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Coach Class
in response to reader comment: Stop Insulting the Taxpayers

Submitted by Charles McCleary, May 1, 2007 16:21

As a former New Yorker who has made a home in Los Angeles for the past 26 years, I can see the same impetus among the Los Angeles Unified School District members. Specifically, the rank and file teachers are grossly inept, unqualified to teach even the most basic of remedial classes and still enjoy civil service protection. As you, I am an employer and, instead of looking with skepticism and suspicion of a public school diploma when an applicant submits an request for an interview, I totally ignore the application. Moreover, I receive many resumes from public school teachers who want to transition out of teaching. Those are the resumes which I look upon with skepticism regarding their skills in math and basic English grammar. The writing is atrocious, coupled with misspellings, grammatical errors, typographical errors and the like.

My response is how can I, in all honesty, even consider the product of the work of these so-called former public school teachers, when the teachers themselves are functionally illiterate.

I agree, do away with public funding of education or even trying to bring teachers up to the most minimum level of competency. Rather, re-direct the funds to more jails and prisons. We will be needing them to house the products of the public school system.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
Actually, utilizing a literacy coach in schools is a research based strategy that improves instruction. The coach should be a... [MORE]	Patricia	Apr 30, 2007 18:42
While I am not denying the validity of the process, success aldo depends on the capacity of the teachers to... [MORE]	Mike Vizzo	May 3, 2007 20:02
How can you teach so-called professional teachers to teach literacy, when those same public school teachers are illiterate themselves? The public... [MORE]	Mike Vizzo	Apr 30, 2007 18:07
As a former New Yorker who has made a home in Los Angeles for the past 26 years, I can...	Charles McCleary	May 1, 2007 16:21
I work in a lot of schools that draw upon the approaches Lucy Calkins and the people who work with... [MORE]	Terri Ruyter	Apr 27, 2007 23:05
How much more $$$ must go down the drain, and how many more children must be hurt before those at... [MORE]	Rena Stanford	Apr 27, 2007 21:49
As an urban middle school literacy coach who works with 600 students and 40 staff members, coaching is all about... [MORE]	Jibby Brown	Jul 31, 2007 07:51
... myopic articles such this. The author seems to suggest that coaching professions to hone their craft is somehow bullying the... [MORE]	Brett	Apr 27, 2007 20:31
Clearly, either the choice of the coach or the training of the coach did not involve a key component of... [MORE]	Kerin	Apr 27, 2007 11:37
Teacher's College has had a long, profitable relationship with NYC public schools. They have capitalized on their reputation as a... [MORE]	ann	Apr 27, 2007 10:37
Dos this course promote Whole Language, or a mix of methods, or synthetic phonics-first and only? [MORE]	Mona McNee	Apr 27, 2007 08:06
God, what a disappointment: I though this article was about 'Coach' bags, or shoes or other stuff, stuff that's important.... [MORE]	Maury Leon	Apr 27, 2007 14:40
This is in response to the comments of Maury Leon. You said, "So, you have a "coach" coaching a teacher, who... [MORE]	Marie	May 7, 2007 12:04