I agree with you to a certain extent. Go out and get what job? I have a degree and 20 years of experience and cannot find a job in Pennsylvania. Yes, I believe generation welfare folks should be made to work or perform some type of services in order to justify receiving benefits. But for people like me, who has worked and paid into the system, there really is no recourse. I have pounded pavements to the point that my knee gave out and I'm now scheduled for emergency total knee replacement. I would even go to work on crutch, if someone would hire me. PA employment opportunities are slim at best. But don't down everyone, because a lot of people have turned to welfare as a last recourse.

Rhetta sorry you can't find a job but these bums on welfare can go get jobs in Mcdonals, Wendys and wallyworld since that is where they are anyways. We do need higher paying jobs for the ones that have degrees and lost their jobs to no fault of their own. I support giving medical cards and foodstamps to people that have paid into the system over the years, but the ones that just sit at home and collect because that is what they learned is the American way is just wrong. I will pray that you recover from your surgery and you find a job soon.

Can't find a job in PA? Here is a listing of 15,100 jobs in Pittsburgh!

http://www.jobs-to-careers.com/index3.php?c1=2&c2=5941&c3=0&c4=99&c5=6&q=&l=Pittsburgh%2C+PA&gclid=CNS2u9Kppq0CFQjd4AodV3fkmg

Not sure if you mean PA teachers are not screened, but that's not true. They have to have a child abuse and fingerprinting screening from the FBI.

incorrect teachers under go state and federal background checks.

Since 1985 when Act 34, The State of Pennsylvania requires teachers to get a federal criminal history record, a Pennsylvania state criminal record check and a Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse History Clearance before they can teach, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Pennsylvania does not have a fingerprinting policy. That is how they found out that a child predator was teaching in South Park back in the 80's, and ended up getting busted again for what he had on his classroom computer.

Laurie most states like Virginia charge a sales tax on everything you purchase in the store. Food, clothes, toilet paper, etc. Also in Virginia every year you have to pay a tax on your vehicle that you drive. If your have an 2005 Kia and it is worth 10,000 you have to pay a State Tax on it every year. Same as a tax on your home. My best friend comes up from Virginia every month to visit her mom in a nursing home and does her grocery shopping here in Pennsylvania to avoid paying the 5% sales tax. She buys dry ice to take back everything that needs to be refrigerated.
Virginia:
Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 5.0% (includes statewide local tax of 1%) (prescription and non-prescription drugs exempt); Food purchased for home consumption is taxed at 2%.

The states that doesn't charge a State Tax do charge taxes on everything you purchase. According to my friend, she says paying a State Tax is so much cheaper than being taxed on everything you purchase in stores, plus paying a tax every year of vehicles that you already own.

What do foreclosures and school property tax have to do with each other? You house gets foreclosed on because you don't pay your mortgage.

Weren't we told and "promised" by our so-called leaders (elected officials) like Fast Eddie Rendell that bringing legalized gambling and casinos to our state and area that our property taxes would be virtually eliminated or next to nothing? I remember it. Where is the elimination? Where is the reduction for that matter? Okay, maybe a few dollars here and there. But we were promised a substantial reduction and elimination. Why aren't people up in arms about this? Every time I get my property tax bill be it from the township, county or school district I shake my head and then ask why we are still having to pay these and why some people will still vote for the same old politicians.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/background_checks_%28act_114%29/7493/act_34_background_checks/601379

Home >> Codes and Regulations >> Background Checks (Act 114) >> Act 34 Background Checks
Act 34 Background Checks

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL SERVICES UNIT
April 15, 2009
SUBJECT: PENNSYLVANIA STATE CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD
Required by Act 34 of 1985 and Act 114 of 2006, as amended, for all prospective employees of public schools, private schools and their contractors’ employees who will work in direct contact with children. Also required for “student teacher candidates”. This is one of three required background checks or clearances.
To be provided by the applicant and reviewed by the school (or higher education administrator) prior to the applicant working in a position in which he will have direct contact with children.
Criminal history reports shall be no more than one (1) year old at the time of employment.
See Act 114 of 2006 for further detailed information on PA background check requirements.

Act 114 of 2006, Section 111 of the Public School Code was amended effective April 1, 2007. All student teachers (participating in classroom teaching, internships, clinical or field experience) and all prospective employees (including but not limited to administrators, teachers, substitutes, janitors, cafeteria workers, office employees) of public and private schools, Intermediate Units and area vocational-technical schools, including independent contractors and their employees and bus drivers, who have direct contact with children, must provide to their employer a copy of their Pennsylvania State Criminal History Background Check and their Federal Criminal History Record that cannot be more than one (1) year old.
This only applies to employees hired on or after April 1, 2007. Employees hired prior to April 1, 2007, are only required to provide the Federal Criminal History record if they have lived outside of the state for at least two years immediately preceding their application for employment.

Jerry Sandusky went to college during 1963 to 1965 at Penn State. He played college football under Rip Engler. Jerry graduated first in his class with a B.S in health in 1966 and then Physical Education in 1970. He was grandfathered in when Act 34 came about in 1985 since he was already a coach for Penn State. No criminal complaints were filed against Jerry before then and he adopted children and was foster parents to many also. During his trial his son Matthew went to the police and admitted that he was molested by his father. This is still being investigated by the Grand Jury.

What teachers are you speaking of? Do you have proof of this?

laurie please explain teachers teaching without an education degree teaching in Pgh Schools? Teaching in a School District and teaching in a College are two different things.

Laurie TJ was correct that Pennsylvania teachers do get a child abuse screening, but the state of Pennsylvania does not require fingerprints. It is up to the School District if they want to do fingerprinting.

And you laurie don't represent every school district in PA either. Do you have any facts to back these statements up?

The cuts to welfare are a good thing. The cuts to education will hurt the future of this country and state.

Required by law to have a Master's Degree? There is at least one teacher in the West Jefferson Hills School District who is a learning support teacher at the high school through (I believe) the AIU who has NO Master's Degree. My nephew is a learning support student. My brother and sister in law check out the teachers my nephew has every year. This teacher was previously in one of the grade schools and has NO Master's Degree. How is he qualified and how does he keep his position?
Either no one checks into this like some parents do or no one cares. So, there are teachers in the districts who do NOT have Master's Degrees.

No Masters degree required... extended family member has been teaching in the public schools for years, and has no Masters degree.

As for "bashing," some deserve "bashing," just like some employees in other professions. They are choosing to take taxpayer money, so they are subject to assessment by those who pay the salaries. If somebody does not wish to be subject to scrutiny by the taxpayers, then find employment outside the public school system.

Watch the parking lots when the school day is over. Teachers exit out the doors, with little or nothing in tow, rush to the vehicle, and out the of the lot, ... all before the buses leave with the students. Please, stop with the "long hours" story, ... doesn't happen.

I worked in a private industry for many years. Our business included the need of educational programs, including development of materials and presentation. We always felt none of us were very well qualified to do this work, and sought the help of those trained in education. We never were successful. The primary reason was the long work days, some travel, and two-week vacations. "... why should we give the deal we have and work with you?" Despite the desire to be "educators," when push came to shove, they were unwilling to give up the public school system of many days off, and three month hiatus in the Summer. These repeated experiences gave me a dim perspective on "education" motivation.

ML, this Masters requirement and "ongoing grad courses" is a farce. You know it, I know it, the teachers know it. I've seen people dabble, yes, just dabble in online courses, to meet the requirement. By their own admission, the programs were worthless, but it qualified for success. As for "ongoing," that too is a farce. I know many teachers, and have known them for years. They have never been involved in "ongoing" for years, decades, in fact.

Sorry, if I ran my business by these standards and perspectives, I would be gone soon. While the picture may seem full, the substance is so thin it is without value.

To cc:

I have a couple of problems with your post. First, you make a rather large blanket statement regarding student achievement in Public Schools, which is blatently ignorant. There are many outstanding Public Schools around here, and many outstanding students come out of those schools.

Second, a teacher cannot be retained based on tenure to teach just any class that needs a teacher. The teacher needs to be certifed in that discipline to teach the class.

There are great Public Schools out there, look at Mt Lebo, Upper St Clair, Peters and South Fayette, but on a whole are students are only learning what is on a PSSA test. They are not getting a well rounded education. I know when I went to school, we learned every year different aspect of History, Geography, Science. Our students today only learn what is going to be on those Standardized Test that each state is required to give our students.

Ernie, she has a teaching certificate and only needs to take a credited course over the summer and she is going to be teaching Algebra next year to 8th graders, which she is in the process of taking now via the internet.

ML- I can guarantee that I am paying taxes on my home and I bet I am paying double maybe triple than what your paying over in Baldwin. I don't have to answer you with anything because you are one of the most rudest persons that I have seen in a long time;.

Ed, that is absolutely true, just as not all students (or parents) are equal. Your School District is probably the most accessible "government" body you have in your life. If your school district is failing, everyone has very easy access to the folks who run the show.

Many STEM Teachers Don't Hold Certifications With teacher layoffs and staff shortages nationwide, some teachers are being asked to teach subjects they are not certified to teach. Roughly 30 percent of chemistry and physics teachers in public high schools did not major in these fields and haven't earned a certificate to teach those subjects, according to a new survey released Monday by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Half of earth science teachers are similarly unqualified. Tom Luce, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, says that, oftentimes, a certificate to teach science isn't enough.

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/06/08/many-stem-teachers-dont-hold-certifications

No the better school districts around teach more than standardized test. Unfortunately our school district doesn't even get that right.

(Part 2)
According to the NCES study, which surveyed high school teachers during the 2007-2008 school year, fewer than half of chemistry and physics teachers majored in those subjects, and a quarter of math teachers don't hold math degrees. The problem extends to history, where less than two thirds of teachers hold a history degree. Conversely, 82 percent of English teachers, 90 percent of art teachers, and 95 percent of music teachers hold a bachelor's degree or higher in their field.

Luce says the problem is most prevalent in middle school, where more than two thirds of math teachers aren't qualified to teach the subject, a 2007 report by the National Academies shows. Only 1 in 10 middle school physical science teachers have a degree or certification in the subject, according to the same report. "That's when you lose a kid's interest," he says. "They don't even want to try in high school because they think, 'I didn't like this in middle school.'"

NMSI's UTeach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teacher training program has been heralded by President Obama. The program, operated in 22 universities, allows undergraduate students to earn a bachelor of science in math or science while earning a teaching certificate. A similar program by The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship foundation will train 450 STEM teachers in three states.

(Part 3)
But when districts need to fill teaching vacancies, they are often forced to take the best available option—which means a math teacher might be asked to teach physics, or a biology teacher might teach chemistry.
Luce doesn't blame the teachers. "Their principal comes to them and says 'Guess what, you're going to teach algebra next year.' Well, I'll put it very simply," he says. "You can't teach what you don't know."

Linda Rosen, chief executive officer of Change the Equation, a STEM education advocacy group and former math teacher, agrees that districts are sometimes forced to choose from a small pool.

"If a state or district is really down to the wire and school is fast approaching, they need an adult in that classroom. They're not just going to choose a warm body off the street, but they may give out emergency certification at that point," she says.

(Part 4)
Some districts are implementing mentoring and training programs led by highly trained teachers, and may pay for teachers to take classes in the subject they will be teaching. But in many poor school districts, both urban and rural, schools are facing teacher shortages.

"Teaching in high-poverty, high-needs schools is not necessarily an appealing option," Rosen says. Even though many teachers may find themselves teaching outside their specialty, that doesn't necessarily mean they are bad teachers, she says, noting, "There are a lot of dedicated people who are trying their best."