Message from Clay Dube

[clay dube]

This isn't a workshop announcement, but rather a "pulse of the profession" announcement. Teachers in California are understandably depressed. The state's economic decline has devastated state and local budgets. Layoff notices, larger classes.... It's a steady drumbeat. But apparently teachers nationwide feel a good deal better. Here's news from the Gallup polling organization:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/124778/Teachers-Score-Higher-Professionals.aspx?CSTS=alert

December 23, 2009
Teachers Score Higher Than Other Professionals in Well-Being
Teachers rate their lives higher in four of six well-being indexes
by Shane Lopez and Sangeeta Agrawal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A career in teaching might be good for your well-being. While the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index previously revealed that business owners were richer in well-being than other job types, further research isolating teachers from other professionals finds teachers fare as well as or better than business owners in overall well-being.

Go to the article (link above) to see the scores:
composite score for teachers: 71.7
life evaluation 60.4
basic access 89.4
emotional health 75
healthy behavior 67.4 (no. 2)
work environment 55.9 (no. 4)
physical health 81.8 (no. 6)