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> Maybe this is akin to people going into teaching, which paradoxically tends to be a major with lower scores and grades than average. People go into a job wher

> Maybe this is akin to people going into teaching, which paradoxically tends to be a major with lower scores and grades than average. People go into a job where they help people not because it's exciting but because they think it's an easier path to working in tech than coding. Or maybe they go into a job where they help people not because they think it's an easier path than coding, but because they believe teaching is more valuable than making the next "angry birds" or hawking ads 1% more effectively. ¿Quien sabe?

seanspradlin 11y ago
Former teacher and current developer here: this was exactly my reasoning. I've always been talented with computers and had actually written some applications for my classroom, knowing full and well that I could be making twice as much with that skillset. I had always felt like the public school system had failed me, though, so I wanted to be a part of it to try to make it better. Turns out, there isn't a whole lot a teacher can do in the face of an overwhelming emphasis on testing and meeting state standards rather than just being a charismatic and passionate person who gets kids excited about science, math, english, and history.
- username223 11y ago
  I was fortunate enough to grow up in a good school district, in an area without many private schools or much income inequality, so I never had a personal problem with public schools. > Turns out, there isn't a whole lot a teacher can do in the face of an overwhelming emphasis on testing and meeting state standards... Pretty much. A friend of mine is currently trying to figure out whether he values education enough to put up with hostile, indifferent students and a culture of bullshit testing and teacher evaluation in a bad (but not inner-city bad) school district. He's a smart guy who could make the same money doing something else with way less effort and frustration, but he's also more of an idealist than I. When teachers are more respected and better paid than mobile app developers, we will have a better education system. I'm not holding my breath.

seanspradlin 11y ago

Former teacher and current developer here: this was exactly my reasoning. I've always been talented with computers and had actually written some applications for my classroom, knowing full and well that I could be making twice as much with that skillset. I had always felt like the public school system had failed me, though, so I wanted to be a part of it to try to make it better. Turns out, there isn't a whole lot a teacher can do in the face of an overwhelming emphasis on testing and meeting state standards rather than just being a charismatic and passionate person who gets kids excited about science, math, english, and history.

username223 11y ago
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a good school district, in an area without many private schools or much income inequality, so I never had a personal problem with public schools. > Turns out, there isn't a whole lot a teacher can do in the face of an overwhelming emphasis on testing and meeting state standards... Pretty much. A friend of mine is currently trying to figure out whether he values education enough to put up with hostile, indifferent students and a culture of bullshit testing and teacher evaluation in a bad (but not inner-city bad) school district. He's a smart guy who could make the same money doing something else with way less effort and frustration, but he's also more of an idealist than I. When teachers are more respected and better paid than mobile app developers, we will have a better education system. I'm not holding my breath.