Kansas public schools cannot afford to lose anymore teachers. Teachers provide the path for student success. Teachers do matter.
Teachers must be given the chance to teach students from any background.
Public school teacher positions statewide for the current school year total 34,075, down 256 from the previous year, and down 1,363 since the 2008-09 school year, according to Kansas Department of Education documents.
Gov. Sam Brownback and state legislators, remember your favorite teachers. Would you have succeeded in school if teachers had not helped you?
Without teachers, we won’t have knowledgeable employees such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and other trained professionals.
Life depends on knowledge. The economy depends on knowledge. Solutions depend on knowledge. Teachers provide that knowledge. Do not forget the teachers. Do not forget to invest in teachers. Remember that before school funding is cut any further.
President John F. Kennedy said, “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.”
Without teachers, students will not gain the proper knowledge to succeed. Therefore, America and Kansas cannot compete with the rest of the world in education and industry.
Jason Johnston
Reporter
JustWondering (anonymous) says...
WOW! Just WOW!
An entire article that contains one fact (the number of teachers has declined) and one quote from almost 50 years ago. All the rest is merely repetition of "coffee shop talk" that is presented as common knowledge. "The assertion that something is "common knowledge" is sometimes associated with the fallacy argumentum ad populum (Latin: "appeal to the people"). The fallacy essentially warns against assuming that just because everyone believes something is true, it is." (Wikipedia)
There is NO empirical evidence presented that the reduction in the number of teachers has resulted in reductions in student performance or learning. There is also NO evidence provided that "Kansas public schools cannot afford to lose anymore teachers".
What is the basis for your statement that "Therefore, America and Kansas cannot compete with the rest of the world in education and industry."?
I could go on, but I think you get the point.
I do agree with one thing though. We obviously need MORE journalism teachers!
January 31, 2012 at 7:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
10-20 years from there will be plenty of evidence.
Teachers get a raw deal:
http://m.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/...
I admire anyone that can handle the profession in it's current state.
January 31, 2012 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodjoss (anonymous) says...
@JustWondering - obviously we need more journalism teachers, because you obviously didn't sit in front of one explaining to you what an editorial is.
So I will: This is an editorial. It is opinion, not necessarily fact or the reporting of empirical knowledge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_...
My son is learning the difference between fact an opinion from his 4th grade TEACHER.
I'm JustWondering how far you got in school. Because you obviously need MORE!
January 31, 2012 at 8:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodjoss (anonymous) says...
I could go on but you get the point.
January 31, 2012 at 9 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Richie (anonymous) says...
Cut the education budget, and of course you can expect the number of teachers to decrease. Time to ask, "what are our priorities?"
January 31, 2012 at 10:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
giggles (anonymous) says...
Goodjoss, I would have to agree with Justwondering on this. If he actually is a reporter, I would expect more research and facts to support the overall thesis. I am not trying to be rude, but the overall article reads like a 4th grade english assignment. Perhaps this is the case?
I think that perhaps it was written just to fill the space. Is this an editorial piece, as one would assume? They give no indication from the page I see.
Overall, if you are trying to convince the people that something needs to be done about this issue, shouldn't you include more facts and supporting arguements?
Give me the reasons we cannot compete. What areas are we lacking in? I would assume science, math, and engineering, but perhaps they have a different take? How are just keeping teachers or adding teachers going to solve the problem? Are there statistics for every teacher dropped how much student performance is affected?
Yes, goodjoss it may be an opinion piece, but the point Justwondering was trying to make is that it seems this one needs some work to be more thought provoking and persuasive.
I could go on but you get the point...
February 1, 2012 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodjoss (anonymous) says...
giggles - you, I and JustWondering all agree that Mr. Johnston needs to strengthen his writing here.
Frankly, his rhetoric leaves much to be desired.
I gave no defense to his piece. I delivered a rebuttal to the comments of JustWondering using a tone that I perceived as similarly harsh.
You may expect more research and facts to support the overall thesis, but Mr. Johnson isn't bound to give them... because this is an editorial piece.
giggles, you say 'it may be an opinion piece', but please let me clairify - without the least bit of defense of Mr. Johnson's point - this IS an opinion piece.
Let's not go searching for 'facts' when none need be given, because this is implicitly (and explicitly if you have the printed copy) and through all evidence shown, an opinion of Mr. Johnson. No need to 'assume' anything - that is the case. Case closed.
This is opinion - treat it like an opinion, not journalism. Your opinion differs, that's fine. Mine does too.
JustWondering was harsh for all the wrong reasons.
I think we all can agree that the world needs more education.
February 1, 2012 at 12:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustWondering (anonymous) says...
Goodjoss
Sorry if I struck a nerve. My point was that this article/editorial, in my opinion, was very poorly researched and written. (Notice I stated that this is my opinion, something Mr Johnson did not do).
Anyone who has had training in Journalism, debate, public speaking, etc. should know that if you want your opinion to be taken seriously you need to provide some facts and the basis of that opinion. Without a basis your opinion will not change anyone's mind and all you have done is waste paper and ink.
For the record, I am NOT in favor of reducing the number of teachers or reducing the spending on education. I am however tired of hearing some school districts complaining about the "funding cuts to education" and the loss of teachers and eliminating classes, while at the same time spending MILLIONS of dollars on new gymnasiums, football fields, landscaping, etc. As Richie said "Time to ask, "what are our priorities?"
In my opinion (there I did it again) we should be spending the money on the teachers, instructional materials and classrooms--not on sports facilities.
February 1, 2012 at 5:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
JustWondering,
All the stuff you mentioned is from the Fed and grants, it's free money.
Hope you caught my sarcasm =)
February 1, 2012 at 8:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )