Comments on: From cop to teacher http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/ Free-linking and thinking on education by Joanne Jacobs Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:18:44 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-97109 Richard Aubrey Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:31:21 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=9605#comment-97109 Peter. Dirty little secret is that these jobs take a lot of brain power. It's just that classroom seat time has been awarded the status of brain work and everything else is not. I was in a laborers' union hall some time back and was interested in the dozens of posters offering classes (don't know who paid for them) in various kinds of equipment. Clearly, the more certs a guy had, the more employable he was. The difference between this kind of education and the traditional type is in the latter, if you screw up through a moment's inattention, probably nobody dies. The history of the race shows us how little time we've spent expecting kids from six to eighteen to spend six hours a day behind a desk. Are we evolved that way? Vocational ed can be a good deal for the guys who are equipped to take it to the professional level. For the rest...can't hurt. Except for fingers and eyes and stuff. Peter.
Dirty little secret is that these jobs take a lot of brain power.
It’s just that classroom seat time has been awarded the status of brain work and everything else is not.
I was in a laborers’ union hall some time back and was interested in the dozens of posters offering classes (don’t know who paid for them) in various kinds of equipment. Clearly, the more certs a guy had, the more employable he was.
The difference between this kind of education and the traditional type is in the latter, if you screw up through a moment’s inattention, probably nobody dies.
The history of the race shows us how little time we’ve spent expecting kids from six to eighteen to spend six hours a day behind a desk. Are we evolved that way?
Vocational ed can be a good deal for the guys who are equipped to take it to the professional level.
For the rest…can’t hurt. Except for fingers and eyes and stuff.

]]> By: Peter http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-97047 Peter Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:13:06 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=9605#comment-97047 >All students are forced toward college because it’s not PC to suggest >that some aren’t suited to college either intellectually or by >interest. It’s like Lake Wobegone, where everyone’s child is above >average. There's something to this, of course. But it's also the case that there aren't a lot of good vocational-type jobs available anymore, and for those decent vocational jobs that are available - plumber or electrician, say - there is usually a lengthy (4-5 years) apprenticeship program required to enter the field, plus a licensing exam. (Which is why Joe the Plumber isn't...) I don't think that there's anything meaningful that schools can do to get these jobs or jobs in other skilled trades. So I'm not really sure what they should do about these students. >All students are forced toward college because it’s not PC to suggest >that some aren’t suited to college either intellectually or by >interest. It’s like Lake Wobegone, where everyone’s child is above >average.

There’s something to this, of course.

But it’s also the case that there aren’t a lot of good vocational-type jobs available anymore, and for those decent vocational jobs that are available – plumber or electrician, say – there is usually a lengthy (4-5 years) apprenticeship program required to enter the field, plus a licensing exam. (Which is why Joe the Plumber isn’t…)

I don’t think that there’s anything meaningful that schools can do to get these jobs or jobs in other skilled trades. So I’m not really sure what they should do about these students.

]]> By: dkzody http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-97027 dkzody Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:16:45 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=9605#comment-97027 We had an ex cop try to be a teacher in our inner city school and he lasted one semester. He had been accustomed to respect and people doing as he requested. Didn't happen in his classroom. I'm always interested in hearing about others who have left the police force to be a teacher. We had an ex cop try to be a teacher in our inner city school and he lasted one semester. He had been accustomed to respect and people doing as he requested. Didn’t happen in his classroom. I’m always interested in hearing about others who have left the police force to be a teacher.

]]> By: heroditus huxley http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-97017 heroditus huxley Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:19:01 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=9605#comment-97017 All students are forced toward college because it's not PC to suggest that some aren't suited to college either intellectually or by interest. It's like Lake Wobegone, where everyone's child is above average. All students are forced toward college because it’s not PC to suggest that some aren’t suited to college either intellectually or by interest. It’s like Lake Wobegone, where everyone’s child is above average.

]]> By: SuperSub http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/06/from-cop-to-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-97013 SuperSub Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:04:32 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=9605#comment-97013 The oft-cited cause of teen gangs is the desire to be part of a family because many of these teens are coming from broken homes or homes where the parent(s) are necessarily working all day (and night) long. The squad idea takes advantage of this and forms a surrogate family for the students. Mullen's comments about vocational education are spot on too... not every student is interested in staying in academia or is fated for college, so why force them that way? The oft-cited cause of teen gangs is the desire to be part of a family because many of these teens are coming from broken homes or homes where the parent(s) are necessarily working all day (and night) long.
The squad idea takes advantage of this and forms a surrogate family for the students.

Mullen’s comments about vocational education are spot on too… not every student is interested in staying in academia or is fated for college, so why force them that way?

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