I was a teacher in the Detroit Public School System. Seven years ago I had to take a disability retirement due to bone problems. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
I really loved the first grade students that I taught, and was a very creative reading and math teacher. However, I encountered racism from the black parents. I am white female married to a Hispanic man. Detroit has a huge drug problem. Too many of the parents are apathetic, and do not mentally or physically care for their children. There are lack of meals, warm clothing, encouragement, etc.
Although I have a master's degree plus 60 credits beyond, and spent 8 years, minus 2 summers in college, I think my bone problems were a blessing in disguise. Teaching is very stressful and so many times thankless. I try to remember the parents who were good to their children, who did appreciate my work, the many children who were happy when they were learning in my room, earned prizes, etc. but the bad far outweighed the good. I really hated it when parents played the race card.
Detroit NEVER has enough text books, work books, pencils, crayons, etc. I spent in excess of $3K each and every year in the basics. We were only provided with one case of duplicating paper, and of course had 28+ students in the classroom. One year I had 37 first graders and NO HELP. The stories you hear about no toilet paper are TRUE. There are broken toilets, no doors for privacy, facets that do not work, and hand soap? You must be kidding. Where is the health department?
Stress of course is on the administrators from their administrators, and parents who frequently are argumentative and on crack. Teachers get it both from their administrators and from the parents. Sound like a job from hell? Well it is. My last 6 months on the job were spent each morning with uncontrollable convulsing, trying to vomit, with nothing coming up. I would highly advise anyone thinking about going into teaching to spend a week in an inner city school system before you think about doing the coursework for the job. And for those of you who do not believe me, do the same. Volunteer for a week in your neighborhood school and see what goes on in there. You will get a renewed respect for teachers, administrators, educational assistants, etc. Kids are out of control, there seems to be very little to be done, except exclude them, and then when they come back, more times than not, their behavior has not changed too much. Counselors and social workers are either not hired as the budget does not permit it, or are so overworked with huge caseloads, that it is barely a bandage.
It all starts in the home. School is no substitute for good parenting. Parents need to parent, and teachers need to educate. It is impossible to do when children have no self control. It all begins in the home.
Am I negative about children, school and teaching now? You bet. Am I glad I am out of there? You bet. Again, don't believe me? Spend a week, not an hour, not a day, but a week in your local school. You will get a true perspective. It is my hope that I reached at least one person in the entire United States, and they have gone to their local school to check things out.
This program has not aired yet, so I will reserve my comments on the teacher firing.
