Prophetic - Public v. Private

So remember in my last post how I said that the events in the world seem like the whole apocalypse thing? Well lo and behold, last night Fox news (I know, eww for Fox) did a segment on churches and religious groups that believe we are entering the apocalypse and that the world really is ending...seriously, I think this is all a little chicken little-ish, but it is interesting to look at what Revelations (not Jewish) says about the end of the world and compare it to the current events..still Revelations is so vague, that probably every era could make an argumet for the end of the world. I say...bring it on :)
Okay- new topic... as most of you know, I am very passionate about education, especially for low- income children. Well recently there was a new report published about public v. private schools. Now, I care so much about this because conservatives generally think the answer to helping poor kids is to offer them vouchers for private schools..I hate this idea because it takes money from the public schools and there are not enough spots in private schools for these kids and private schools can kick the kids out and keep the money...the child goes back to the public school without funds...Now, the new report shows that public schools are performing as well and often better than private schools with the exception of 8th grade reading...so all the hooplah about how wonderful private schools are, is just that..hooplah...
I have a lot more to say about that, but first, the point of this is that a friend of mine who keeps her own blog wrote about this and disparaged public schools for the requirements they hold for teachers...she mentioned that she does not want to take "loserish education classes" just to teach in public schools...she has a masters in the subject she taught in private school and feels that this is enough and that the public schools should respect her "degree, high grades, and good lesson plans". As much as I love my friend (MUAH)...I think this is part of the problem with the public v. private school argument...understanding a subject is not the same as being able to teach it...we have all heard the old adage that "those who can't do, teach"...this is why teachers get paid Jack...b/c everyone thinks that what we do is easy...and that anyone can do it...well let me tell you...teaching is also about understanding child development, learning styles, differentiation, and a bit of social work...only about half of teaching is really about the subjects....understanding children , what they bring and what they need and how you can create the optimal environoment for each of the 30 kids in your class is what the "loserish education classes" are really about..I am proud that public schools, with all of their other issues, at least require something of their teachers...and I am proud to have taken those loserish education classes and I too have a degree in the subject I taught, high grades and great lesson plans...