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[smackaholic]

Mace, as a football coach, what sort of racism was he encountering there?

Have you seen/read Friday Night Lights? The black athletes were viewed as meat on the hoof and discarded when they were injured or failed to produce.

Were white students treated differently? Would injured or just untalented white kids be kept on because they were white?

I kinda fukkin' doubt it.

The social end of it was likely a result of the kids just hanging with whom they wanted to.

[Van]

It's got jack shit to do with pay scales. It's simple fukking demographics. School success rates are roughly a function of whitey percentage. Being approximately 113% white, Iowa fares well.

Hate to go all pickkkle on you, but, that's the fact, jack. Average income figures in as well of course, but, not as much that pretty much ties in with that 113%.

[Van]

Take my mom...

~rimshot~

[Mace]

The area that people are overpaid in this area is law enforcement, prison guards and a few other jobs which are "high risk". Those in these jobs get damn good pay, stupid overtime and a retirement scheme which is simply criminal. In Ct, there are lots of retired cops younger than me pulling in 70K a year pensions. They get these by working the retirement system which is based on 3 high years pay INCLUDING overtime. This way, someone who had a base salary of around 50-60K will pull in a pension of 70K, adjustable to inflation for 40+ years.

I worked in Iowa corrections for 34 years and never met a cop or prison guard who made anything close to $70k a year, let alone draw that amount in their pension. If that's how it works in your state, then you have some serious problems. I made far more as a Probation/Parole Officer than any prison guard and my pension is about $40,000 a year.

Were white students treated differently? Would injured or just untalented white kids be kept on because they were white?

I kinda fukkin' doubt it.

The social end of it was likely a result of the kids just hanging with whom they wanted to.

Mace, as a football coach, what sort of racism was he encountering there?

Have you seen/read Friday Night Lights? The black athletes were viewed as meat on the hoof and discarded when they were injured or failed to produce.

Were white students treated differently? Would injured or just untalented white kids be kept on because they were white?

I kinda fukkin' doubt it.

The social end of it was likely a result of the kids just hanging with whom they wanted to.

That was his perception of the situation, not mine. I wasn't there. I'd ask him about it except he died 3 years ago.

[BSmack]

Look teachers are very important, but anyone who has a college degree could teach HS kids. I could teach damn near anything but some foreign languages and 2nd or 3rd year biology classes. Same goes for most of us on this board. So sure some teachers would be successful in other jobs, but not just because they can teach.

I could probably still teach history or English lit. I could teach a few technical courses (web programming or basic database management) if I had to.

But I couldn't do it as well as someone who has been trained in classroom management and lesson plan writing skills. And you're a damned idiot if you think so too.

[Mace]

Possessing knowledge in certain areas doesn't necessarily translate to being able to teach. It's not that easy. I've got experience as a substitute teacher in a variety of classrooms and, while I might feel more comfortable in a U.S. history or government class than a math or science class, I would never describe myself as anything more than a short term sub who is babysitting the class and working off of the teacher's lesson plan for the day.

I actually felt more comfortable and qualified when I would be a guest speaker in a college criminology class than subbing in a science or math class.

[ChargerMike]

"(do all of your homes have pools out there?)"

...pretty much

[Mace]

"(do all of your homes have pools out there?)"

...pretty much

That's what I thought, CM. Thanks for the confirmation. Do you get to use them as skating rinks in the winter months? No? Bode, Iowa.

[Derron]

"(do all of your homes have pools out there?)"

...pretty much

That's what I thought, CM. Thanks for the confirmation. Do you get to use them as skating rinks in the winter months? No? Bode, Iowa.

Yeah..having a skating rink in your back yard is so good for recreation...

Sin,

[Atomic Punk]

Well, if you're a substitute teacher then you are a baby sitter and hopefully the absent teacher left you lesson plans.

Out here a starting teacher in most districts get around $28k/yr. In my non-union district I was making $32,500/yr in my 3rd year but since we had a Collective Bargaining Agreement then you would average an extra $500 check/yr on average.

Since I had to coach football, basketball, and baseball my Summers were very short as I had to order the equipment replacements required by the State and run camps. Then stock the supply rooms and make sure all of the equipment was current. That's 2 to 3 weeks minimum.

Administrators make around 6 figures so that's where the money goes. BSmack is spot on in his area and made my points for me.

There is a matter of being a "subject matter expert" versus "classroom manager." Combine those two and you'll be successful. My 3rd year of teaching the former Superintendent that started the non-union district would show up every Thursday and teach me classroom management. After that, teaching became much easier. However the administrators put so much pressure on us my specific school would lose on average 10 teachers per year.

It's all about State test scores out here and the stuff when we were kids is long gone if you're teaching in a low performing school. I've seen teachers break down, quit, cry, and in my case I just resigned. A local high school found out I was a head tennis coach at another high school with a USPTA rating and wanted me after school. My principal said I'll be fired if I took the position. Non-union, so there you go. I had to turn the job down.

[ChargerMike]

"(do all of your homes have pools out there?)"

...pretty much

That's what I thought, CM. Thanks for the confirmation. Do you get to use them as skating rinks in the winter months? No? Bode, Iowa.

..lol, no, no skating rinks. In the winter months out here, the pool water gets down to a frigid 60-62 degrees, far too frigid for any conventional use. We are pretty much confined to the spa for a couple of months, not exactly bad duty though.

[Left Seater]

Look teachers are very important, but anyone who has a college degree could teach HS kids. I could teach damn near anything but some foreign languages and 2nd or 3rd year biology classes. Same goes for most of us on this board. So sure some teachers would be successful in other jobs, but not just because they can teach.

I could probably still teach history or English lit. I could teach a few technical courses (web programming or basic database management) if I had to.

But I couldn't do it as well as someone who has been trained in classroom management and lesson plan writing skills. And you're a damned idiot if you think so too.

Your correct, I wouldn't be able to write a lesson plan as well as someone who has taught for years, but that isn't teaching. Lesson plans mean shit to actual learning.

Those who can do, those who can't teach.

[Derron]

Those who can do, those who can't teach.

We use the same quote on consultants

Back in my maintenance trade days at the school district it went like this:

Those who can't teach, they coach, those who cannot coach, they administrate.

[BSmack]

Your correct, I wouldn't be able to write a lesson plan as well as someone who has taught for years, but that isn't teaching. Lesson plans mean shit to actual learning.

Yea, because properly organizing your thoughts and conforming them to meet the curriculum has NOTHING at all to do with teaching.

And it also helps if you are able to manage and understand the children in your care. Tell me you knew?

[mvscal]

I worked in Iowa corrections for 34 years and never met a cop or prison guard who made anything close to $70k a year, let alone draw that amount in their pension. If that's how it works in your state, then you have some serious problems.

Yes, California has some serious problems.

[smackaholic]

I worked in Iowa corrections for 34 years and never met a cop or prison guard who made anything close to $70k a year, let alone draw that amount in their pension. If that's how it works in your state, then you have some serious problems.

Yes, California has some serious problems.

Ditto.

Mace, you would be shocked at how badly taxpayers on both coasts get dryfukked by public sector unions. Maybe I should move to Iowa.

[Mace]

Mace, you would be shocked at how badly taxpayers on both coasts get dryfukked by public sector unions. Maybe I should move to Iowa.

After reading this board for the past few years, I'm not "shocked" by how the public unions on both coasts seem to be ripping off the taxpayers and I have a better understanding of why some of you folks are so bitter towards public unions. I'm happy to say that it's not like that here. I'm living comfortably on my modest pension and working part time (as long as I can continue to work) and will supplement that with social security when the time comes that I truly retire.

As for moving to Iowa and regarding your previous comments about "buying a modest house for $80,000", you can do just that if you don't mind living in a rural area of the state, which I do. $80k probably wouldn't buy you much in the Des Moines area but it would get you a nice home in southern Iowa, where I live. I wouldn't sell you my place for $80,000, but there are a lot of nice homes in the area that you could buy for that amount. I live one block from the city owned golf course ($225.00 annual membership), 20 miles/minutes from the largest lake in Iowa for fishing and boating, and could shoot deer off my deck. If you don't mind the peace and quiet of rural life, then come on out.

[Diego in Seattle]

Mace, you would be shocked at how badly taxpayers on both coasts get dryfukked by public sector unions. Maybe I should move to Iowa.

After reading this board for the past few years, I'm not "shocked" by how the public unions on both coasts seem to be ripping off the taxpayers and I have a better understanding of why some of you folks are so bitter towards public unions. I'm happy to say that it's not like that here. I'm living comfortably on my modest pension and working part time (as long as I can continue to work) and will supplement that with social security when the time comes that I truly retire.

As for moving to Iowa and regarding your previous comments about "buying a modest house for $80,000", you can do just that if you don't mind living in a rural area of the state, which I do. $80k probably wouldn't buy you much in the Des Moines area but it would get you a nice home in southern Iowa, where I live. I wouldn't sell you my place for $80,000, but there are a lot of nice homes in the area that you could buy for that amount. I live one block from the city owned golf course ($225.00 annual membership), 20 miles/minutes from the largest lake in Iowa for fishing and boating, and could shoot deer off my deck. If you don't mind the peace and quiet of rural life, then come on out.

'
Yeah, but are there any yobs out there?

[Mace]

Yeah, but are there any yobs out there?

That probably depends on what kind of job you're looking for. The unemployment rate is 5.7%, well below the national rate, but finding employment in Iowa, as elsewhere, probably depends on what skills and expertise you bring to the table. I had no trouble finding work after retirement that brings in $25k-$30k a year (which is all that I was looking for to supplement my pension) but I'm working part time as the school's athletic director and At Risk Director, and operating a lawn care business during the mowing season. I'm also putting two kids through college right now, which will be reduced to one by this time next year. My son will be looking for a job in the journalism field next year, so maybe I'll have a better handle on how to answer your question then.

[trev]

My son just graduated from college. No job yet. One phone interview that lasted 1 hour, then an in person interview that lasted over 2 hours. But they wanted someone experienced. We will see what happens.

[smackaholic]

My son will be looking for a job in the journalism field next year, so maybe I'll have a better handle on how to answer your question then.

Journalism degree, huh?

Good thing dad has a landscaping bidness.

That has to be one of the toughest fields to break into these days as the interwebs has made everybody a "journalist".

[Mace]

My son just graduated from college. No job yet. One phone interview that lasted 1 hour, then an in person interview that lasted over 2 hours. But they wanted someone experienced. We will see what happens.

What was his major, and in what field is he seeking employment? Did he do an internship?

[Derron]

My son will be looking for a job in the journalism field next year, so maybe I'll have a better handle on how to answer your question then.

Journalism degree, huh?

Good thing dad has a landscaping bidness.

That has to be one of the toughest fields to break into these days as the interwebs has made everybody a "journalist".

Word. Went to a holiday light display at a friends place last week, and one of the kids parking cars was a friend of my sons. (24 yo ) I asked how busy it had been and he said pretty busy. He had put it up on Facebook and a web site. I asked if he put a print add in the local newspaper, and he said "fuck no...only old people like my dad and you read the newspapers anymore, and it is too expensive"

Does not bode well for the future of print media if the younger generations are strictly electronic media consumers. Journalism seems to have a lot of downside right now in my opinion.

[trev]

My son just graduated from college. No job yet. One phone interview that lasted 1 hour, then an in person interview that lasted over 2 hours. But they wanted someone experienced. We will see what happens.

What was his major, and in what field is he seeking employment? Did he do an internship?

Computer Engineering. No interships. He did attend some prestigious conferences and was the senior project manager. Are you hiring????????

[Mace]

My son is well aware that the newspaper business is dying but informs me that there are also jobs on the web.....such as espn.com and The Sporting News.com. He is currently a sportswriter for the student newspaper at Iowa and one of his stories is being published in a magazine in March, for which he is being paid. He knows that he will never become wealthy being a sportswriter but that's his field of interest and he's made some beneficial contacts at espn and newspapers in the Iowa City area that could possibly lead to future employment. He also hasn't ruled out radio or TV. We'll see what happens.

[Mace]

My son just graduated from college. No job yet. One phone interview that lasted 1 hour, then an in person interview that lasted over 2 hours. But they wanted someone experienced. We will see what happens.

What was his major, and in what field is he seeking employment? Did he do an internship?

Computer Engineering. No interships. He did attend some prestigious conferences and was the senior project manager. Are you hiring????????

Sorry, I have no need for a computer engineer. I'm told that doing an internship is the single most important factor in being hired following graduation. I know of two kids who graduated as a chemical engineer and civil engineer who can't find work in their given fields.

[Left Seater]

Your correct, I wouldn't be able to write a lesson plan as well as someone who has taught for years, but that isn't teaching. Lesson plans mean shit to actual learning.

Yea, because properly organizing your thoughts and conforming them to meet the curriculum has NOTHING at all to do with teaching.

And it also helps if you are able to manage and understand the children in your care. Tell me you knew?

Every professional organizes their thoughts and conforms them to meet the challenges of the day or deadline. The reason teachers write them down is so admins have something to do. A syllabus makes sense, daily lesson plans do not.

Same thing with the students who are internal customers to the rest of the professional world. Of course you work to manage and understand them. But education is so broken in this country we just teach to the middle of the group. If you are well ahead of or well behind the mean you can forget about it.

[smackaholic]

Rack Lefty.

Teaching is not rocket surgery. The education industry will try to tell you otherwise to justify the need for masters degrees and armies of 6 figure administrators.

70 years ago, our education public primary education system was the best on the planet. It turned out a much better product than today. And it was run by many teachers with 2 year teaching degrees.

Teaching is like any other field. You are taught the basics, then you jump in there and do it and figure it out for yourself with some coaching along the way by other more experienced teachers.

[Dinsdale]

70 years ago, our education public primary education system was the best on the planet. It turned out a much better product than today.

This statement is certainly evidence of that, eh?

Just needs a few apostrophes.
But to the point you you trying to make before ingesting the mouthful of marbles -- gee, what happened to the education system in this country?

Oh, that's right -- one James Earl Carter.

How many people had the federal Department of Education educated, anyway?

Pretty sure they're still sitting on "zero" on the scoreboard after 30+ years.

Let's see... we're going to have the fed scoop up all of the education money, siphon whatever they want off the top to cover whatever administrative fees they need, then send the rest back to the state and local levels...

pure genius. I don't see what could possibly go wrong.


Libs are a funny lot -- they whine and cry that the federal government should fix everything, then when all the money and power are consolidated in one place, run by 600-700 people pulling the purse strings, they're now marching in the streets because people were able to influence-peddle the trillions of dollars sitting in one place.

The libs got what they wanted, even though the end result was inevitable to anyone with an IQ over 50, and now they're crying about it.

Ergo, libs, by definition, aren't very intelligent.

But of course, our government neverevereverever admits a mistake, so they won't abolish complete failures like the Department of Educatio, never mind their other epic failures.

[Screw_Michigan]

My son will be looking for a job in the journalism field next year, so maybe I'll have a better handle on how to answer your question then.

What are your son's plans for entering said field? Please tell him to not move to DC, although I'm not competing with entry-levels anymore...unless they went to Puke, Mizzou, Northwestern, Columbia or another Ivy or regarded journalism program.

[Mace]

My son will be looking for a job in the journalism field next year, so maybe I'll have a better handle on how to answer your question then.

What are your son's plans for entering said field? Please tell him to not move to DC, although I'm not competing with entry-levels anymore...unless they went to Puke, Mizzou, Northwestern, Columbia or another Ivy or regarded journalism program.

He has no desire to work in DC, S_M, and is definitely looking to stay in the midwest. His dream job would be to work for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and cover the Hawkeyes. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City are also at the top of his wish list of where he would like to work, although he realizes that he'll take whatever he can get upon graduation. Living in my basement is not on his list of priorities.

[Screw_Michigan]

That has to be one of the toughest fields to break into these days

Sports reporting? Yes, but others? Not necessarily. It just depends on where you are willing to move and what you are willing to do for how long. If Mace's son is dead set on never leaving Iowa or Iowa City or Des Moines, he might have trouble. If he is willing to move to some place remote or far away (read: shitty) to cut his teeth, he'll have a better time. If he gets a few years in working metro or state governments, he can put in two years and then quickly get a job reporting in DC or NYC.

Once Mace's son graduates and continues to work in sports reporting, I think he'll figure out how much sports reporting loses its luster when it becomes your livelyhood, unless you get a plum gig right out of school. Who the fuck wants to work nights and weekends working Elkhart County, IN, high school basketball when you can be fucking local chicks while you're still in your early to mid 20s?

[Screw_Michigan]

He has no desire to work in DC, S_M, and is definitely looking to stay in the midwest. His dream job would be to work for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and cover the Hawkeyes. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City are also at the top of his wish list of where he would like to work, although he realizes that he'll take whatever he can get upon graduation. Living in my basement is not on his list of priorities.

Good luck to him and I hope it works out.

[Mace]

He has no desire to work in DC, S_M, and is definitely looking to stay in the midwest. His dream job would be to work for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and cover the Hawkeyes. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City are also at the top of his wish list of where he would like to work, although he realizes that he'll take whatever he can get upon graduation. Living in my basement is not on his list of priorities.

Good luck to him and I hope it works out.

I hope so too. He's got a lot of college loans to pay off. He's a very good writer and likes doing profile stories on college athletes.....and he's getting some great experience in interviewing the likes of Lute Olson, Dan Gable, and other more local sports celebs. I hope he finds his dream job and has the perserverance to keep chasing the dream when it doesn't happen for him right away. He's had to earn his spurs his entire life, so I don't think he'll have a problem paying his dues.

[smackaholic]

He has no desire to work in DC, S_M, and is definitely looking to stay in the midwest. His dream job would be to work for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and cover the Hawkeyes. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City are also at the top of his wish list of where he would like to work, although he realizes that he'll take whatever he can get upon graduation. Living in my basement is not on his list of priorities.

Good luck to him and I hope it works out.

I hope so too. He's got a lot of college loans to pay off. He's a very good writer and likes doing profile stories on college athletes.....and he's getting some great experience in interviewing the likes of Lute Olson, Dan Gable, and other more local sports celebs. I hope he finds his dream job and has the perserverance to keep chasing the dream when it doesn't happen for him right away. He's had to earn his spurs his entire life, so I don't think he'll have a problem paying his dues.

Mace, you should drag him into this dump. we could use the talent.