POST: students rating teachers, by name, online

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

Daily, thousands of U.S. students rate teachers, anonymously, online.

Posts on this thread, including this one

students rating teachers, by name, online, 7/06/04, by first-rate teacher.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 7/08/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 7/08/04, by I wouldn't worry too much about "Rate My Teacher.".
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 7/08/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/11/04, by Jose.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/16/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/17/04, by first-rate teacher.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/17/04, by first-rate teacher.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/18/04, by Jose.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/19/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 7/20/04, by Jose.
Re: students rating teachers - I'm Not Athiest Anymore!, 7/20/04, by Vance.
Re: Don't you mean AGNOSTIC?, 7/21/04, by Jose.
Re: Don't you mean AGNOSTIC?, 7/21/04, by Vance.
Re: Don't you mean AGNOSTIC?, 7/22/04, by Jose.
Re: Don't you mean AGNOSTIC?, 7/22/04, by Vance.
Re: It' s reality- internet is yesteryear's slam book, 8/06/04, by It's life.
Re: It' s reality- internet is yesteryear's slam book, 8/16/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/17/04, by Kim .
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/17/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/18/04, by Kim Brown.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/18/04, by Kim brown.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/20/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/20/04, by get a grip.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/20/04, by get a grip.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/21/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/22/04, by The best way to avoid standing it for years.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/23/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/23/04, by heehee! yeah--typed too fast. (I do that with there/their.
Re: A Police State, 8/25/04, by Ben Coe.
Re: A Police State, 8/25/04, by Vance.
Re: God Bless You Vance, 9/03/04, by Jose.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 9/07/04, by annoyed student.
Re: A Student's Two Cents, 9/10/04, by Jason.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 9/13/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 9/14/04, by premise is faulty.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 9/15/04, by jc.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 11/09/04, by Kim Brown.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/11/04, by some1.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/12/04, by Jose.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/13/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/14/04, by Dave Minnichelli.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/14/04, by Kim.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/17/04, by David.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 12/01/04, by charles lansrub.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 12/01/04, by charles lansrub.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 12/02/04, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/02/05, by ME ME.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/02/05, by ME ME.
Re: english, 4/05/05, by amy rice.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/05/05, by Vance.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/07/05, by Anonymous.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/11/05, by teacher does care and is smart .
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/26/05, by Bryan.
Re: Don't you mean AGNOSTIC?, 4/29/05, by callum.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/30/05, by cindy.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 4/30/05, by cindy.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/03/05, by hey now.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 8/03/05, by grenda...hehe.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 9/21/05, by monique.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 11/25/05, by anonymous.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 2/02/06, by ya.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 2/07/06, by Kate.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 2/08/06, by Nic.
Re: students rating teachers , 4/29/06, by Lydia.
Re: students rating teachers , 5/12/06, by mac.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 9/13/06, by Jackson Pollack.
Re: students rating teachers , 9/25/06, by Rachel.
Re: students rating teachers , 9/25/06, by Rachel.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 9/25/06, by Carroll.
Re: Atheists; Absent Minded, 12/08/06, by Beverly.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online - better idea, 5/06/07, by Bonehead.
Re: students rating teachers, by name, online, 6/12/07, by parent advocate.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 3/21/11, by stop ratemyteacher.com.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 3/21/11, by sue ratemyteacher's Michael Hussey.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 3/21/11, by sue ratemyteacher's Michael Hussey.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 3/21/11, by teacher1.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 4/22/11, by Hurt a teacher's career or health?.
Re: build up a case against ratemyteacher 's owner, 5/14/11, by good idea.