Pre-reading questions:
- What is your favorite subject in school? Please explain your answer.
- Do you like joining school club activities? Please explain your answer.
Vocabulary:
- protest /PROH-test/
- crisis /KHRAY-sis/
- decade /DEK-eyd/
- pursue /per-SOO/
- uncertified /un-SUR-tuh-fahyd/
[noun] a strong complaint expressing disagreement
There was a protest against the newly-passed law.
[noun] a difficult situation
The country has been experiencing an economic crisis for the past years.
[noun] a period of ten years
I worked as a nurse for 2 decades.
[verb] to try to achieve
She wants to pursue a teaching career.
[adjective] not officially recognized as having a certain status or meeting certain standards
Two days after the election, the result is still uncertified.
Teachers from Phoenix, Arizona walked out of their classrooms. It is an act of protest for salary increase and additional school fund. This has been the number one crisis in the education sector in the US for a decade. School educators promise that they will no longer be silent about the matter.
According to Cindi Morton, an elementary school teacher, they want to provide their students the best education, but they can only do so with proper funding. Limited school budget affects the student’s learning due to the lack of school supplies and well-equipped classrooms. In addition, some professional teachers chose to pursue different professions that are more high paying. As a result, there are thousands of uncertified individuals working as school teachers.
According to Cindi Morton, an elementary school teacher, they want to provide their students the best education, but they can only do so with proper funding. Limited school budget affects the student’s learning due to the lack of school supplies and well-equipped classrooms. In addition, some professional teachers chose to pursue different professions that are more high paying. As a result, there are thousands of uncertified individuals working as school teachers.
Comprehension Questions:
- Who walked out of their classrooms?
- What is the protest about?
- Can the teachers provide the best education without proper funding?
- For how long does the school funding has been the number one crisis of the education sector?
- Why are there many uncertified individuals working as school teachers?
Discussion Questions:
- What can you say about the Arizona teachers’ protest against the current school fund?
- Do you agree that the government should increase teachers’ salary and school fund? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, is it possible to provide the best education despite a lack of funding?
- Do you think it is okay to hire uncertified teachers? Why or why not?
- Would you consider teaching as a profession?