Appropriate, for this time of year! My better half is a Teacher’s Assistant at an alternative school for children who face many ‘life challenges’ or have trouble in ‘regular school’.
-
Whatever type of school, they all seem to be an adventurous endeavor, for sure- especially given the fact that teachers make way less than the ‘suits’ that administer the operations, almost far away from the “front lines”….
I look forward to the comic strips featuring Luann as a public school teacher. What fun it would be to see her as a teacher alongside Miss Phelps or Miss Allison in about 20 years when she finally graduates from college.
I’m beginning to think Tara is brought to the strip solely to mirror Luann, for her to see herself for who she is – a boring, bland, uninteresting, gutless, unimaginative, not to smart teenager/young adult. Tara is energetic, adventurous, gutsy, curious, creative (except when she says “I’m kidding!”) smarter (she got in at Moony University – universities are harder to get in than community colleges – have to get in by the base score on the ACT Test)…and she has been showcasing all that and gradually, Luann will begin to see that and realize just how opposite she is. She is already crossing off a itch list that is not all that adventurous. Will she then decide she wants to be a different person? Have an epiphany? A life changer. God, I hope so because she is SO boring.
I had two aunts and several cousins who used to teach in public schools. (The aunts are now deceased, the cousins moved on to jobs that paid a lot more and did not include all the abuse that teachers are subject to.) I admire anyone who tries to teach in today’s environment, where teachers are blamed for everything that goes wrong even though they have less and less say about what lessons to offer, how often to test and how to handle violent kids. Teachers are not just attacked by students, they are sometimes attacked by parents. And rarely does the school board or school administration defend the teacher.
Teaching public school is gutsy where I live. During the time span of my high school years (which is five years here as high school starts from grade 8) there were TWO teacher strikes. Which I’ve heard sucks.
Then there’s the lack of job stability for newer teachers because the school system works on seniority. Basically, if you are a newer teacher you don’t know if you have a job for the next year.
It’s been established in previous strips that the Fuse is designed to be a hangout spot for college kids, as well as a theater/art gallery space and cafe. It’s bustling with activity, people coming and going. It’s completely possible that Tara hangs out there on days Luann is busy somewhere else (Luann is not even a “full time Fuse staffer”, anyway) or Tara and Luann just happen to be there at different times of day, or maybe Tara goes there with some of the “silhouette people”.
I teach in a public school, a community college. Knock on wood its very safe, but the big thing is while the money is non-existent comparatively, what you can do for students makes it worthwhile. This is even true in a tough public high school, or messed up grammar school. The issue is not really the students, its all that affect them, that act as barriers to help them benefit. What Luann wants to do is challenging, but it shows you the kind of caring person she really is. Tara? All I know is that I feel they will be really good friends. Tara obviously likes Luann, and its likewise. But there is still Bernice, and by the way Tiffany. I would love to see Tara interact with Barbie girl, although the last we saw of Tiffany she was having a serious problem with her personal self-esteem.
Luann apparently wants to teach kids (primary/secondary) as opposed to teaching in a community college or such.
However, with the exception of a few isolated communities that actually have a good quality public school with good quality students, teaching in public school is not only “gutsy and risky”, but largely a waste of effort for a truly good quality teacher. The typical public school student in urban areas wants a diploma, and thinks they’re entitled to it, but is incapable of more than a marginal education.
She might do well to aim for a more exclusive private school for which the tuition filters the students. It would tend to be somewhat less “gutsy and risky”, but greatly enhance her overall career accomplishments.
This hasn’t always been the case. In the 1950s-1960s I went to a decent public school system in a big city.
The cause of the decline is the change in demographics of both the students and their parents. Throwing more money at the typical urban districts won’t solve a thing. It’s like flushing it down the toilet.
Some say that vouchers aren’t the solution, and that charter schools don’t do much better. But the problem with vouchers is limiting them to low income families or to the worst-performing districts. I think that any parent of any income level that sends their kids to any private school should get their public school tax money refunded.
In most areas, the public schools are a swamp that is basically unfixable.
Who is going to community college with Luann. Everyone else seems to be at Uni. None of her classmates seem to be sparking any major interaction. Maybe Tara is to be Luann’s BFF at CC?
I know we need good teachers, probably more than anything, but in many ways Luann seems to be stuck pre-suffrage. A woman who wants to be a teacher. Or possibly a nurse. Or maybe even, you know, a secretary. At least Toni makes up for it.
If Evans and Evans have a message for young people — and I’m not even sure that’s the point of this strip because it shows almost no sign of being interesting to young people to begin with — that message is this: Do everything you can to be bland and uninteresting in life. Never, ever challenge yourself of your assumptions, unless you’re male (Brad). Place the highest emotional value on juvenile romantic entanglements, and the lowest on intellectual and physical challenges. If this is the overall intent of this strip, then Evans and Evans are succeeding 100 percent. Luann is on her way to being a thoroughly uninteresting person surrounding by a few mildly interesting people.
Wait a Sec, Lu. Tara just gave You embarrassing details of HER, Life. Now, She asks YOUR Story, Not Your Family’s.
Why don’t You tell Her about:
1) Aaron Hill.
2) The Time Your so-called “Best Friends” talked You into running to a mailbox in the dark, half naked, for “laughs.”
3) Aaron Hill.
4) This “Kids School” where You work along side this Blonde Bimbette, who THINKS She’s Gaw’s Gift to Men, Yet, Never had a REAL Boyfriend, and whom You Ab-So-Lutely HATE!
5) Aaron Hill.
6) This Nerdy Genius Guy that You have SOME feelings for, but Suppress those feelings because “He just don’t look Good enough.” But Tara had better keep Her Grabby Mitts OFF Him, because at the end of the Day, He’s STILL Luann’s.
7) Aaron Hill.
8) This Caveman You used to date, where everything was sorta fun, until He broke Your foot.
9) Aaron Hill.
10) And this Foreign Joker, Lu used to date, but Dumped. But just because She dumped Him, doesn’t mean that YOU, Tara have Her Permission to make Move on Him. And If She Catches You ANYWHERE within Five feet of Him, She’s gonna Rip the Freckles Right Off Your face.
OK, I am currently disliking Tara somewhat less. ;) The expression of disappointment on her face yesterday, on discovering that her intended new friend’s education, intelligence, and actual (as opposed to proclaimed) open-mindedness left a few things to be desired, actually made me sympathize with her. :s
CL9
@jimmjonzz – new message for you back a few strips ago… :)
I am very glad that Luann wants to become a teacher. It would be a great career choice. Now, as many folks have suggested, K-12 public school teachers are NOT respected in the way that they should be, and far too many folks blame teachers for damn near all of societal ills related to kids. But, even with those problems… if a person feels in their heart that they should teach, it is a good choice…. teaching (K-12 and ALL LEVELS) is a very important profession.
We need to somehow retrain our society to see, understand, and appreciate the importance of teaching.
Tara still wants the rush she had from partying her way out of college. She needs to take it down a notch. Hopefully Luann can encourage Tara to show up on time and get her work done. But they might go skydiving together – once.
Tara is a sociopath, if Luann gets involved with her she will be destroyed. She has committed theft, breaking and entering, vandalism and destruction of private property and she thinks it is a joke. Narcissists are very charming when you first meet them but they will suck you dry and throw you away like a used kleenex when they have no further use for a person.
Templo S.U.D. about 7 years ago
You asked, Tara, you received.
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Luann won’t do anything really gutsy and risky until Tara gets her drunk.
AnyFace about 7 years ago
There is nothing more gutsy and risky than teaching public school.
Vilyehm about 7 years ago
And if she loves that place, then who does she already know that works there.
So much for seperate nonintersecting arcs.
JayBluE about 7 years ago
Appropriate, for this time of year! My better half is a Teacher’s Assistant at an alternative school for children who face many ‘life challenges’ or have trouble in ‘regular school’.
-
Whatever type of school, they all seem to be an adventurous endeavor, for sure- especially given the fact that teachers make way less than the ‘suits’ that administer the operations, almost far away from the “front lines”….
howtheduck about 7 years ago
I look forward to the comic strips featuring Luann as a public school teacher. What fun it would be to see her as a teacher alongside Miss Phelps or Miss Allison in about 20 years when she finally graduates from college.
capricorn9th about 7 years ago
I’m beginning to think Tara is brought to the strip solely to mirror Luann, for her to see herself for who she is – a boring, bland, uninteresting, gutless, unimaginative, not to smart teenager/young adult. Tara is energetic, adventurous, gutsy, curious, creative (except when she says “I’m kidding!”) smarter (she got in at Moony University – universities are harder to get in than community colleges – have to get in by the base score on the ACT Test)…and she has been showcasing all that and gradually, Luann will begin to see that and realize just how opposite she is. She is already crossing off a itch list that is not all that adventurous. Will she then decide she wants to be a different person? Have an epiphany? A life changer. God, I hope so because she is SO boring.
Argythree about 7 years ago
I had two aunts and several cousins who used to teach in public schools. (The aunts are now deceased, the cousins moved on to jobs that paid a lot more and did not include all the abuse that teachers are subject to.) I admire anyone who tries to teach in today’s environment, where teachers are blamed for everything that goes wrong even though they have less and less say about what lessons to offer, how often to test and how to handle violent kids. Teachers are not just attacked by students, they are sometimes attacked by parents. And rarely does the school board or school administration defend the teacher.
Peppermeow about 7 years ago
Teaching public school is gutsy where I live. During the time span of my high school years (which is five years here as high school starts from grade 8) there were TWO teacher strikes. Which I’ve heard sucks.
Then there’s the lack of job stability for newer teachers because the school system works on seniority. Basically, if you are a newer teacher you don’t know if you have a job for the next year.
kenhense about 7 years ago
Maybe a win-win coming. Luann helps Tara focus on school – and maybe some Saturday Tara will take Luann skydiving.
JayBluE about 7 years ago
“Learn Notice”
“Chalk It Up”
“After A Nice Trip, It’s Time For Fall”
“Some Are Clocked, Summer Not”
“Hey! Teacher! We’ve Got Kids To Loan!….” (♪)
“First Daze”
“Ack!-ademic”
“The Lessen Plan”
“The September Of Our Lives”
“A Turn Of 180 Days”
“Six Degrees Of Education”
“A Doctorate A Day, Keeps The Apple Devices At ‘Ready To Play!’ "
“The New ‘Normal’ "
“A Great Catch, In Room 222”
“To Cirriculum, With Love” (♪)
“You’ve Got A Lot Of Class!”
or
“With This Ring….”
JayBluE about 7 years ago
It’s been established in previous strips that the Fuse is designed to be a hangout spot for college kids, as well as a theater/art gallery space and cafe. It’s bustling with activity, people coming and going. It’s completely possible that Tara hangs out there on days Luann is busy somewhere else (Luann is not even a “full time Fuse staffer”, anyway) or Tara and Luann just happen to be there at different times of day, or maybe Tara goes there with some of the “silhouette people”.
luann1212 about 7 years ago
I teach in a public school, a community college. Knock on wood its very safe, but the big thing is while the money is non-existent comparatively, what you can do for students makes it worthwhile. This is even true in a tough public high school, or messed up grammar school. The issue is not really the students, its all that affect them, that act as barriers to help them benefit. What Luann wants to do is challenging, but it shows you the kind of caring person she really is. Tara? All I know is that I feel they will be really good friends. Tara obviously likes Luann, and its likewise. But there is still Bernice, and by the way Tiffany. I would love to see Tara interact with Barbie girl, although the last we saw of Tiffany she was having a serious problem with her personal self-esteem.
Vilyehm about 7 years ago
Teacher references took me back to looking at a few Miss Peach strips.
Was Marcia used as a model for Tiffany? Or just the hair?
Lady Bri about 7 years ago
I’d say that IS pretty gutsy and risky, especially considering today’s crop of children.
Brdshtt Premium Member about 7 years ago
Barney Fife: "Hey Andy – remember our third grade teacher and how we used to put frogs in her desk drawer and tacks on her chair?
.
Andy: “Yeah, Barn.”
.
Barney: “I never could figure out why she was so mean…”
Ontman about 7 years ago
Are we leading up to a Tara vs. Bernice best friend storyline?
sueb1863 about 7 years ago
Maybe Tara will convince Luann to get a new haircut. She’s been wearing her hair more or less the same way for several years now.
Wizardgoat about 7 years ago
Luann apparently wants to teach kids (primary/secondary) as opposed to teaching in a community college or such.
However, with the exception of a few isolated communities that actually have a good quality public school with good quality students, teaching in public school is not only “gutsy and risky”, but largely a waste of effort for a truly good quality teacher. The typical public school student in urban areas wants a diploma, and thinks they’re entitled to it, but is incapable of more than a marginal education.
She might do well to aim for a more exclusive private school for which the tuition filters the students. It would tend to be somewhat less “gutsy and risky”, but greatly enhance her overall career accomplishments.
This hasn’t always been the case. In the 1950s-1960s I went to a decent public school system in a big city.
The cause of the decline is the change in demographics of both the students and their parents. Throwing more money at the typical urban districts won’t solve a thing. It’s like flushing it down the toilet.
Some say that vouchers aren’t the solution, and that charter schools don’t do much better. But the problem with vouchers is limiting them to low income families or to the worst-performing districts. I think that any parent of any income level that sends their kids to any private school should get their public school tax money refunded.
In most areas, the public schools are a swamp that is basically unfixable.
dlkrueger33 about 7 years ago
Maybe Tara will be a lingerie model at Ann Eiffel’s party. And perhaps she will be a party to whatever scam Ann is running.
jrankin1959 about 7 years ago
Now, that’s tough…
Tyge about 7 years ago
Who is going to community college with Luann. Everyone else seems to be at Uni. None of her classmates seem to be sparking any major interaction. Maybe Tara is to be Luann’s BFF at CC?
Chuck374 about 7 years ago
It would be gutsy and risky if she added “in Camden, NJ”.
31768 about 7 years ago
Hanging with Tara may just be all gutsy by tself.
phoenix about 7 years ago
I know we need good teachers, probably more than anything, but in many ways Luann seems to be stuck pre-suffrage. A woman who wants to be a teacher. Or possibly a nurse. Or maybe even, you know, a secretary. At least Toni makes up for it.
old_timey_dude about 7 years ago
If Evans and Evans have a message for young people — and I’m not even sure that’s the point of this strip because it shows almost no sign of being interesting to young people to begin with — that message is this: Do everything you can to be bland and uninteresting in life. Never, ever challenge yourself of your assumptions, unless you’re male (Brad). Place the highest emotional value on juvenile romantic entanglements, and the lowest on intellectual and physical challenges. If this is the overall intent of this strip, then Evans and Evans are succeeding 100 percent. Luann is on her way to being a thoroughly uninteresting person surrounding by a few mildly interesting people.
Schrodinger's Dog about 7 years ago
isn’t it telling that Luann’s “story” is her brother and her parents and everyone BUT herself.
Mordock999 Premium Member about 7 years ago
Wait a Sec, Lu. Tara just gave You embarrassing details of HER, Life. Now, She asks YOUR Story, Not Your Family’s.
Why don’t You tell Her about:
1) Aaron Hill.
2) The Time Your so-called “Best Friends” talked You into running to a mailbox in the dark, half naked, for “laughs.”
3) Aaron Hill.
4) This “Kids School” where You work along side this Blonde Bimbette, who THINKS She’s Gaw’s Gift to Men, Yet, Never had a REAL Boyfriend, and whom You Ab-So-Lutely HATE!
5) Aaron Hill.
6) This Nerdy Genius Guy that You have SOME feelings for, but Suppress those feelings because “He just don’t look Good enough.” But Tara had better keep Her Grabby Mitts OFF Him, because at the end of the Day, He’s STILL Luann’s.
7) Aaron Hill.
8) This Caveman You used to date, where everything was sorta fun, until He broke Your foot.
9) Aaron Hill.
10) And this Foreign Joker, Lu used to date, but Dumped. But just because She dumped Him, doesn’t mean that YOU, Tara have Her Permission to make Move on Him. And If She Catches You ANYWHERE within Five feet of Him, She’s gonna Rip the Freckles Right Off Your face.
11) Aaron Hill.
Germanshepherds4ever about 7 years ago
Hello? Not with an Associate’s degree from a junior college you’re not, Luann
kenhense about 7 years ago
It seems like Tara & Luann would have discussed boyfriends by now.
CamiBuster about 7 years ago
Pretty gutsy
Annie K. about 7 years ago
OK, I am currently disliking Tara somewhat less. ;) The expression of disappointment on her face yesterday, on discovering that her intended new friend’s education, intelligence, and actual (as opposed to proclaimed) open-mindedness left a few things to be desired, actually made me sympathize with her. :s
CL9
@jimmjonzz – new message for you back a few strips ago… :)
&
@Schrodinger’s Dog – you were saying…? ;p
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member about 7 years ago
8
I am very glad that Luann wants to become a teacher. It would be a great career choice. Now, as many folks have suggested, K-12 public school teachers are NOT respected in the way that they should be, and far too many folks blame teachers for damn near all of societal ills related to kids. But, even with those problems… if a person feels in their heart that they should teach, it is a good choice…. teaching (K-12 and ALL LEVELS) is a very important profession.
We need to somehow retrain our society to see, understand, and appreciate the importance of teaching.
kenhense about 7 years ago
Tara still wants the rush she had from partying her way out of college. She needs to take it down a notch. Hopefully Luann can encourage Tara to show up on time and get her work done. But they might go skydiving together – once.
Sisyphos about 7 years ago
Pretty daring choice. Luann, though you may not realize just how risky and gutsy. Probably you aren’t impressing Tara much, either….
Schrodinger's Dog about 7 years ago
Is Tara Greg’s first “Ginger” character?
BluNova about 7 years ago
I worked for 3 years as a substitute teacher. The teaching field is not for the faint of heart!
DebMoore about 7 years ago
Tara is a sociopath, if Luann gets involved with her she will be destroyed. She has committed theft, breaking and entering, vandalism and destruction of private property and she thinks it is a joke. Narcissists are very charming when you first meet them but they will suck you dry and throw you away like a used kleenex when they have no further use for a person.