I got published!

[DonRotolo]

That pretty much sums up why I do it. No, not getting published, but the bit about the kids.
Nice, Fredi. Very nice.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Fredi,
Great article and as always, you are someone to look up to. Congrats.

[Rosiebotboss]

Fredi,

Great article. Many teams, I suspect, across the FIRST community experience the same results. Many teams, I also suspect, need to have their Admins read this. Mine is one and it will be passed on to Rosie's new Superintendant.

Thank you for putting together the words I have been struggling with for months.

[falconmaster]

Glad you all liked it!
Just as a disclaimer, the school district pays 3/4 of coaches stipend now. it took seven years to get to this point. Hope to equal a coach some day...
The article was written for a different group than First, it was for AUVSI
I get paid 300 a month, I joke that I get to go to work for free...

[xitaqua]

Congratulations Fredi,

I think your quote bellow speaks of a wider issue of culture not only about STEM, but about education in general.

When I began my teaching career I was also an athletic coach and was paid for my time and efforts after school. When my focus shifted to the Science and Technology Club I lost that compensation. It speaks volumes about the priorities of our society when an athletic coach is financially compensated and a robotics “coach” is not."

A good movie I watched recently that really got me thinking was, American Teacher : http://www.theteachersalaryproject.org/index.php

I don't think it is any national secret that teachers are not paid well, and that many need to take a second job just to make ends meet. That many times a lot things needed for the classroom come from their own pocket. I think the list of issue can go on.......

But I feel we do have hope, specially thru teachers like you who step up to the plate, and won't give up. For that I say Thank You.

We are still in the planning stages, but a group of citizens in Missouri is trying to identify school districts along historical highway 66 with a STEM after-school program going from the Arch to Joplin, MO capable of improving a robot no more than 30 minutes away from each other and have them exchange robots so each team can improve on the robot as it travels west or east, hopefully one day other states like NM, OK and KS will jump on this idea and a robot will be going across your state !!!!. The idea is that when likeminded folks get together they will be able to impact change.

Cheers,
Marcos.