Teacher Education Programs Are Dead on Arrival

With the advent of Teach-For-America (TFA), teacher education programs that compose a large percentage of students enrolled in such programs in our universities and colleges across the nation need to take heed. These four/five year teacher preparation programs that train teachers are no longer needed. In Oklahoma today, you need not attend college to attain a teaching degree to become a teacher. All is needed is college degree BA/BS, be selected by TFA, take a five week summer course on teaching and TSA can instantly get you in a state classroom. Then the five week fake baby teacher is put in the classroom to see if he/she sinks or swims as a "real" teacher. Every college in Oklahoma that has a teacher education program should get real and tell every education student that they are going after a degree (a teaching degree) that is not worth the paper it is printed on. This new way to put adults in the classroom is the wave of the future. School districts can fire career teachers and bring in untrained adults to "play' teacher. What this says is that teaching is something not learned but is an inherent ability. Good luck to the students. And good luck to these new untrained teachers. As an educator for 37 years, this new way of doing business is just a bunch of horse crap.

Gov. Fallin Rips off State

Using a state law that says the Governor of Oklahoma must have security when leaving the country, Mary Fallin's trip to Ireland to see her daughter get married will cost the state $13,000 for her body guards. What a pile of cow droppings! I have many problems with this expense and I will question our first female governor's decision to go to Ireland.

First, this is a really stupid law. You going to tell me that outside of this state our head of state is going to be in dangerous situation where she needs to pack armed bodyguards? Hell, outside of this state, and probably most places in this state, nobody recognizes her, let alone would pick her out to do her harm. She is just not that important a person and an unknown outside the borders of this state.

Second, if this state is in such a dire need for money, why didn't she just book a plane ticket and leave. I don't think she would be in any trouble if she took the trip without her heat.

Third, she is not walking the walk after talking the talk. She is being a phony.