tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378966.post3693371554169139754..comments2023-10-10T05:20:11.192-04:00Comments on Elementary, My Dear, or Far From It: Firefighter is to Teacher as...Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378966.post-36774247893760770522013-01-23T21:09:43.691-05:002013-01-23T21:09:43.691-05:00Pamela, I'm not convinced there is ever a time...Pamela, I'm not convinced there is ever a time when the 'separate but equal' argument is accurate. I completely agree that it certainly isn't here. It's interesting to see that your mom being a teacher was a factor in your feelings about this. I wonder how things would be different if everyone (or at least more people) knew a teacher well enough to truly understand the job.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378966.post-11896869767410570662013-01-22T20:33:41.303-05:002013-01-22T20:33:41.303-05:00I had always heard that what makes TFA so attracti...I had always heard that what makes TFA so attractive to districts is that the TFA teachers salaries are paid, the district only has to come up with the benefits portion, which is what makes them so attractive to school districts. When I consider the personal cost to me for my credential in my state-- what high expectations are might be up for debate but I can tell you I paid for 52 units just for the credential-- I find it unfair. I suppose I could have gone the TFA route, I'm young enough, but with a mom as a teacher, I wan't buying the "separate but equal" pitch TFA promotes.<br /><br />I think about volunteer firefighters.... they do an incredible job, and I wouldn't want to push them out of anything, but as a volunteer the physical hazards of the job are entirely shouldered by the volunteer. As in, they have to get their own health insurance from something else, or risk personal expenses for injury on the job, and the extra-expensive premiums for life insurance to make sure if the worst happened, their families were taken care of.PamelaTrounstinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281828709146058626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378966.post-49982199799853004392013-01-11T06:53:34.789-05:002013-01-11T06:53:34.789-05:00Emet, Thanks for the thoughts. This was not nearly...Emet, Thanks for the thoughts. This was not nearly a full-fledged thought of mine and I am truly grateful for the push to think more about it.<br /><br />I think the fact that TFA affiliated teachers are not volunteers makes the situation worse in my mind. We wouldn't allow firefighters out there with minimal training and then finish that training over the next two years. We require that they be fully trained before they begin. Why don't we ask that of teachers as well?<br /><br />I'm quite grateful for volunteer firefighters. My concerns about them are not about them but about what we prioritize and value as a society. Do we not value firefighters enough to fund them at the level we need? Is that a sign of our priorities?Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378966.post-18119064256840979542013-01-10T09:46:18.002-05:002013-01-10T09:46:18.002-05:00I am not sure I get the analogy. TFA affiliated te...<br />I am not sure I get the analogy. TFA affiliated teachers are not volunteers, they are paid by districts just like any other teacher according to the district’s pay scale. They also become certified through alternative licensure programs so I would say that they are as "qualified" as any other teacher, whatever state certification means in terms of qualification.<br /><br />As for the volunteer aspect of firefighters, I think it is great that people still feel called to serve their communities as volunteers and I am not sure why as a society we would want to crowd out these volunteers with career fire fighters if they are so willing to provide the service, especially if they are as well trained and capable as their career counterparts. It seems that the reasons we have volunteer firefighter is that they are getting something out of this volunteering that makes it "worth it" to them. <br />emethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07211741212389667460noreply@blogger.com