Dear Fellow Teachers: Last winter I spent hours getting my first web site up and working. Web site design was all new to me, but I could no longer sit back while one teacher after another was put- down and called names by students, on popular web sites.
I began to look very closely at patterns at the school I work at and found some things very disturbing. Most female teachers, over 50, consistently received poor rating and also received the worst comments. Single female teachers were told repeatedly, "to get a life." Male teachers much more often than female teachers were told by students, "I love you, Mr...," and students were more likely to identify themselves,usually using initials. Several other things became obvious over time, as well.
My goal, with my site, was to have a place for teachers to unite, contact their union reps. and legislatures. I, unlike most, did not view this new trend as a Free Speech issue, but as a huge insult to a female-dominated profession. Name me one web site where men, in a male- dominated profession, are insulted and humiliated as women are over and over on these sites?
Then, we have at the head of the NEA, a male, and the attorney for the NEA, another male; men who apparently don't think our reputations and careers are worth anything. Even the head of the U.S. Dept. of Education is a male, of course, and once again we are subject to more gender- biassing.
I suppose taking this horrible injustice to court would take 10 years and be very costly, something I'm sure these men do not want. Why would they bother? My feeling is, even if each teacher contributed $1.00, maybe we could get one attorney in the U.S. to get such sites better regulated. Teachers, take pride in yourselves and in our profession. We have so much to be proud of and do so much good. I am appalled by the apathy--have we reached bottom yet? Forget about the dollar, just contact Washington, or the union you belong to, whether it be the AFT (which has, at least, supported teachers a little, or the NEA.
My other problems are, and I will elaborate more, later. Children are being used and exploited by these webmasters. Yes, these people are probably getting rich off these sites, and I know that's life, but what bothers me is that the owners of these sites seem to be damaging the unique student/teacher relationship. I feel that this relationship has become strained and more adversaial, since these web sites started. Certainly, a student's paradise. More later.
Oh yes, one more thing, my site is costing me about $20.00 monthly. When I check my position on the Internet, I am so far out in cyberspace, that I'll probably never be heard from again. But, ironically, there are literally thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, including the NEA magazine, that have helped these web sites grow. Shame on them, how about equal time, here! Sorry this is so long. first-rate teacher
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