School board resigns after making comments not realizing meeting was broadcast(ktla.com)
ktla.com
School board resigns after making comments not realizing meeting was broadcast
https://ktla.com/news/california/entire-bay-area-school-board-resigns-after-making-disparaging-comments-about-parents-without-realizing-meeting-was-being-broadcast/
94 comments
> In fact their primary purpose is to keep kids locked up in one place for a big chunk of the day so adults can get things done.
I work from home full-time. Our seven year old son has a desk in the adjacent room with a laptop on it. He'd happily sit there using his laptop all day long instead of going to school, leaving me in peace to work in the office. So I don't feel like we really need school as a babysitter (although I acknowledge many other parents don't have my kind of job and so really do need school as a babysitter)
What I think we really need school for is to get him away from his laptop and into face-to-face interaction with other kids. Learning is quite secondary to that. (He's a smart kid and he learns a lot of stuff outside of the context of formal education.)
I work from home full-time. Our seven year old son has a desk in the adjacent room with a laptop on it. He'd happily sit there using his laptop all day long instead of going to school, leaving me in peace to work in the office. So I don't feel like we really need school as a babysitter (although I acknowledge many other parents don't have my kind of job and so really do need school as a babysitter)
What I think we really need school for is to get him away from his laptop and into face-to-face interaction with other kids. Learning is quite secondary to that. (He's a smart kid and he learns a lot of stuff outside of the context of formal education.)
Based on the record in video game sales, I suspect that a lot of kids took the opportunity to improve certain skills during this period. I play a bit, and noticed that even old multiplayer games that used to be almost deserted are flooded with kids. I highly doubt that they are as eager to go back to school as their parents claim.
Paul Graham probably wouldn't last very long on a school board.
I agree, but I say that as an indictment on school boards, not on PG.
It takes a certain type of person to thrive in the school board environment, a political animal. Petty tyrants excel.
It takes a certain type of person to thrive in the school board environment, a political animal. Petty tyrants excel.
You don't see anything wrong with the statement by a school board member, when they are assembled for an official meeting, of " “B—-, ..If you call me out, I’m going to f—you up.”
That's odd. I think this is very wrong. You and I have different definitions of "flippant." This is a threat.
That's odd. I think this is very wrong. You and I have different definitions of "flippant." This is a threat.
I think the spike in suicides and reports from students and parents that kids are not doing well without social interaction speaks for itself.
So too did the school board; they were saying things that simply should not be said by people in a position of power. Some of it certainly went well beyond merely flippant.
So too did the school board; they were saying things that simply should not be said by people in a position of power. Some of it certainly went well beyond merely flippant.
Last I heard, there were mixed results on the health implications to kids. Are there current reports during these spikes?
I guess that depends on whether you trust the CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-...
The section titled "COVID-19 in children and adolescents" has plenty of footnotes.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-...
The section titled "COVID-19 in children and adolescents" has plenty of footnotes.
Honestly, at this point things are just annoying complicated. I do feel that most people pushing to open schools are doing so from a convenience angle. Having the kids at home has been really difficult. Worse, isolating them at home has been cruel.
But I have a hard time squaring fears of letting kids visit other families with kids, with this push to send them all back to school. :(
Thanks for the footnotes. I will be perusing those when I can.
But I have a hard time squaring fears of letting kids visit other families with kids, with this push to send them all back to school. :(
Thanks for the footnotes. I will be perusing those when I can.
> in a specialized industrial society, it would be a disaster to have kids running around loose
Parents who think about their kids in this way don’t deserve them and should not have them.
Parents who think about their kids in this way don’t deserve them and should not have them.
> Brizendine chimed in to commiserate with others about the growing criticism they’ve faced over closed schools, suggesting parents really want schools to reopen so they get their babysitters back.
I grew up in a situation where if I didn’t have school, I may not be alive today. I strongly recommend people learn about ACES[1] study and the long term health impact of childhood trauma (of which school away from home is one mitigating remedy).
1 - https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
I grew up in a situation where if I didn’t have school, I may not be alive today. I strongly recommend people learn about ACES[1] study and the long term health impact of childhood trauma (of which school away from home is one mitigating remedy).
1 - https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
Ok but there's a global pandemic on. So the upside exists, but how many people's lives are we willing to endanger for it?
> The researchers found that on average, patients with six or more traumatic experiences as children died nearly 20 years earlier than those without any experience
I think people treat these as “soft” purely psychological issues. But childhood trauma physically changes your development and longer term physical health.
Further these issues impact a lot of the population. From the original Kaiser study:
> more than one in five reported three or more ACEs
Citations: https://www.medpagetoday.org/primarycare/domesticviolence/16...
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33413909-the-deepest-wel...
I think people treat these as “soft” purely psychological issues. But childhood trauma physically changes your development and longer term physical health.
Further these issues impact a lot of the population. From the original Kaiser study:
> more than one in five reported three or more ACEs
Citations: https://www.medpagetoday.org/primarycare/domesticviolence/16...
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33413909-the-deepest-wel...
Dr. Gabor Mate has some good info on childhood trauma worth looking into.
Yes and schoolchildren who die of Covid lose a lot more years than that. Even most teachers or students' parents would be losing more than that each. Keeping schools closed may cost lives, but I don't see how opening schools in a pandemic is going to kill fewer people?
> Brizendine chimed in to commiserate with others about the growing criticism they’ve faced over closed schools, suggesting parents really want schools to reopen so they get their babysitters back.
I thought one of the primary functions of public schools was that they were government provided daycare.
Many parents have to work outside the home (or at least they used to in the pre-lockdown era) just to pay for basics like housing and health care (which are absurdly expensive in the bay area) and can't afford to hire someone to look after their children during the day.
If we publicly and explicitly recognize the daycare function of schools, perhaps they can be improved and made into more supportive and nurturing environments.
I thought one of the primary functions of public schools was that they were government provided daycare.
Many parents have to work outside the home (or at least they used to in the pre-lockdown era) just to pay for basics like housing and health care (which are absurdly expensive in the bay area) and can't afford to hire someone to look after their children during the day.
If we publicly and explicitly recognize the daycare function of schools, perhaps they can be improved and made into more supportive and nurturing environments.
I don’t think it’s a simple binary thing.
Kids learn conflict resolution and social skills with those of their age and development level.
They learn by seeing others do things. They learn and take interest in things their friends do and emulate them.
They learn to deal with people with different backgrounds. Different authority figures and different approaches to wielding that authority.
Even my 5 year old saw a marked difference from the time she was home and only interacting with her 2 year old brother to when she returned.
She had no interest in art or coloring and when she returned she was very behind others in that category. She took up a lot more interest and effort and has made noticeable gains with things like the fine motor skills to color in the lines, handwriting etc. Us trying to encourage or enforce it was combative. Her brother a distraction and a competitor for attention. Put her in a classroom and she blossomed comparatively. This is only a couple examples. There are so many others.
So yeah. In a way it’s important for parents to put food on the table and earn. But it’s also important from a social perspective to the kids. We are social creatures after all.
Kids learn conflict resolution and social skills with those of their age and development level.
They learn by seeing others do things. They learn and take interest in things their friends do and emulate them.
They learn to deal with people with different backgrounds. Different authority figures and different approaches to wielding that authority.
Even my 5 year old saw a marked difference from the time she was home and only interacting with her 2 year old brother to when she returned.
She had no interest in art or coloring and when she returned she was very behind others in that category. She took up a lot more interest and effort and has made noticeable gains with things like the fine motor skills to color in the lines, handwriting etc. Us trying to encourage or enforce it was combative. Her brother a distraction and a competitor for attention. Put her in a classroom and she blossomed comparatively. This is only a couple examples. There are so many others.
So yeah. In a way it’s important for parents to put food on the table and earn. But it’s also important from a social perspective to the kids. We are social creatures after all.
> I thought one of the primary functions of public schools was that they were government provided daycare.
Yes, but lots of people don’t want to admit that, especially teachers. The school system doesn’t need college educated, subject matter certified teachers to run a day care.
Yes, but lots of people don’t want to admit that, especially teachers. The school system doesn’t need college educated, subject matter certified teachers to run a day care.
I think this is the original recording of the school board in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3XaJHU7QlY
I also think this link is the original reporting: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/19/entire-oakley-school-...
I also think this link is the original reporting: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/19/entire-oakley-school-...
Just wanted to say thanks for an unedited and editorialized source
It's important to remember that these folks are on the school board. That means they are parents with students in most cases, not teachers or educators.
They aren't expressing the opinions of teachers and staff, they are projecting their own feelings as parents.
They aren't expressing the opinions of teachers and staff, they are projecting their own feelings as parents.
I'm in the UK and I was just amused to see I can't read this site since I am within the EU (which clearly I am not). I know the same rules apply....but still.
I thought about making a joke about Brexit not delivering, but I'll let you make it in your own head.
I thought about making a joke about Brexit not delivering, but I'll let you make it in your own head.
I don't believe (but could be wrong) that the same rules apply to non-EEA, non-former-EU Switzerland - but I bet they can't access the site either.
My wife spent a couple years volunteering as the treasurer for our local PTA, and we are parents of two elementary-age kids. The harsh truth is that a lot of parents have really terrible, entitled attitudes, and they take it out on teachers. The things I've seen are eye-opening, and it makes me sympathize here with the school board. I can't blame them for venting when they were on a call they thought was just their group. We've all done it. What they said was extremely bland compared with what gets said every day by parents.
Context matters. The school board wants to keep schools closed. There is no science to back this decision at all. Many states have schools reopened for many many months. The school board not only wants to keep schools closed based on purely politics. Now they are attacking parents in closed group discussion? These are horrible human beings and they definitely should not be on the school board.
Horrible human beings? That's a bit hyperbolic.
This is the attitude that school teachers get every single day. Politics drives it, I assume. It has become completely okay to treat school staff like they are subhuman. It's hard to then be surprised when they develop a bit of a bunker mentality from being constantly attacked.
We all ought to take a look in the mirror before we judge other people, and definitely before we attack them.
This is the attitude that school teachers get every single day. Politics drives it, I assume. It has become completely okay to treat school staff like they are subhuman. It's hard to then be surprised when they develop a bit of a bunker mentality from being constantly attacked.
We all ought to take a look in the mirror before we judge other people, and definitely before we attack them.
No. By closing schools for so long, they are literally harming kids. This is not a word game. It has real consequence. There are bad parents out there, so we can do bad things to kids? No.
The comments quoted are harmless. Not a person alive hasn’t engaged in worse banter.
And you’re lying to yourself if you claim otherwise.
And you’re lying to yourself if you claim otherwise.
It's a question of context. It's fine to say things like this to your spouse or your friend. But is it acceptable to do so in a professional setting like this?
Some people are just like this...they will happily bitch and gossip during a meeting, and it creates a really toxic atmosphere.
There are ways to discuss these things in a professional manner. Always assume that what you say in a meeting will make its way out of the meeting, because (surprise, surprise), most of the time it will.
Some people are just like this...they will happily bitch and gossip during a meeting, and it creates a really toxic atmosphere.
There are ways to discuss these things in a professional manner. Always assume that what you say in a meeting will make its way out of the meeting, because (surprise, surprise), most of the time it will.
> It's a question of context.
> It's fine to say things like this to your spouse or your friend
The context was, in effect, an accidental hot mic situation where they thought they were alone with their friends.
> It's fine to say things like this to your spouse or your friend
The context was, in effect, an accidental hot mic situation where they thought they were alone with their friends.
The context is it was an official School Board meeting.
The first comment is "are we alone?" to which someone says "yes".
They thought they were alone and it was over / not started yet.
They thought they were alone and it was over / not started yet.
In a meeting situation (assuming not just very close friends+family): even if you're alone, your comments aren't necessarily going to remain private. If you say something nasty/bitchy/unprofessional, it's going to get out.
This is changing the meaning of what you stated at the beginning.
You can't say "you can say this among friends" and then turn it around and say "well, you can't expect it to remain private" as an excuse for your repulsion of the statement.
It was a bunch of school board members talking together amongst themselves at either the start or the end of the meeting. If this were in the physical world, it would have been to an empty chamber, or between meetings as they walked.
It just so happens that someone else was in the meeting that they didn't notice; and that person decided to record what they were saying and share it with the internet.
You can't say "you can say this among friends" and then turn it around and say "well, you can't expect it to remain private" as an excuse for your repulsion of the statement.
It was a bunch of school board members talking together amongst themselves at either the start or the end of the meeting. If this were in the physical world, it would have been to an empty chamber, or between meetings as they walked.
It just so happens that someone else was in the meeting that they didn't notice; and that person decided to record what they were saying and share it with the internet.
Which makes the whole system even more despicable: they weren't fired because of the content. They were fired because they were caught.
The comments are laughably bland compared to what teachers hear every day from parents.
Are you a teacher?
I have heard every teach I know say much worse. They know one of their primary functions is babysitting.
If we require children to be in school, that's essentially what they are doing is babysitting, but hopefully teaching. I think teachers like working from home and they don't want to go back to the classroom, it's that simple. The only people I hear complaining about returning to the classroom are, well, teachers. At some point they have to go back, whether they like it or not.
Do _you_ know any teachers? I've certainly not been hearing about how much they love working from home with the exception of one.
The rest find it more difficult to teach, especially with complicated technology and decade old laptops.
The rest find it more difficult to teach, especially with complicated technology and decade old laptops.
Most that I know don't like working from home, but still would quit before going back without a vaccine.
In fact, we were basically cheering them last year for doing the very same when they were being forced to work.
We cheered and demanded the closing of schools when kids were taking videos of the unmasked masses walking the halls.
Huge percentages of teachers _have_ quit for that very reason.
We cheered and demanded the closing of schools when kids were taking videos of the unmasked masses walking the halls.
Huge percentages of teachers _have_ quit for that very reason.
Some were cheering but I wasn't. I like to think I see both sides to it.
On one hand, there are some teachers that are high risk and should not have to go back.
On the other hand, some students have been severely underserved. For example on of my teach friends has 5 homeless students that have essentially no school, and others in abusive homes.
The practical solution in my opinion was to make low risk teachers conduct in person education for young and vulnerable students for whom at home education will not work, and do so with added precautions. This is what much of the rest of the world has done.
At this point, I think it is largely irrelevant, assuming that teachers will have vaccines in the next month or two and be will actually go back once they receive them.
On one hand, there are some teachers that are high risk and should not have to go back.
On the other hand, some students have been severely underserved. For example on of my teach friends has 5 homeless students that have essentially no school, and others in abusive homes.
The practical solution in my opinion was to make low risk teachers conduct in person education for young and vulnerable students for whom at home education will not work, and do so with added precautions. This is what much of the rest of the world has done.
At this point, I think it is largely irrelevant, assuming that teachers will have vaccines in the next month or two and be will actually go back once they receive them.
I'm not sure what that proves? I wouldn't do any job that puts me near more than a handful of people without a vaccine.
I must have misread that as saying that most teachers DO like working from home.
I know a lot of teachers and they don't want to go back for fear of their personal safety.
They understand that parents want babysitting, and they don't want to endanger themselves to give it to them.
Kids aren't are pretty low risk from covid, but teachers are older and have higher risk. Some are elderly, some are pregnant, and some have medical conditions. Many that I know would quit before going back without a vaccine.
That said, return to classrooms has worked well in just about every other country, even during their lockdowns.
They understand that parents want babysitting, and they don't want to endanger themselves to give it to them.
Kids aren't are pretty low risk from covid, but teachers are older and have higher risk. Some are elderly, some are pregnant, and some have medical conditions. Many that I know would quit before going back without a vaccine.
That said, return to classrooms has worked well in just about every other country, even during their lockdowns.
> That said, return to classrooms has worked well in just about every other country, even during their lockdowns.
Those other countries have much lower community spread, public health care, and mask mandates that are actually enforceable. It's not a comparable situation.
Those other countries have much lower community spread, public health care, and mask mandates that are actually enforceable. It's not a comparable situation.
With respect to community spread, the US isn’t that far from the EU. Many actually have higher rates than US states which are not teaching in classroms
https://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/?chart=countr...
https://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/?chart=countr...
Now yes, but when the collected all that data the community spread in those countries was much lower.
A lot of people here are talking about how school really is just babysitting a lot of the time, and it's reasonable to say, and it's just getting dragged because it was broadcasted. I don't really believe that, but I think more to the point, you'd hope that people that get on the school board believe that school is more than that. Like, if that's a position you've pursued, I would hope that you believe in public education as an important part of serving the welfare of all people, of its ability of reduce poverty long term, blunt its worst effects short term, provide us with a literate electorate, etc.
If you don't have a spark of that, why would you get yourself into that office?
And if you do believe in schools as a powerful public good, how could you belittle the parents who maybe are finally reaching a fuller understanding of how critical the system you guide really is?
People running public schools shouldn't just be trying to figure out how to be as open as they safely can be, but they should be figuring out how to capitalize on the increased demand for schools to get resources to improve public education for the next decade.
If you don't have a spark of that, why would you get yourself into that office?
And if you do believe in schools as a powerful public good, how could you belittle the parents who maybe are finally reaching a fuller understanding of how critical the system you guide really is?
People running public schools shouldn't just be trying to figure out how to be as open as they safely can be, but they should be figuring out how to capitalize on the increased demand for schools to get resources to improve public education for the next decade.
You make a good point about these not being teachers, because...
> how could you belittle the parents who maybe are finally reaching a fuller understanding of how critical the system you guide really is
You should see how parents treat teachers. They'd be fully justified in venting.
> how could you belittle the parents who maybe are finally reaching a fuller understanding of how critical the system you guide really is
You should see how parents treat teachers. They'd be fully justified in venting.
I can't imagine something less consequencial to get in a rage about. I hear more offensive or frustrating political remarks made openly and publicly targeting people like me on a daily basis.
Honestly seems pretty benign.
Recording (a bad one, cell phone pointed at a cell phone)
for those who want to see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3XaJHU7QlY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3XaJHU7QlY
Wow the comments on that video are toxic.
They joked around about parents wanting school back as a babysitting service. I don't think this is particularly far off or offensive.
School is a place for children to get an education, but many parents are clearly just trying to keep the kid alive and themselves sane. It's a babysitting service to them, and the education is a bonus.
It's not always the case, but often when parents really care about education, the child will reflect that behavior; and there's a lot of kids who couldn't care less.
Having heard my friends talk about schools opening up, not a single one of them has talked about how much better teachers are at teaching than they were. Or how much their child really needed to be one of 30 heads instead of getting special attention. They talk about how nice it is to have alone time.
School is a place for children to get an education, but many parents are clearly just trying to keep the kid alive and themselves sane. It's a babysitting service to them, and the education is a bonus.
It's not always the case, but often when parents really care about education, the child will reflect that behavior; and there's a lot of kids who couldn't care less.
Having heard my friends talk about schools opening up, not a single one of them has talked about how much better teachers are at teaching than they were. Or how much their child really needed to be one of 30 heads instead of getting special attention. They talk about how nice it is to have alone time.
So, as someone that knows many teachers, and hears about how affluent parents especially will come in and demand that their child, who earned a C, should be given an A.
When the grade doesn't matter, what more are they, than "baby sitters"?
Now obviously, schools provide MAJOR help to especially poor kids, as a place to eat, shower and potentially get an education; but, when it's very rich parents who are able to work from home, and they're the ones demanding that their kids go back to school, so they can be alone ... what more are the teachers for them, than baby sitters? And, don't the schools have the right to be upset?
We've almost got the vaccine out to everyone. Regular school can probably return Fall 2021.
edit: the down-votes and complete lack of comments in response to what I've said are fascinating.
When the grade doesn't matter, what more are they, than "baby sitters"?
Now obviously, schools provide MAJOR help to especially poor kids, as a place to eat, shower and potentially get an education; but, when it's very rich parents who are able to work from home, and they're the ones demanding that their kids go back to school, so they can be alone ... what more are the teachers for them, than baby sitters? And, don't the schools have the right to be upset?
We've almost got the vaccine out to everyone. Regular school can probably return Fall 2021.
edit: the down-votes and complete lack of comments in response to what I've said are fascinating.
Good riddance. The comments on that call were disgusting and they all deserved to be sacked. Unfortunately I think the outcome is not going to be any meaningful change for school children, it’ll just be a temporary increased awareness by public officials that digital communications are easy to accidentally leak.
> Unfortunately I think the outcome is not going to be any meaningful change for school children
Do these comments affect school children in the first place?
Do these comments affect school children in the first place?
I find the characterisation of their remarks as "disgusting" and the happiness that they have left to be a pretty dramatic moralization.
What part did you find disgusting? They said the parents "want their babysitters back". Hardly shocking or outrageous.
That's what they think is the point of schools, and are just projecting their views onto the parents.
Correct, it is almost as if the members of the school board have an opinion about the situation.
The part preceding that indicating saying it was specifically so they could “smoke weed all day (while their kids are at school)“ for one.
I mean, It was a supportive anecdote and is certainly correct in some cases. Hell, I empathize with the parents, home schooling is hard stressful work and I would rather have kids off at school too.
Schools across the entire planet should be open without restricton immediately. We are doing immense harm for no gain - the data is incredibly clear that children are at negligible risk from COVID and that schools are no breeding grounds for the virus.
In any case, COVID cases are down significantly, and we are reaching herd immunity (either from natural immunity or vaccinations) across much of the planet, in addition to the seasonality effects of Spring.
In any case, COVID cases are down significantly, and we are reaching herd immunity (either from natural immunity or vaccinations) across much of the planet, in addition to the seasonality effects of Spring.
It has nothing to do with harm or even the threat of harm to children. This appears to have more to do with teachers not wanting to return to the classroom, and using COVID as an excuse not to. IMO it's the same reason we have to wear facemasks on airlines: Flight attendant unions demand it. School districts and municipalities, like airlines, are so afraid of the union they don't want to do anything that might upset them.
Fascinating. I didn't expect a covid denier on HN. I guess I should have known better.
I don’t think there’s anything in what the person said about being a Covid denier, but if you don’t like being a teacher, perhaps you should’ve chosen a different career path.
> This appears to have more to do with teachers not wanting to return to the classroom, and using COVID as an excuse not to. IMO it's the same reason we have to wear facemasks on airlines: Flight attendant unions demand it. School districts and municipalities, like airlines, are so afraid of the union they don't want to do anything that might upset them.
That's decidedly the speaking of someone that doesn't think covid is serious, if people are "just using it as an excuse", "in classroom and on planes"
That's decidedly the speaking of someone that doesn't think covid is serious, if people are "just using it as an excuse", "in classroom and on planes"
My only question is, why were they even allowed to resign? They should have been instantly fired.
A Board is often an elected body in the US and can’t technically be “fired”.
So who's responsible for holding them accountable for their actions normally?
Well, they can either resign under public pressure, be voted out in the next election, or (maybe, depends on the jurisdiction in question--don't know if school boards usually fall under this option though) be subject to a recall election.
Correct - some places may be able to do a recall; and most of these “low” political offices are lost upon conviction of a major crime, too (think: taking bribes).
The electorate.
> an elected body
Voters
Voters
More people need to challenges America’s new campus and media leftism before it complete subsumes us and everyone will be required to think like these board members.
As a person who is sympathetic to the idea of challenging America's campus and media leftism, I have downvoted you, as this is not an effective approach to doing so. The venue is modestly hostile to such a goal, but from time to time will appreciate an honest point of view such as yours, provided that is solidly argued. You have brought only sweeping assertions, which you do not even bother to back up with argument. By doing so, you do harm to your cause.
Legit question, how do you downvote? I can only see the upvote button on my screen.
Your karma must be at 500 before you can downvote.
[deleted]
Try reading the article to find out why they resigned, instead of jumping to conclusions.
Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."
> “We deeply regret the earlier comments that were made in the meeting of the Board of Education earlier this week,” a joint statement by now ex-board members Kim Beede, Erica Ippolito and Richie Masadas says. “As trustees, we realize it is our responsibility to model the conduct that we expect of our students and staff, and it is our obligation to build confidence in district leadership; our comments failed you in both regards, and for this we offer our sincerest apology.”
We deeply regret being caught.
It's a fine case of being punished not for what one has done, but for being caught doing so.
No doubt that it goes on everywhere, and that many of the outragees do it too in their own private meetings.
We deeply regret being caught.
It's a fine case of being punished not for what one has done, but for being caught doing so.
No doubt that it goes on everywhere, and that many of the outragees do it too in their own private meetings.
Their only crime was being overheard. Nothing news-worthy here.
Many teachers start as people full of hope, devotion and altruism, but after years of receiving low compensation for a brutal amount of work and seeing their friends building wealth while they can hardly make a living, many teachers turn to the "dark side". Like the ones in the video.
Teachers have to deal with kids from households with bad, low or no parenting and that's something they cannot do much about.
Then, they have to comply with the standardized programs and examinations which are a disservice to students because it's just bureaucratic cargo cult that doesn't work.
As a result of all these difficulties that are completely out of their control, they develop indifference, resentment, some are extremely passive aggressive, sarcastic and toxic. Many of these behaviors can get you fired in other occupations, but as a society, if you are a teacher, we are OK with this.
Despite all these difficulties there are teachers that are still willing to persevere, but the system is built to break the spirits of teachers.
Teachers have to deal with kids from households with bad, low or no parenting and that's something they cannot do much about.
Then, they have to comply with the standardized programs and examinations which are a disservice to students because it's just bureaucratic cargo cult that doesn't work.
As a result of all these difficulties that are completely out of their control, they develop indifference, resentment, some are extremely passive aggressive, sarcastic and toxic. Many of these behaviors can get you fired in other occupations, but as a society, if you are a teacher, we are OK with this.
Despite all these difficulties there are teachers that are still willing to persevere, but the system is built to break the spirits of teachers.
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Here's Paul Graham saying almost the same thing in 2003:
> And as for the schools, they were just holding pens within this fake world. Officially the purpose of schools is to teach kids. In fact their primary purpose is to keep kids locked up in one place for a big chunk of the day so adults can get things done. And I have no problem with this: in a specialized industrial society, it would be a disaster to have kids running around loose.
http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html