[Dixielandjazz] MUSIC TEACHERS -- GIVE 'EM A BREAK

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi Richard:

With all due respect to the "GOOD"  ( and Actually Qualified) TEACHERS 
in all fields of the education INDUSTRY  and yes I do mean industry,  
because it is just that an industry:

I read not long ago a very eye opening report on teachers in the USA 
and how badly the education system in this country has slipped.  It 
clearly stated that over about the past forty odd years that the 
majority of the teachers teaching in our schools came from the bottom 
10% of the graduating classes.   Now combine that with the great 
upsurge in politically appointed and elected administration folks 
writing their own agenda and forcing policies and whatever else they 
wished upon their systems and we have turmoil in the rank and file of 
teachers for certain.   This downward spiral did indeed force many of 
the finest truly dedicated and Qualified teachers out of the business, 
some retired and others just walked away to go make money some where 
else.

The message that we are trying to convey here is not that ALL Teachers 
are Bad by any means, but to get folks to wake up and realize that many 
many of them are simply products of the bad or less qualified teachers 
that taught them or the ones that taught them prior to that.    Not 
just in music either,  and yes indeed there are a lot of kids young and 
old who do not want to learn and they provide an even greater challenge 
for some GOOD TEACHER to find the way to reach them hopefully before it 
is too late.    To just ignore them and turn them out onto the street 
and society without a proper education and some skills to be able to 
earn a living is a crime, and one that has led to much of the crime we 
have in our societies today.

We spend more and more money on the Eduction  INDUSTRY every year, 
however the problem keeps getting bigger and bigger every year.   There 
are some school districts that run much better than others and turn out 
fine students but the entire system needs an overhaul from the top 
down.   In my opinion if they threw out the Politicos at the top 
administrative levels and went back to letting the Real Teachers Jut 
teach we would be much better off as a whole.

Kids need to know WHY they are gong to School,  "To learn and prepare 
themselves for Life in general"  not for social activities and sports 
and fashion shows in the halls.    It is a shame that many of our high 
school kids have to go to college for four or more years in many places 
to day just to get a high school education.

Musical content:

How many folks just say on this fine list of minds were taught anything 
in school or your music classes about how to go market your talent and 
services and earn a living playing music after you obtained all that 
musical knowledge and skill?  very few I would venture to say, most of 
us just had to educate ourselves thru trial and error and hunt and seek 
for any opportunity to ply our trade.   Not much has changed in that 
system in forty odd years either, except many gave up looking and even 
trying to find any decent paying and professional opportunities to play 
and get paid and be respected for doing so.

If you can read this , thank a GOOD TEACHER, BLESS THEM  THEY ARE FAR 
TOO RARE.

AND YES I HAVE WORKED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA,  AND 
YES I QUIT IT TOO FOR THE SAME REASONS YOU  AND MANY OTHER DID.     
Idiotic politically motivated Administration, that largely contributed 
to the whims of the Athletic Department.   As list-mate Mike Vax has 
repeatedly pointed out regarding teaching experiences.

Unfortunately the government is not going to fix it for us folks , we 
are going to have to roll up our sleeves and go back and fix it 
ourselves if it is ever going to get done.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: eighthst7 at aol.com
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com; Lety0217 at aol.com; 
Brassy.Jim at verizon.net; bcnjill at hotmail.com; gcleasby at seanet.com; 
jazzteachr at sysnet.net; leod68 at msn.com; pam at pammunter.com; 
rbroadie at dc.rr.com; stormsmusicservices at comcast.net; 
sweetandlow78 at yahoo.com; jkirkhart at healthwise.org
Sent: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 14:16:32 EST
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] MUSIC TEACHERS -- GIVE 'EM A BREAK

    WELL I'VE HELD MY TONGUE A LONG TIME,  WHILE I LISTEN TO SOME OF YOU 
 GUYS
CRITICIZE THEM. IT SEEMS THAT ANY PROBLEM WE HAVE IN SOCIETY OR ANY  
SHORTCOMING

WE FIND IS ALWAYS CAUSED BY THE FAILING OF SCHOOLS AND  TEACHERS.  SO 
WE
CONSTANTLY PAN THE TEACHERS AND PASS MORE LEGISLATION TO  PUT MORE 
PRESSURE ON
THEM IN THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT IF WE SHAPE UP  THE TEACHERS, ALL OF 
SOCIETIES
PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED.   AND BELIEVE ME FOLKS THEY LIVE IN A PRESSURE 
COOKER
HEATED IN MANY WAYS BY  THE  WELL MEANING PUBLIC AND THEIR INSIDIOUS 
AND
SELFISH DEMANDS  .  THEY ARE SO BUSY TRYING TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT 
EVERYONE
WANTS  THAT THEY ARE STRETCTED TO THE MAXIMUM AND SEEMINGLY CAN'T DO 
ANY  THING
RIGHT AT LEAST IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC.  TO FAULT THEM FOR NOT  
PRODUCING
OUTSTANDING "TRAD'  BANDS IS UNFAIR. OR EVEN BEING LESS  KNOWLEGEABLE 
ABOUT JAZZ

,COMPARED TO US PROFESSIOALS, IS UNJUST.  AND GUESS  WHAT FOLKS SOME OF 
THOSE
KIDS REALLY DON'T WANT TO LEARN. TEACHERS CANNOT  BE "ALL THIHGS TO ALL
PEOPLE".  AND AFTER A WHILE THE GOOD ONES LEAVE SO  THEY CAN MAKE SOME 
MONEY.
THAT'S
WHAT I DID AFTER 10 YRS IN THE CLASSROOM  AS DID MANY OTHERS AND I WAS 
A GOOD
TEACHER.  SO TAKE OFF YOUR HATS TO  THOSE DEDICATED  TEACHERS, OF ANY 
SUBJECT
,WHO PUT IN A LIFE TIME CAREER  "TRYING" TO TEACH OUR MOST IMPORTANT
RESOURCE---OUR CHILDREN.  SO IF YOU  HAVEN'T WORKED IN THE PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS---SHUT
UP.
(PLEASE SEE MY NEXT  POST CALLED "THE ANIMAL SCHOOL")..  NOW I FEEL 
BETTER
GETTING THIS OFF MY  CHEST.  ------  FROM AN EDUCATOR, PROFESSIOAL 
MUSICIAN, AND

AN OKOM  FANATIC.

RICHARD REDMOND PALM SPRINGS, CA

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