead.

Next up, tell teachers they must take a vow of poverty to teach in America. Who needs money when you have the satisfaction of molding young minds? Plus, if they're poor, they won't be able to afford to unionize and demand higher wages. It's a win-win!

But wait, there's more! According to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), teachers are already making 26% less in income than other professionals with similar education levels. Let's make that gap even wider! The report even refers to it as a "pay penalty" for teachers. Ha! Who needs fair wages when you have the joy of grading papers and dealing with unruly students?

And let's not forget about those pesky right-wing groups attacking teachers. We can't have them advocating for better working conditions and wages. So, let's just make it impossible for them to do so by making sure they're too poor to even consider it.

But wait, there's even more! The report also found that the pay penalty for women teachers has widened since the mid-1990s to reach 21.3% this year, while the pay gap for men teachers was 36.6%. We can't have equality in education AND in pay, now can we? Let's keep those women and men in their place.

And as an added bonus, fewer college graduates will choose teaching as a career. Who needs educated and passionate teachers when you can have underpaid and overworked ones?

But don't worry, billionaires, we've got your back. With our playbook, you'll be able to destroy public education and ensure that only the elite have access to quality education. Just remember, money talks and education walks.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BILLIONAIRES PLAYBOOK:

First things first, we need to make sure that schools are severely underfunded. After all, how can teachers do their jobs properly if they don't have the resources they need? And don't worry about the students. They'll figure it out. Or they won't. Who cares?
Next up, we need to make sure that teachers are paid as little as possible. After all, why pay someone a decent wage when you can just exploit their passion for teaching? And if they complain about their low pay, just tell them to take a vow of poverty. It's not like they became teachers to make money or anything.
Ah, the 'Pay Penalty'. This is one of our favorite tactics. Basically, we make sure that teachers are paid significantly less than other similarly educated professionals. That way, people who are smart enough to become doctors or lawyers won't even consider teaching as a career option. Brilliant, right?
Let's face it, education is overrated. Who needs critical thinking skills or the ability to read and write when you can just throw money at a problem? And if students struggle in school, well, that's their problem. We'll just blame it on their lack of motivation or intelligence.
After years of defunding schools, exploiting teachers, and ignoring students, public education is in shambles. But don't worry, fellow billionaires. We've won again. And the best part? We didn't even have to lift a finger.

Teacher ‘Pay Penalty’ Reaches Record High | NEA https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/teacher-pay-penalty-reaches-record-high

Pay Gap Between Teachers, Other Professionals, Is Widest Since 1960s — Report | Truthout https://truthout.org/articles/pay-gap-between-teachers-other-professionals-is-widest-since-1960s-report/

Teacher pay penalty still looms large: Trends in teacher wages and compensation through 2022 | Economic Policy Institute https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-in-2022/#:~:text=Key%20findings,increase%20from%206.1%25%20in%201996.

Teacher pay penalty still looms large - Trends in teacher wages and compensation through 2022 https://files.epi.org/uploads/274103-overview.pdf

Education Research Report: Teacher pay penalty still looms large https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2023/10/teacher-pay-penalty-still-looms-large.html

Thursday, October 5, 2023

HISD MEATAXE MIKE MILES CUTS CURRICULUM DEPARTMENT THEN FINDS "PORN" IN SCRIPTED LESSONS

TEACHERS PAY PENALTY REACHES RECORD HIGH, BILLIONAIRES CELEBRATE DEFUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CRUSHING TEACHERS SPIRITS