Quote:
Originally Posted by axoalum
BraveMaroon, I get what you are saying about Fulton in general but as a taxpayer for 25 yrs there (3 now in Gwinnett) and having lived in North Fulton from when it was just a bunch of cows and crappy roads, I always felt that we got the short end of the stick when it came to funds for schools, park and rec, etc.
I agree about getting new teachers in there but have never understood why the APS had a reputation of some of the worst teachers. Didn't they pay as much or more? Maybe you have more insight and can shed some light on that for me.
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I lived in North Fulton for 30 years (born, raised and schooled), and had to laugh at the cows and crappy roads. Alpharetta used to be a joke - it was where hillbillies lived. Times have changed. I think that Fulton could always improve the distribution of funds, but I think North Fulton needs to drop the Us vs. Them mentality.
My thought with APS teachers is that they don't make quite as much as their counterparts in outlying counties, and most people who live in Atlanta don't actually live
in Atlanta. Like, I'm "from Atlanta", and by that, I mean I was born at Piedmont Hospital and grew up in Roswell - I also lived
in Atlanta after graduation, and because my voting district was technically unincorporated Sandy Springs (right on the edge of Buckhead), I didn't get to vote for a mayor (talk about not having a voice). This was a decade ago, so again - it's been awhile. You need to pay people a little more so that they can either live in the city comfortably, or are willing to get up every morning and drive in from Duluth or Lithonia or Marietta.
To
SigmaDiva's point, I don't think living outside of Atlanta makes you a better teacher automatically, but I think if they had more to offer in general and cast a wider net in recruiting, I think they'd get some great talent. I think that's true not just for Atlanta, but in general. Make being a teacher something worth doing, and the right kinds of people will flock to the profession.
That doesn't solve the problem of a corrupt system, but it's a start.