palisadesk on guerilla instructivism

This WAS an interesting article. However, there must be tremendous variability -- ours is considered an excellent plan, but I did the math and if I retired now I would have to live on 46% of my current income (doable if I moved to a trailer park or seniors' home -- but I'm not attracted to the former nor eligible for the latter). Even at max pension is 60% of previous income. The coup de grace is that one has to purchase one's own medical and dental plan, and there are no comparable ones available from any providers at any price. This isn't so much a consideration for actual seniors but it is if you're in your 50's. Correspondents from other large districts in the east and Midwest have similar stories.

Fighting the system is something that does definitely lose its appeal over time. Guerrilla instructivism is energy-draining. Can't agree more about the frustration of being confronted with one obstacle after another every time you want to actually teach or help a kid. However I do still get an iconoclastic rush out of defying authority and successfully teaching basic skills: the pedagogical equivalent to manning the lifeboats. One consolation is that if I get REALLY p.o.'d I only have to give 10 days' notice. I could get a pleasant job in a bookstore or something to stay afloat. Of a staff of more than 50, only one other teacher and I have more than 10 years experience, and I'm the only one with much expertise in instructional issues. There is definitely a generation gap in knowledge and skills, no fault of the newer folks. Most had no preparation at all in curriculum, behavior management, instructional design, teaching skills etc. Lots of philosophy instead. I don't dare contemplate what things will look like in another 10-15 years.