17-09-2005 03:16									#1
	IBM to encourage employees to be teachers (and leave IBM) Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

http://www.newsday.com/technology/w...ology-headlines

quote: IBM to Encourage Employees to Be Teachers Email this story Printer friendly format By BRIAN BERGSTEIN AP Technology Writer September 16, 2005, 3:06 PM EDT International Business Machines Corp., worried the United States is losing its competitive edge, will financially back employees who want to leave the company to become math and science teachers. The new program, being announced Friday in concert with city and state education officials, reflects tech industry fears that U.S. students are falling behind peers from Bangalore to Beijing in the sciences. Up to 100 IBM employees will be eligible for the program in its trial phase. Eventually, Big Blue hopes many more of its tech savvy employees -- and those in other companies -- will follow suit. The goal is to help fill shortfalls in the nation's teaching ranks, a problem expected to grow with the retirement of today's educators. Math and science are of particular concern to companies in many U.S. industries that expect to need technical workers but see low test scores in those subjects and waning interest in science careers. "Over a quarter-million math and science teachers are needed, and it's hard to tell where the pipeline is," said Stanley Litow, head of the IBM Foundation, the Armonk, N.Y.-based company's community service wing. "That is like a ticking time bomb not just for technology companies, but for business and the U.S. economy." While many companies encourage their employees to tutor schoolchildren or do other things to get involved in education, IBM believes it is the first to guide workers toward switching into a teaching career. The company expects older workers nearing retirement to be the most likely candidates, partly because they would have more financial wherewithal to take the pay cut that becoming a teacher likely would entail. The workers would have to get approval from their managers to participate. If selected, the employees would be allowed to take a leave of absence from the company, which includes full benefits and up to half their salary, depending on length of service. In addition, the employees could get up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursements and stipends while they seek teaching credentials and begin student-teaching. From then on, the IBM people would become school employees -- the program will encourage them to work in public schools but they can go private if they wish -- and leave Big Blue's payroll. But IBM plans to offer a mentoring program that would give its former workers guidance and teaching materials over the Internet. "It's not an easy transition to make," said Litow, a former deputy schools chancellor in New York City.

Wow.

	17-09-2005 04:19									#2
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This is just another word for layoffs. Hmm, we have to figure out a way to get rid of our more expensive older workers, but not get busted for age discrimination........

	17-09-2005 05:54									#3
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Considering it's voluntary and requires management approval, I don't see how you can paint it in a bad light.

	17-09-2005 09:21									#4
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IBM does a lot of cool "wow" things...

How do you guys make money if you're doing all this stuff instead?

	17-09-2005 09:24									#5
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Profit margins on IBM Software are 90%-ish...

	17-09-2005 17:34									#6
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We are due up for a massive skilled worker shortage over the next 10 years, and the retirement ranks are going to swell. This shortage is already seen with nurses.

This will take place for about the next 15 years, until the next generation of American kids get through college. Currently there is a population swell of kids, there are more kids in school than ever.

My prediction: we are going to start taking H1-B immigrants for TEACHERS.

	19-09-2005 19:22									#7
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quote: Originally posted by Ted Striker We are due up for a massive skilled worker shortage over the next 10 years, and the retirement ranks are going to swell. This shortage is already seen with nurses. This will take place for about the next 15 years, until the next generation of American kids get through college. Currently there is a population swell of kids, there are more kids in school than ever. My prediction: we are going to start taking H1-B immigrants for TEACHERS.

We are also falling behind in Ph.Ds....

	20-09-2005 17:10									#8
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quote: Originally posted by pchang This is just another word for layoffs. Hmm, we have to figure out a way to get rid of our more expensive older workers, but not get busted for age discrimination........

My thought exactly.

	20-09-2005 17:12									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Ted Striker We are due up for a massive skilled worker shortage over the next 10 years, and the retirement ranks are going to swell. This shortage is already seen with nurses. This will take place for about the next 15 years, until the next generation of American kids get through college. Currently there is a population swell of kids, there are more kids in school than ever. My prediction: we are going to start taking H1-B immigrants for TEACHERS.

Immigrant teachers with herpes? That's really going to complicate the hot teacher sleeps with 14 year old student trend methinks.

	20-09-2005 17:22									#10
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quote: Originally posted by mrmitchell IBM does a lot of cool "wow" things... How do you guys make money if you're doing all this stuff instead?

It creates good karma, which enhances employees' productivity.

	20-09-2005 18:09									#11
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That's aiming high. Based on the evidence I've seen the average high school teacher is the intellectual superior of an IBM employee.

And you know what I think of teachers....

	20-09-2005 20:27									#12
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This is absolutely brilliant - they get ready recruits from the creme of the crop of the American education system as employees , while other students ( who don't go work for IBM ) get a great education .

This initiative of IBM's :

	20-09-2005 20:28									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Colon It creates good karma, which enhances employees' productivity.

Funnily enough , judging by the type of people who work at IBM , that's not too far from the truth .

	21-09-2005 02:00									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon That's aiming high. Based on the evidence I've seen the average high school teacher is the intellectual superior of an IBM employee. And you know what I think of teachers....

I guess that's why IBM has changed the world substantially over the past 50 years and philosophy instructors at universities have done so much more.

	21-09-2005 02:05									#15
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"IBM has changed the world substantially"

Asher, we agreed that this was a cool idea, but now you're starting to take things bigger than they really are.

	21-09-2005 02:16									#16
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I'm not referring to this idea alone, I'm referring to mainframes and the PC and the relational database and the supercomputers used to further many fields of study etc.

	21-09-2005 03:38									#17
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quote: My prediction: we are going to start taking H1-B immigrants for TEACHERS

That would be awesome.