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Ng3me t1_j63v2wz wrote

I had a teacher in HS who, when asked, always said he accepted bribes and then did the math with the class. He explained that he could lose his job if caught. That meant we had to start at $60,000 plus healthcare another $10k. He also figured that it would take two years to get recertified to teach somewhere so double that. $140K. Plus the cost of whatever course work and test fees another $5,000 and possible moving expenses because PA is giving him his teaching license back. $5,000. That’s $150,000 minimum offer. That was his minimum price. Gift cards? Get out of here.

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dtllyktv t1_j644mfw wrote

was it at la salle? i had a teacher tell me the exact same thing lol

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Ng3me t1_j65l24a wrote

No. But I bet it’s pretty common. It’s a good bit. Some math. Some logic. Engages the kids a bit. It’s fun.

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CreditBuilding205 t1_j665fvz wrote

Which makes this whole story pretty questionable.

I mean, anything is possible I guess. But this is a teacher with a masters degree. They are likely making 60-80k. The idea that they are willing to publicly promise to give a failing student an ‘A’ for $30 is pretty far fetched.

The idea that they provided the students with an exact $ to grade increase ratio is more far fetched.

The only evidence is the word of a student who was failing HS biology.

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ijustwannabegandalf t1_j68a078 wrote

A first year teacher on an emergency cert is making 50,066 a year or less, fwiw, which is a lot less in Philly than it used to be. I am in my 12th year, Master's, quadruple certified and have national board certification and won't break 80k for a while yet.

https://jobs.philasd.org/opportunities/teachers/salary-schedule/

ETA: I can also totally imagine a teacher joking "I accept gift cards" when a kid does the "I haven't done any work or come to class in 9 weeks but I need an A!" dance, and a kid thinking they just found a way to get the teacher fired.

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irun2eatwaffles t1_j68gmaq wrote

If you’re in your 12th year in Philly and have all of those other things, you just need to do the credit farms and go through teacher friendly and PDI to get what you need for Senior Career teacher. I got my +30 and Senior Career lanes in 6 months for about 3,000. It was a bit to put out up front- but I made it back so quickly and then some.

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ijustwannabegandalf t1_j68gza2 wrote

I just earned NBCT, so that will help. I have been waiting on the credit farms kind of stuff because I'm weighing going back for an actual SPED cert, since I value teaching in neighborhood high schools and we just keep inching closer and closer to majority-IEP kiddos there as they get pushed out of special admits.

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irun2eatwaffles t1_j68i02t wrote

I can understand that- but the increase is worth it. Not to mention that Senior Career is not always guaranteed when contract negotiations come up. It’s a lane they are always trying to get rid of (and it makes more than a doctorate). If you are looking at a sped cert- do the PDI stuff in the meantime or concurrently and get ahead on some of the credits. I was in the same kind of boat, but I did the math and wish I had kept up on it more and done it earlier. The teacher friendly stuff is so stupidly easy- at least get your +30 with it!

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Full_Artichoke_8583 t1_j68npc8 wrote

When the teacher was asked, she didn’t deny it. Makes me believe she’s not innocent.

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CreditBuilding205 t1_j68t1j2 wrote

Or she is listening the advice of her attorney. Who would almost certainly have told her not to talk to the press.

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Adrastus_Blab t1_j64elat wrote

Totally misread that, I thought she was paying them to study harder

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Defiant-Ad412 t1_j65j7a8 wrote

> “Most of them were scared of failing, or their parents finding out,” the student said. “When your teacher tells you that’s your only opportunity, some people would do anything to fix their grades.”

Some people will do anything… except study. This teacher should be fired if she did actually accept gift cards for grade improvements. Not sure if thats actually true, but the statement comes off to me as a joke that wasnt to be taken seriously, and the student/parent could be using it as leverage or something.

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MonkeyPanls t1_j68f2vn wrote

Yeah. I've had college instructors joke about accepting bribes for better grades, but it's usually something like "tonight's winning lottery numbers" or "bars of gold" or patently ridiculous amounts of money

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IrishWave t1_j687mfh wrote

Seems like a pretty reckless article to write just as the investigation starts. Searches on the teacher's name are going to display this and only this regardless of the outcome of the investigation, and unless there's computer evidence backing up the claim, the evidence is the word of one student and hearsay from their parent.

>Mack gave the students back their gift cards on Wednesday, the mother and student said. She asked them what they had told the principal.
>
>“She said, ‘If I don’t end up getting fired, I might just quit,’” the student said.

This in particular strikes me as very odd for three reasons:

  • The entire article talks about swift action, yet this statement would have to have been made after the teacher was informed an investigation was ongoing. If it's true, now you've got officials are lying about the suspension process.
  • The instance is about the teacher giving the gift cards back, yet the student in the article claims to have never actually given the teacher a gift card. Possible the teacher is a complete moron and did this in front of all of her students, but there was absolutely no reason for the student in the article to be at this conversation.
  • This just seems like way too perfect of a quote. Not only an admission of guilt, but an admission this should cost you your job?
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Gator1523 t1_j6abx4o wrote

I had a Spanish teacher who gave us extra credit for bringing in school supplies. The only difference here is that the gift cards don't benefit the other students. But either way, students are buying their grades.

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4moves t1_j69r99z wrote

Money is free speech and if your words can't convince them.

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manickittens t1_j66ndr1 wrote

This person should absolutely be prosecuted. Just maybe after all of the folks systemically dismantling the education system and putting teachers and students at risk.

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