What's the pay at those regional schools and community colleges? Is it enough to cover massive student debt?
What research opportunities are there at those colleges? Could it be that teaching was just a necessary evil required for the job they actually want to do?
It's fucking terrible. Sincerely, a community college department chair.
I have a lot of experience as a software engineer in the industry, and used to teach public middle school. I would love to teach a course or two a year because education is a passion of mine, but only have a BA of Education, do you think it's worth applying to teach at my local community college? I saw my local college had a requirement of a master's degree in CS, which I do not have.
Doesn't hurt to try. I know people who have taught at community college with just a bachelor's degree in the subject. Hell, I only have a bachelor's in my subject area, my master's is in teaching, and I got a job before finishing my master's. College prep high school. The teaching profession needs all the enthusiasm it can get, because that is really what kids respond to. My high school students would ADORE an actual software engineer teaching them. So many of them want to be you. This why teachers should be paid waaay more, as those who are talented in that regard can't easily make ends meet.
Edit: excised a word that should not have been there.
Also also all your ACTUAL experience in the field is worth WAY more to a good school. The rec letters alone that you could provide to gifted students would pay for your salary, tho they won't tell you so. Sorry I didn't include that originally.
I hate those “necessary evil” teachers.
They are worst! They have no care or concern for their students usually, and they make that known. Way to turn off a generation of aspiring biologists, Dr. Pham.
I really don't get why the USA does this.
In developing countries it's understandable that the state can't pay for education, but in a first world country (at least in the cold war era meaning) it's insane that education is FOR PROFIT.
In Europe the countries don't pay for education out of pure idealism. Educating a large percentage of the population is needed for a functioning and stable democracy (that hopefully doesn't fall for populism, although we're currently fighting with that too, still far better than the USA's Trump cult) and especially needed for staying internationally competitive in the long term.
Just a few days ago I've paid my fee for this semester, studying at a well known university (not worldwide but at least in my country and neighbouring countries) with a good reputation: 24.70€ (27.3$). I could also pay the same at an internationally more known uni but they're pretty similar quality-wise, the other just is in a bigger city = has more students = publishes more.
For international students from non-eu-countries it's ~750€ per semester, still not that much.
Welcome to the world of trying out individual solutions to systemic problems.
It's nuts how much of all of 'it' (where 'it' is all fuckery) is simply down to that fact. Selfish altruism ought to be obvious.
Silly academics and the limits to their tolerance for debt servitude.
Because sessional teaching for $4000 a course is a great way to make a living. I mean a 5 course load could move you close to the poverty line!
I'd assume they care more about feeding themselves and their families first.
I don't really think it's fair to get mad at someone for prioritizing meeting their own needs. It is however entirely fair to be furious about societal structures that place increased financial value on industrialization and privatization over community cohesion.
Your teeth are bared in the wrong direction. We do in fact have a common enemy here.
Yeah, individuals make decisions within the structures that exist around them. Asking people to heroically sacrifice their own financial or career opportunities as opposed to changing those structures just won't succeed.
Hence the title. ;)
Everyone's morals are affected by their paycheck, unfortunately.
Can't feed the poor if you can't feed yourself
I get what the meme is saying, but community colleges don't really need research scholars, they need great teachers with industry experience.
A viable option is to take the industry job, and then teach a class or two a year. Also, you can make connections at those community colleges and regional schools and advertise your internships and job postings.
Please, everyone listen to this person. I'm am so thankful to work at a school with NASA engineers and successful novelists/journalists who just want to share their passion. Kids know when you are phoning it in, and they respond by phoning it in themselves. Nothing good is accomplished. If you can afford it and handle it, please give your time to the next generation. They are awesome already, but could use as many mentors as they can get. Passion is hard to find these days.
I have literally never met or heard of somebody like this.
For real. College teaching jobs can be very competitive.
So long as there's privileged classes, I'd rather my boss be a lucky comrade than a racist reactionary.
Being an ally of the poor and wanting to BE poor are two very different things.
Well benefit for minorities are a thing but no if you can't land a job it's your own fault!
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