What are your opinions on students having a say in the hiring of teachers at public school?

On what criteria are they going to evaluate a prospective teacher? Personality? How much Homework they'll assign? How much they'll let them get away with in class? Will they give them good grades? Do they actually know anything about the subject they'll be teaching?

I spent many years as an educator, and I swear that the longer I live, the dumber the ideas get to 'improve' our education system. We've already 'improved' it to the point that half of our high-school seniors are borderline (or past) illiterate and they can't even ballance a checkbook by counting on their fingers. How does letting them help choose their own teachers improve on that?

Doug

I have no problem with parents, or any adult concerned with education, to be active in the hiring process of teachers. In fact, I'd welcome it. It would certainly be better than the current situation where we shuffle off our "little darlings" to school for eight hours a day, and basically forget about them until something goes wrong.

However, children, by definition, do not have the skill sets, nor the maturity, to effectively evaluate a teacher. It would boil down to a popularity issue. As far as my education was concerned, some of the teachers that I liked least, taught me the most.

Another way to look at this issue: The parents are paying for the education of their children, and the children should voice their concerns to them. However, it is up to the parents to decide if they are getting their money's worth -- if the product, education, is of good value.

When children have the capability of paying teacher salaries, then that is the time that they should have a voice in the hiring process. Of course, they would then be adults.

having a student councel member, an NHS member or one student as part of a board is great. As long as 2/3 of the people are staff- or if a student assists the VP or whoever might be in charge or interviews.

its a very good way to involve responsible students in the process.

I think it's actually a pretty good idea. Last year, I was annoyed because whenever my grand daughter came home she would always complain about this teacher. I also asked her why she didnt like him so much and she actually told me that the majority of her class does not like him at all. I think students should get a say on who gets to teach them they're education.

Most students can't make a healthy lunch choice on their own, let alone choosing someone to educate them.