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Comment by mathattack | Hacker News Reader

There are two topics here, and the more important one is getting neglected.

Almost by definition of being on this website, all of us are well advanced of our pre-college computer science teachers. My first was actually a chemistry teacher. My second was biology. One had me doing tech support in junior high. It wasn't until the AP class that I found one who could teach me. But teachers using outdated technology isn't the issue.

The real issue of the article (and complaining about Visual Basic detracts from it) is a teacher who sets up an environment that tolerates harassment and bullying. It doesn't matter the discipline, the teacher failed all the students. The teacher failed the girl who dropped out of programming, and the teacher failed the bullies, by not pointing out that this behavior is wrong.

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> The real issue of the article (and complaining about Visual Basic detracts from it) is a teacher who sets up an environment that tolerates harassment and bullying.

You are being unfair. Children while growing up can be cruel. Bullying and harassment isn't a new phenomenon. May be the teacher could have done more, but "who sets up an environment that tolerates harassment" is a bit far fetched.

Although I agree completely, that's a very high expectation of teachers (pre-college) for the amount they get paid.

That's a really sad comment. Teaching may not pay well, but the tenured teacher has significantly higher job security and potential for other incomes. Yes, it's not a typical programmer pay, but if you are taking it upon yourself to teach children, you take on far more responsibility than any pay can justify and you should act like it.

That's easy to say but the world isn't so easy. being a teacher is hard and not paying well means you don't always attract the best people to do it.

programmers also have job security of knowing they are basically always employable right now unless completely hopeless. and programmers have ethical responsibilities which are frequently ignored too.

That's the path to mediocrity and failure...

Yup. The world is full of mediocrity and failure, though :(.

Exactly, that's why personal decisions and attitudes matter. It's a lot easier to not do the right thing if no one expects you to.

That's a very high expectation of teachers, full stop. What are they supposed to do? They only have influence over these people for an hour a day, which is the time they are supposed to be teaching the subject.

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