i think you're probably a great teacher just for hanging in there for 28
years! The last figures on teacher retention I saw looked worse than the
corresponding statistics for marriage in the U.S.
And I agree with you wholeheartedly. The best answer is smaller classes.
And this does require a bigger budget for education or a total
reconceptualization of the way education takes place. What marvels does
the internet hold for us all on that front--the salvation of home
schooling?? Even in the traditional schooling model it would require a lot
more teachers and, as you probably know very well, teaching in this country
isn't a career that generates a lot of enthusiasm at cocktail parties. Not
too much sex appeal there, right?
As to the football stadium example, this is Amerika, right?? The budget
for the marine marching bands (I've heard) was larger than that of the NEA,
so we all have a pretty good idea of where the nation's priorities are on
this.
But what are the mechanics that hold it together, that allow people to
overlook the obvious? Don't most of us learn as kids that we can't
complain about the bad situations we caused for ourselves. How can this go
on in this case, in the face of the evidence you have cited.
Paul H. Dillon