So, how stupid do you have to be to teach in government schools?

[shanek]

I'm sorry, but I don't care what your political affiliation is, or what you think of the government schools, this is just downright offensive:

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0104/23teacher.html#

I am a 22-year-old African-American male and recent graduate of a respectable liberal arts college in Kentucky. I acquired a 3.75 grade-point average with a double major in Social Studies Secondary Education and sociology.

I was a Rhodes Scholar nominee, inducted into the Mensa society in May 2001, named to the National Dean's List for three consecutive years, successfully competed in intercollegiate forensics and served as student body president.

While in college I was also privileged to serve on mission trips to Mexico, Guatemala and Jamaica. In the summer of 2002 I was granted the opportunity to intern with Saxby Chambliss, who was then a U.S. representative running for the U.S. Senate. I served for two years as a court-appointed special advocate for the state of Kentucky.

Over the summer, I came to realize that my true calling lay in inspiring, motivating, challenging and educating other young adults. After investigating, I assumed that Atlanta would perhaps be a viable market for teaching jobs. I applied to metro Atlanta counties including Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, Gwinnett, plus the Atlanta public schools, all to no avail.

Certification was not the issue. I am certified to teach in Kentucky and have applied for certification in Georgia. My application is still being processed.

Recently, I interviewed with a school in one of the metro Atlanta counties, only to receive an e-mail from the principal stating, "Though your qualifications are quite impressive, I regret to inform you that we have selected another candidate. It was felt that your demeanor and therefore presence in the classroom would serve as an unrealistic expectation as to what high school students could strive to achieve or become. However, it is highly recommended that you seek employment at the collegiate level; there your intellectual comportment would be greatly appreciated. Good luck."

After reading the e-mail several times over, I felt as if I had been slapped in the face. It is truly a sad day in the world of education when a 22-year-old aspiring educator is informed that he is too intellectual to teach high school.

So, apparently, a candidate teacher who is too smart, too intellectual, would "serve as an unrealistic expectation as to what high school students could strive to achieve or become." Apparently, they want to inspire kids, but only to be the dumb people the school system knows they are.

But then, Georgia schools rank 50th in the nation. Perhaps there be a connection here?

[WildCat]

Originally posted by shanek
then, Georgia schools rank 50th in the nation. Perhaps there be a connection here?
Yep! And apparently they're more concerned about the use of the word "evolution" than in educating kids. Morons.

[Skeptic]

The rejection letter's reason is just an excuse. Obviously, Georgia don't want no secret evil-too-shun-ists teachin' in ITS schools. And they know how to smoke them out: they are those evil people who have a good education, like this candidate.

Seriously, though, I wonder if he would have recieved the same letter if he was white. I am not sure, but it is usually the case that "public school" is euphemism for "school for black children", due to "white flight" to private schools.

If this is the case here, the underlying idea here seems to be that it's OK if a succesful white man teacher the little darkies from the ghetto, but a succesful black man might give them all kind of strange ideas. You know, they might want to go to college, or hold paying jobs, or join the middle class... in short, doing all these things black people have no business doing!

What is really absurd about the whole thing is that this is not some conspiracy by the KKK to keep blacks down. It is a self-imposed restriction: in the name of the holy and sacred God of "self-esteem", the children must be shileded from anything that might make them uncomfortable with their low-class situation or, even worse, show them it could be fought and overcome.

[Skeptic]

But then, Georgia schools rank 50th in the nation. Perhaps there be a connection here?

Well, as Louis(?) Black, the comedian, said:

"When Alabama [I think--Sk.] came out 47th in the nation in public school, the people of Alabama sued the public school system over its pure performance... which, since it is wholly funded by tax money, means the people of Alabama SUED THEMSELVES. That's how dumb you have to be to be no. 47!"

Makes you wonder what 50 is like.

[shanek]

Originally posted by Skeptic
Seriously, though, I wonder if he would have recieved the same letter if he was white. I am not sure, but it is usually the case that "public school" is euphemism for "school for black children", due to "white flight" to private schools.

You know, I hadn't even considered the race issue. If hiring a smart white teacher is okay, but a smart black teacher gives kids "unrealistic expectations," then this becomes all the more despicable. But, of course, there's no evidence that that is the case.

Either way, it's pretty bad.

[pgwenthold]

Originally posted by Skeptic
The rejection letter's reason is just an excuse. Obviously, Georgia don't want no secret evil-too-shun-ists teachin' in ITS schools. And they know how to smoke them out: they are those evil people who have a good education, like this candidate.

Seriously, though, I wonder if he would have recieved the same letter if he was white. I am not sure, but it is usually the case that "public school" is euphemism for "school for black children", due to "white flight" to private schools.

If this is the case here, the underlying idea here seems to be that it's OK if a succesful white man teacher the little darkies from the ghetto, but a succesful black man might give them all kind of strange ideas. You know, they might want to go to college, or hold paying jobs, or join the middle class... in short, doing all these things black people have no business doing!


I would be careful before going too far, though. Your initial comment, although tongue in cheek, is very possibly right. The rejection letter could be just an excuse. If so, it's a dumb excuse, but better than the truth.

All we are hearing is the one side. As far as we know, the guy could be a condescending, arrogant prick who has trouble relating to other people. In that case, he would never succeed in high school. OTOH, he'd be awfully well-suited for teaching college...

[Skeptic]

I would be careful before going too far, though. Your initial comment, although tongue in cheek, is very possibly right.

That's why I said IF it is a race issue, not that it IS a race issue. We only have one side--and a rejection letter. Of course, one should never take rejection letters at face value. They are, after all, full of euphemisms: "We wish you further success" (drop dead) "we are sorry to inform you that..." (screw you), etc.

It could very well be, as you say, that they didn't want a smart guy around for some other reason. For example, if my experience with beurocracies is any indication, most likely they fear he will cause the formation of "unrealistic expectations" from the other teachers, when his students outperform everybody, thus exposing the other teachers' mediocricy.

I personally know a high school math teacher who got his class of failing, no-good, tough-neighborhood students to pass the math SAT with flying colors, when all the other students were failing. The result? He was fired. I bet they wished they just haven't hired him in the first place.

As far as we know, the guy could be a condescending, arrogant prick who has trouble relating to other people. In that case, he would never succeed in high school. OTOH, he'd be awfully well-suited for teaching college...

Beat me to it.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

in which state is it that teachers/principals are being told not to give out Honor Role awards to students in their schools without parental consent? Is that also Georgia?

[Zero]

Originally posted by pgwenthold


I would be careful before going too far, though. Your initial comment, although tongue in cheek, is very possibly right. The rejection letter could be just an excuse. If so, it's a dumb excuse, but better than the truth.

All we are hearing is the one side. As far as we know, the guy could be a condescending, arrogant prick who has trouble relating to other people. In that case, he would never succeed in high school. OTOH, he'd be awfully well-suited for teaching college... That was my first thought as well...

I was listening to Loveline on the radio(Adam Carolla is a hoot!), and this sort of situation came up. Some people claim that people don't like them because they "speak their mind" or "tell it like it is"; in reality, people don't like them because they are arrogant know-it-all blowhards who don't know when to shut their mouths and mind their business.

In the same way, this guy may have personality problems that might make a connection with younger students difficult. I know from my own experience that high school teachers have a much more hands-on relationship with students than college professors do. That letter may have been a polite way of saying that this guy's personality is sort of...lacking, perhaps.

[Hutch]

Originally posted by PygmyPlaidGiraffe
in which state is it that teachers/principals are being told not to give out Honor Role awards to students in their schools without parental consent? Is that also Georgia?


No, it's Tennessee.

[shuize]

Regardless of whether the young graduate is arrogant or condescending, his letter is far too well written to for him to fit in at any of the school districts he mentioned.

[cbish]

Ah you're all reading way too much into this!

They needed a football coach and already had someone for the job. By law, they have to advertise the position. They just didn't think anyone would apply. Remember, all beginning teachers have the same first name......."coach"!:p

[Tmy]

There are lots of reasons not to hire this guy:

First off the guy has like no teaching experience. He graduated from a "respectable" Kentucky liberal arts College (insert laughter here). Teaching is proabably his flavor of the month career, and he comes across as a douchebag. Why hire soemone whos likey to just use your school as a stepping stone. You dont have to be that smart to teach high school classes, its more important to be good with kids. Think of your favorite High School teacher. Do you think they were the smartest teacher in the district?

Allow me to translate the excuse in the letter......*ahem* "You sir are a mensa egghead bore. Youll suck as a high school teacher. These kids will break you within a week. Try college, where they love to unleash propellerhead egomaniacs like yourself on unsuspecting freshman classes."

[roger]

Originally posted by pgwenthold
the guy could be a condescending, arrogant prick who has trouble relating to other people.... he'd be awfully well-suited for teaching collegeThis made me LOL. Because it reminded me of about half of my former professors.

[a_unique_person]

About as stupid as a libertarian?

[QuarkChild]

Originally posted by Skeptic



I personally know a high school math teacher who got his class of failing, no-good, tough-neighborhood students to pass the math SAT with flying colors, when all the other students were failing. Is "passing" even defined for the SAT? Also, do you mean the mathematics portion of the SAT I, or an SAT II exam? Out of curiosity.

For all the bashing of college professors in this thread, my own experience has been that professors (at the two UC schools I've attended, anyway) are for the most part not arrogant and are good teachers. Sometimes lectures go over my head, but I think that's because the professors have forgotten what it's like to be a student and sometimes lapse into jargon which is incomprehensible to students at the level they are teaching. It's not that they are arrogant and condescending and/or want to show off how intellectual they are, or anything like that. They just forget sometimes. (As a TA, I fall into this trap all the time. ) Of course, this observation only applies to science professors since I haven't had many of the other kind.

[jimlintott]

Think of your favorite High School teacher. Do you think they were the smartest teacher in the district?

Hands down the very worst teacher I had in high school was an extremely brilliant man. He had one of the worst failure rates in the school.

I remember an old chem teacher used to say: Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach phys ed. (He was actually a pretty poor teacher and only a couple of us got his jokes. The rest of the students just had a glazed look in their eyes.)

[Nasarius]

Originally posted by QuarkChild
Is "passing" even defined for the SAT? Also, do you mean the mathematics portion of the SAT I, or an SAT II exam? Out of curiosity.

No one takes the SAT II's unless they have to (ie, a school they're applying to wants it). You're right, there's no "pass", but I'd say anything over a 500 is respectable.

[jj]

Originally posted by shanek


You know, I hadn't even considered the race issue. If hiring a smart white teacher is okay, but a smart black teacher gives kids "unrealistic expectations," then this becomes all the more despicable. But, of course, there's no evidence that that is the case.

Either way, it's pretty bad.

No evidence, maybe, but that wouldn't surprise me for as long as it took to write this message.

I've seen some remarkable race expectations in the last 50 years.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I think they made a good decision. Follow the link and check out his picture. He looks gay. He would probably try to convert his impressionable young students.

[Snide]

The word "demeanor" sticks in my mind. My .02 says it would be interesting to find out what the prinicple has to say about this.