Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Kelly Wu: In Defense of the American Teacher

Kelly Wu: In Defense of the American Teacher:

Kelly Wu

GET UPDATES FROM KELLY WU



In Defense of the American Teacher
Posted: 10/11/11 10:15 AM ET

I attend a public school in California and the horror stories you hear are indeed, true. Photocopies and scantrons are scarcities, when it rains the roofs mildew and fall apart, and we took a week-long vacation last year to celebrate the fact that the school district could not pay its teachers. And sadly, teachers at my school and schools all across the United States face long hours, grueling work, and most disappointingly -- disrespectful students.

In the United States, teaching has one of the highest turnover rates for any profession, meaning that more teachers quit every year compared to other professions. This, according to the Alliance of Excellent Education, is costing our state governments an average of $4.5 billion yearly. The National Commission on Teaching and America's