New report: Restore respect and dignity to teaching profession
And here is yet another report declaring the importance of teacher quality, this one by Steven L. Paine, vice president, Strategic Planning and Business Development, CTB/McGraw-Hill, and Andreas Schleicher, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s director of Program for International Student Assessment, the test known as PISA.
Expect a deluge of discussion this week on teacher quality as the U.S. Department of Education holds its conference in New York on the issue.
The International Summit on the Teaching Profession has brought education ministers, national union leaders and accomplished teachers from countries with high performing and rapidly improving educational systems, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The United States fares poorly on the PISA benchmarking test and this report, Lessons from Pisa, examines why.
Its conclusion: We need to improve teacher quality.
The report states: Teaching education programs in high-performing nations tend to be more selective and more rigorous than in the U.S. Trainee teachers in the U.S. also need to spend more hands-on time in the classroom getting real-world experience – another strategy employed by the most successful OECD countries. The U.S. must restore the teaching profession to the level of respect and dignity it enjoyed only a few decades ago. This will not be easy, particularly in the current economic environment with states and localities strapped for funds. But improving the regard with which teachers are held is not principally about how much they are paid.
Among the findings cited in the summary:
Seventeen percent of the variation in U.S. student performance on the 2009 PISA assessments can be explained by a student’s socio-economic background, a far higher percentage than the OECD average. In Canada or Japan, for example, only 9 percent of a student’s score is influenced by socio-economic differences.
What this means is that two U.S. students from different socio-economic backgrounds will vary much more in their learning outcomes than is normally the case in OECD countries. Only Hungary, Belgium, Turkey, Luxembourg, Chile and Germany among the 33 other OECD countries show a larger impact of socio-economic background on reading performance than the United States.
The United States does not have a more disadvantaged socio-economic student population than the OECD average country but the socio-economic differences that do exist among students in the U.S. translate into a particularly strong impact on student learning outcomes.
At the same time, it is important to point out that socio-economic factors are far from deterministic, particularly in the U.S.. Some of the most disadvantaged schools in the U.S., from a socio-economic standpoint, match the results we see in Finland, one of the best performing educational systems in the world. And 25 percent of 15 year-olds attending economically disadvantaged schools in the U.S. achieve the average scores earned by Finnish students who are the same age.
Positive factors working in favor of the U.S. when it comes to education include:
-U.S. parents tend to be better-educated than parents in many OECD countries;
-U.S. students score comparatively well at the higher levels of reading proficiency. Nearly twice as many 15 year-olds score at the highest reading level of six (1.5 percent) compared with the OECD average (0.8 percent), and 10 percent score at level five in reading (above average), compared with a 7.6 percent average across all OECD countries; and U.S. scores in science are respectable if not outstanding, and improving — with 1 percent achieving level six and 9 percent level five, and the overall average science score of 502 a definite and statistically significant improvement over the 2006 U.S. score of 489;It is principally in math where U.S. student scores appear consistently lackluster, particularly when compared with the highest performing countries. Only two percent of U.S. 15 year-olds reach a level six in math, compared with a 3 percent OECD average, and an astounding 27 percent level six rate was achieved by students in Shanghai-China in 2009.
In addition, while a respectable 10 percent of U.S. student earned an “above-average” five in math in 2009, nearly fifty percent of students in Shanghai did – challenging the definition of the phrase “above average” for the students of that exceptionally high-performing system.
During the early years of new Millennium, co-author Dr. Steven Paine traveled to observe first-hand the educational systems of Finland, Singapore and Ontario, Canada, to learn what he could from direct observation of what these education authorities were doing to achieve such strong outcomes.
The major difference, he noted, between those systems and the one in the U.S. had to do with how teachers are valued, trained and compensated. All three systems pay very careful attention to raising and maintaining the standards of the teaching profession, only accepting the very best candidates and expending substantial amounts of time and money to nurture and develop the talents and leadership abilities of teachers and principals.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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64 comments Add your comment
Dr. John Trotter
March 16th, 2011
11:35 am
Our mantra at MACE for years…You can’t have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions. How are you going to treat professionals like tall children and expect a mass infusion of the greatest talent? I have known many great teachers who vow and declare that they would never encourage their children to become teachers — the way teachers are treated today. In fact, they say that they will definitely discourage them from becoming teachers. The definition of a professional is a person who is allowed to rely on his or her knowledge and then to exercise his or her discretion and wisdom in making decisions. Today, teachers are snoopervised to the nth the degree. They are placed in straightjackets and told what to do at every moment of the day — even when to be teaching this or that at the exact time in the dreaded and boring scripted curriculum that so many school systems have adopted. Who would want to be treated like a moron? Maureen, would you like to be treated like a moron? No one likes this. What if your editor prescribed each topic that you had to post on this blog…and at the exact time that you posted it? What if your editor looked over your shoulder and told you exactly what to say in response some of us more recalcitrant blogging reprobates? It wouldn’t be much fun, eh? Creativity has been taken away from teachers. The entire teaching profession is being suffocated by a tight-net approach to supervision. You guys have my permission to steal another one of my phrases…I call this “snoopervision.” As my Nannie would say, “It makes you want to chew tobacco.” And if you have never been sick from chewing tobacco, then you have never really been sick! Ha! (c) MACE, March 16, 2011.
k teacher
March 16th, 2011
11:37 am
“Trainee teachers in the U.S. also need to spend more hands-on time in the classroom getting real-world experience” … so true … too much time is spent reading textbooks and writing papers when we should have been in longer practicums with mentor/classroom teachers with at least 5 years experience.
You can’t learn most of this stuff from a book no matter how much a professor is lecturing. Then, once you’re in the field, most states/counties adopt something new a spend at the most a handful of hours supposedly offering “training” on new mandates/initiatives and other so-called research-based changes while cutting monies for professional development or workshops.
Another view
March 16th, 2011
11:37 am
Because of Wall Street’s decimation of the economy, we now have a surplus of teachers, while those left in schools are teaching (much) larger class sizes (which, by the way, will lead to lower performance measures which will lead to more teacher bashing). The GOOD ones who have been laid off or could not find teaching jobs will have found other careers and will tend not to return. Because of the current very public teacher-hating, no competent university student in their right mind will consider entering university teacher development programs. There are no jobs, the work is grueling and because of the so-called reform efforts the administrivia are downright stupid, and everyone (seemingly) hates teachers anyway. As enrollment continues to grow, eventually the schools will be forced to hire a few more teachers because there are only so many gymnasiums in which to hold classes (they won’t fit in standard 30-student classrooms). At that point, ONLY the desperate will be available to university development programs and hence to schools. And so the cycle will continue unless we can actually reverse the massive teacher-hate movement presently under full steam and well funded by the rich and powerful. Can’t say I’m particularly hopeful for a quick turnaround.
Another view
March 16th, 2011
11:37 am
Well said, John.
2 cents
March 16th, 2011
12:07 pm
i would dare anyone to attempt to sit through an e2020 student instructional video; but thats what some would consider good teacher modeling
Hey Teacher
March 16th, 2011
12:14 pm
Most of those countries mentioned do not require teachers to sponsor a zillion clubs, do hall/lunch duty, or deal with discipline. Students who can’t hack an academic high school go to vocational school. US schools are trying too hard to be everything to everybody, which is destroying the profession.
Dr. John Trotter
March 16th, 2011
12:30 pm
@ Hey Teacher: You are right about American schools trying to be everything to everybody. Like Sear Roebuck. But, look at Sears now. Or, like GAE. (Had to throw that in but it is the truth.) The European teachers (and teachers from other parts of the world) don’t have to put up with the indignities (especially from thug-students who have NO interest in learning) that American teachers have to routinely endure.
Hey, I would love to elaborate, but MACE has two pickets today and tomorrow, and I think the guys want me to go with them on the one today. This is great picket weather! I love a good picket! Teachers love a good picket! A picket gets the juices flowing. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Ha! (c) MACE, March 16, 2011.
Top School
March 16th, 2011
12:32 pm
The mentality in education leadership is not interested in a “GOOD TEACHER”. The current state of affairs with the teaching profession and MANY other professions…is make the short term appearance of progress by any means.
Lie, cheat, and steal your way to the top.
Education Administrators want a good follower…and someone that won’t rock their boat. If falsification of records includes this short term advance …it is called success.
Truth is…Those criticizing the current state of affairs in the education system…Those that think education is less today …than it was when they were in school. These leaders are in charge now.
The so called “intelligent” people have brought our human experience to the current condition…a failed system of government that fails in all the areas that hold a society together.
If the intelligent people are in charge…maybe its time for the idiots to lead.
Tad Jackson
March 16th, 2011
12:39 pm
Some schools give out a “Teacher of The Year” award. What criteria do they use to judge the winner?
http://www.adixiediary.com
teacher&mom
March 16th, 2011
12:40 pm
“only accepting the very best candidates and expending substantial amounts of time and money to nurture and develop the talents and leadership abilities of teachers and principals.”
Until we are willing to nurture and develop the talents and leadership abilities of teachers and principals…..it won’t matter how many best candidates we accept. They will continue to leave before the 5 year mark.
National experts who make comments like the following….
” I once asked a national expert on teacher quality about the high TFA departure rate and his comment to me was, “So what. If I can get good people in a classroom room for two or three years, that means two or three good years for those students. I would rather have good teachers in front of those kids for two years than not at all.”
…are not helping.
Does anyone believe that a national “expert” in Finland, Japan, or Germany would make that statement?
Top School
March 16th, 2011
12:51 pm
This should read Restore Respect, Dignity and Integrity back to SOCIETY.
We have a nuclear power plant melting down in Japan. And a bunch of intelligent people trying to cover up the effects. The quality control of nuclear power has been falsified in case after case…whistleblowers have sacrificed their INTELLIGENT nuclear research jobs to the deaf ears of a greedy society.
Now, you want people to respect teachers…?????@$###%^^&%^&^*&(*^&
These corporate parents don’t understand WHY you can’t falsify the test scores…THEY FALSIFY RECORDS all day at their jobs.
Ask the Step Up Parents in APS…they know all about this.
Currently, they are working with a Board of Education to hire a new superintendent.
They are asking the CURRENT unethical APS Board to hire a new leader???
How does that work?
Batgirl
March 16th, 2011
12:54 pm
@teacher & mom, I was appalled when I first read that comment. I couldn’t believe that anyone would say that or that anyone else would agree with it.
HStchr
March 16th, 2011
1:04 pm
*But improving the regard with which teachers are held is not principally about how much they are paid*
All too true!! If we were doing it solely for the money, we’d be fools. Give the respect and the support we need along with a structured, firm, supportive school for both kids and adults, and you get good scores. Downgrade, malign, and blame us for all the problems and all you get is more problems. I honestly believe you get more out of teachers, regardless of pay, if they feel supported and respected. And the result is better scores and happier kids and communities!
Dekalbite
March 16th, 2011
1:08 pm
“The current state of affairs with the teaching profession and MANY other professions…is make the short term appearance of progress by any means.”
I was just reading on the DeKalb School Watch blog that the DCSS Title 1 schools had an 80% made AYP rate in 2009 and it fell to 50%+ in 2010 after strict test monitoring (worse than APS).
Meanwhile, Audria Berry, the Executive Director of the Office of School Improvement and federal funds, got promotions and raises – based on Title I schools’ improvement which has been shown to really be a decline? Her decisions over hundreds of millions of Title 1 dollars for Title 1 schools has added scripted learning programs and 90 non-teaching Instructional Coaches ($9,000,000 a year – $100,000 each with salary and benefits), parent facilitators, extra coordinators (way in excess of $100,000 each in salary and benefits), and many other non-teaching positions . Coordinators, Directors, Coaches, Deputy Superintendents, Managers, Facilitators – all draining the classrooms of funds and instructional and planning time, promoting lax classroom discipline and poor study habits, forcing teachers to change grades, telling teachers how to teach, and many more poor management decisions – is the norm in DCSS and in most school systems in metro Atlanta. They are short timers who accept NO responsibility when students do not succeed. They figure they will be in another position by the time the data catches up to them. We have 8,000+ non-teaching personnel in DCSS and only 6,600 teachers. Our teachers are overwhelmed.
IMHO – the management of the school systems must be improved before all of our teachers can teach and all of our students can learn. Management in our school systems must be held responsible for student achievement.
Ivan Cohen
March 16th, 2011
1:10 pm
No question about it, a serious disconnect exists between the textbook/professor lecture sessions and applying this “acquired knowledge” in an elementary, middle or high school setting. I see buildings with the name school on them but truth be told they are academic factories turning out students assembly line fashion. This cookie cutter approach results in a disservice to everyone: teachers, parents and students. I would be interesting in seeing what the other countries do. They must doing something right. One problem we have here in this country, Hey Teacher is that no one can tell us anything. We are not receptive to alternatives especially if we did not come up with them first. Let’s get real US schools are doing those multipurpose roles you alluded to because the stay-at-home mom of the Ozzie & Harriett/Ward & June Cleaver days is a relic consigned to a museum. The icon of dad as the sole breadwinner is housed in the same museum. The American teaching profession can be either an enabler and advocate for students or it can cripple and be an adversary against students. I hope teachers will enpower their students with their knowledge to be contributing members of this society. Those students, whether you realize it or not will be a testimony of your teaching methods. Like Jacob’s ladder every rung is supposed to go higher and higher. If we have been descending on the ladder, now is the time to change our direction.
Top School
March 16th, 2011
1:22 pm
The ATLANTA CITIZENS do not show respect and dignity to the profession…IF they did…they would not accept the current APS Board in any position of authority with the decision of hiring a new superintendent.
Atlanta citizens should be OUTRAGED with the state of APS…yet they are NUMB to the corruption.
The mentality: APS Cancer has not touched their lives directly yet. Therefore, keeping the same nurses (the APS Board of Education) that administered the over the limit radiation in X RAYS (over teaching the test) … and botched up the treatment the doctored ordered (falsification of records) does not matter to these step up parents.
http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com
chuck
March 16th, 2011
2:01 pm
Maureen, this report is high on conclusions but extremely LOW on RESEARCH. Much of what was reported was “anecdotal”. In other words, it depends on who you talk to. The authors in this case, talked primarily to 15-year-olds and unions.
The biggest problem appears to be in the area of math education. I don’t believe that teacher quality is the primary culprit. If you look at the findings in the report, one of the key comments had to do with gateway testing. The report noted that those countries that performed “better” in math than us, had gateway tests to determine tracks for students. Students who did not fare well on those tests are sent to a vocational/work track. Those students are not given the standardized tests that ALL of our students take. In other words, if we only tested our “college track” students like the rest of the world, we would score ever bit as high as they do.
What people need to understand is that we have become too egalitarian when it comes to education. We need to realize that not every student is cut out for college.
Booklover
March 16th, 2011
2:06 pm
@teacher&mom–
School boards and short-sighted administrators love Teach for America. They can get teachers and pay them $30K a year, the starting salary for a teacher without a full teaching certificate. Once that teacher is about to move up in the pay scale, he/she leaves the profession, and a new $30K TFA teacher is found.
I’m not knocking TFA. I think it’s a great program, but it has it’s place. Every school also needs experienced teachers who’ve “seen it all” and can hold the hands of the newbies (who, we all agree, don’t get enough real experience in their education or TFA courses). Every school also needs the teachers who are fixtures, who uphold the traditions and culture of the school and provide institutional memory.
When I think about who my really great teachers were, they ALL had 10+ years of experience, with the exception of my 2nd grade teacher. She had a few years’ experience, and teacher youth, at that grade level, is sometimes helpful. All my great middle and high school Advanced Placement and Honors-level teachers were at least 35 with 10+ years’ experience.
Booklover
March 16th, 2011
2:08 pm
“it’s”= should be “its.” GHSGT proctoring is knocking me out. Sorry!
HStchr
March 16th, 2011
2:36 pm
chuck- I’ve said for years, after working with primarily “at-risk” kids, that we need much what Japan has. We test them after 9th grade and sort the collegiate from the career and educate accordingly. I have kids who can’t read much beyond 5th grade level and are okay with that fact. Their talents lie with their hands- they are wonderful artistis, singers, and can tear down and rebuild engines faster than I can think. They need education that will help them build on their talents and skills, not what will satisfy a politician’s vision of education.
lovestoteach
March 16th, 2011
2:44 pm
Teacher of the year criteria:
Most of the times it’s a solid and popular teacher who wins at my school. At another school, it was whoever had the biggest personal tragedy (no kidding). Many times those that are the best are not the most popular with their peers, but they always are with the parents, administration, and the children! But only peers vote.
chuck
March 16th, 2011
2:55 pm
HStchr, I agree completely. My brother was a vocational teacher for many years and he did wonders with the kids that frustrated the academic teachers…the ones who were forced to drop out because they couldn’t pass the GHSGT. It is INSANE to think that all kids can learn calculus or even algebra.
chuck
March 16th, 2011
3:02 pm
lovestoteach, in my experience, the BEST teachers are RARELY popular with students OR ESPECIALLY parents, because they have high standards and they don’t “give” grades, students earn them. This is the environment in which we work now. It is frustrating that parents are not so much interested in what johnny can do, but rather what johnny gets on his report card. I have parents calling me all the time AFTER report cards come out, to see what sally can do to bring THAT grade up even though they were sent weekly progress reports that they ignored for nine weeks when they could have done something to help their kid.
Teacher Reader
March 16th, 2011
3:36 pm
If you want to improve how teachers are thought of, get rid of the NEA and AFT, and the Department of Education. Hold students accountable for their education and their actions. Make parents deal with behavior problems and get those kids that don’t want to be in school out. Stop throwing good money at poorly run programs that just make book companies rich. Allow vouchers and make schools have competition. Raise the standards for what it takes to be a teacher and what it takes to become a teacher. I recall when I was taking my Illinois state teaching tests, girls saying that they were taking it for the fifth time. After taking this relatively easy test, I was left thinking that those girls probably shouldn’t be teaching anyone’s children.
Teachers want to be called professionals, yet they hid behind thug unions. There are schools were teachers are not treated fairly and where administrators are pretty poor, however you have that everywhere. As I watched the happenings in Wisconsin unfold these past few weeks, I watched and shook my head and said to myself several times, this is why I no longer teach. This is why I will never teach again. I said these statements and meant them. I loved teaching, but during my fifteen years in the classroom, the amount of time I was able to teach became less and less. I can say that at one point I felt sorry for the kids that I had my first few years in the classroom, now I believe that they had it much better than those that were in my classroom last year.
I agree with those that support technical education. We need more of it. However, these kids do need to be able to read, so that they can pay their taxes, employees, and read contracts.
s2k
March 16th, 2011
4:46 pm
Is it “the American Dream” that prevents us from – as HStchr suggests – testing students “after 9th grade and sort(ing) the collegiate from the career and educate accordingly.”
Because by God, in America, if you want to be a doctor, you can become one – even if you read at a 9th grade level and must use a calculator for simple functions!
How could such a model get started?
Another tired teacher
March 16th, 2011
5:03 pm
Yes for tech! My own son didn’t finish college and he makes double my salary and loves his job. Meanwhile, I’m being “trashed” by admin. because my students are out of control. My years of experience tells me that it is NOT ME. You can’t cram so many kids in a classroom and expect them with their weak reading levels and comprehension and God knows whatever else is going on to sit and behave. I’m being told that it is my fault that I am not engaging these students. Yet, they are so disruptive and I cannot get any support. Referrals don’t work; phone calls don’t work..the schools want the numbers to look good at the expense of the teacher. I’ve decided to resign at the end of this year. One can only take so much disrespect.
High School SS Teacher
March 16th, 2011
5:03 pm
HS Teacher is right about teachers wanting to be supported and respected. Also, teachers are the only adults some kids have in their lives. No matter how good or bad the neighborhood, teachers are giving these kids a chance while everyone else writes them off. Teachers are merchants of hope….not breeders of doubt. Teachers boldly go where many people wont go….who would take their place.
Im not a fan of teacher training programs. They give you ideas how to teach, but not any on how to deal with student issues. If you go into the worst schools, that training does little for you. The positive of them is you get to mingle with other teachers who share your situation and concern. Teachers share ideas here and achieve through these interactions.
Yet Another Teacher
March 16th, 2011
5:13 pm
Another tired teacher:
“Yet, they are so disruptive and I cannot get any support. Referrals don’t work; phone calls don’t work..the schools want the numbers to look good at the expense of the teacher. I’ve decided to resign at the end of this year. One can only take so much disrespect.”
Sounds like Douglas County. Do the students actually have working phone numbers?
Georgia Coach
March 16th, 2011
5:14 pm
John, snoopervision is nowhere close to being an original phrase. You better hope a certain percentage of teachers are morons because you need them to be conned into giving you $40 a month for your propaganda filled organization that only attracts the lowest performing educators. Again, I ask what is the benefit of giving MACE $40 a month? You have yet to dirctly answer this question.
If you want to discuss issues, fine, but promote your organization elsewhere.
HS Public Teacher
March 16th, 2011
6:33 pm
Teacher quality has shrunk in importance to the rather large political BS within the school, the school system, and the state of GA.
By teacher quality, I mean someone that knows the content and knows how to present it so that kids can learn. No one cares are that – no one.
They care about crazy stuff. Do you have the ‘essential question’ on the board? Do you have enough grades in your gradebook for this period? Did you sign the required monthly attendance sheet? Etc., etc., etc.
Dekalb Oldtimer
March 16th, 2011
7:53 pm
HS PUBLIC TEACHER….RE: “Teacher quality has shrunk in importance to the rather large political BS within the school…”
You are correct, without a doubt. Teachers who teach beyond the Primary grades [and maybe even the Primary teachers] should be required to have a degree in the content area in which they teach….English, Hisrory, Math, etc. Until that happens, teachers probably will not be regarded as true professionals nor will they command academic respect.
One may be really good at knowing “Methods and Materials” to use in teaching History/Social Studies…..but if one is not an expert [or at least semi-expert ] in both World
History and U.S.History , one is not going to get the respect that teachers want. A parent is not going to be impressed if the teacher doesn’t know the important dates and events that occurred in the period he/she is teaching. Same for literature/English…..got to have read those novels and know that grammar and usage.
Oh…..and compensated as an expert should be.
Having said that…Will any of the above happen any time soon. Don’t think so.
After 32 years of teaching , I would venture to say that you could walk into any Middle School in GA. and ask 10 teachers the dates of WWI, maybe 2 might know. As them to correct grammatical errors in a compound sentence…maybe 4 might be able to. Or to spell camaraderie….maybe one could.
Just talking quality, here. Knowing how to teach and how to manage a class is very important, but first a teacher must know the content of the subject.
I
HStchr
March 16th, 2011
7:55 pm
Teachers are merchants of hope….not breeders of doubt.
@High School SS Teacher: well said, very well said. When we lose that hope, and when we lose enough teachers willing to be the givers of it, what will we do?
Jack
March 16th, 2011
8:23 pm
Teachers can’t fix a problem that should have been fixed at the student’s home. Too many children are born to parents who have no intention of teaching their children how to be good students.
Dr. John Trotter
March 16th, 2011
8:42 pm
Hey “Georgia Coach” (and your myriad of other monikers): Sorry, Charley, but I am the one who has popularized “snoopervision” among educational circles, despite your jealous protestations to the contrary, but I do indeed love it when you bring your feeble mind and parakeet testicles onto this blog. I would love to discuss any of the issues confronting the public schooling process with you, but you persist in hiding behind your cloak of anonymity. You and I both know that you were a very happy MACE member (and are still a good teacher like so many of our other STAR Teachers and Teachers of the Year who are MACE Members), but now you are so filled with envy and bitterness because I would not allow you to pimp MACE. But, hey, even a jealous you would have loved the juicy picket at Atlanta’s Washington High today! The Police Officers briskly approached us, trying to get us off the sidewalk. We stood our ground. They backed down. The teachers were thrilled. Like I said, even a jealous you would have loved it. You loved all the pickets in the past when we came to your aid. Nevertheless, we will never allow MACE to be pimped. Have a good evening, ” Georgia Coach.”
Teacher Accountability
March 16th, 2011
8:43 pm
Lets just hold both teachers and parents accountable.
Typical Democrat
March 16th, 2011
8:44 pm
This is obviously all Bush’s fault…
gamom
March 16th, 2011
8:52 pm
How on earth can we talk about dignity and respect in the teaching profession – when we still have corporal punishment of students in 20 states – particularly Georgia. As long as the profession batters children in this state – there is no dignity or respect for either the profession or the students.
MrLiberty
March 16th, 2011
8:55 pm
Give parents the responsibility for paying for their own children’s education, give them the ability to contract with the school of their choice based on responsible assessments of the school’s ability and the teaching staff, etc. and give them the implicit ability to take their money and leave if the school and the teachers do not live up to their expectations and you will see a significant increase in respect for the teachers. Continue with the socialist, taxpayer forced-funded, unaccountable government run system and you will never achieve any of the goals always desired by folks who comment in this blog.
34 year Veteran
March 16th, 2011
9:18 pm
I began to notice the negative view by the public against teachers in the late 1990s. During that time I began to see news reporting that focused on teacher bashing or schools in ruins, etc. Also during that time I was chosen as the Teacher of the Year for my school site as well as my school district and as part of all the paperwork I had to submit was a question related to what I considered the biggest challenge ahead for educators in the future. My response was negative viewpoints regarding teachers in the press at that time. I felt we needed as a profession to combat those viewpoints vigorously. If we did not stand up and stop playing nice-nice or think it was not appropriate for us to fight against negative viewpoints we were not going to like the world we would be living in. Needless to say within three years the world began to fall apart, and now we are at this place where we really are not respected by the press or by politicians and to be quite frank the Federal Department of Education. I am so tired of hearing about “bad teachers”…”those bad teachers our there have ruined the world!”. Nine times out of ten a ”bad teacher” is one who stands up against administrators who want to dictate every minute of a teacher’s day; from the lesson plan format to the schedule to the pacing to the blah, blah, blah and who often have no clue how to teach a child to read or develop mathematical understandings, etc. The people who created this craziness that led to the state of our nation have yet to be punished in any way for creating the financial mess we are in. It is simply called GREED. I work hard. I believe in every child I teach. I fight for them. I want them to be the best they can be, and I want to be respected for my efforts because I deserve it as do most of my peers! School has become a terrible place for many children and not through the fault of teachers. All children are not the same. They need viable options for their futures not just one road to travel. The reading issue is this. Children do not become proficient readers if they do not actually practice the art of reading. Today they practice and practice and practice how to take a standardized test! Teachers did not decide that! You cannot imagine the amount of paper that is used on a daily and weekly basis at my school site just constantly assessing first and second grade students so they can take a standardized test! I apologize for any errors in spelling or grammar that may be sprinkled within my comments.
ECMom
March 16th, 2011
10:21 pm
And then there’s the truly bad teachers who are not being let go to make space for the good teachers eagerly waiting for their job. We are at a well regarded Cobb county school, and having a terrible year, along with everyone else in the class. This teacher has had years of bad teaching as other parents have attested (I have not spoken to one who can say anything nice about this teacher). Many have complained to the principal and the county, but they continue to make excuses for her and she continues to terrorize the children. We all just seem to try and “get through the year”, which is a terrible way to be educated especially in a well regarded school district and school. The buck should stop with the principal who is allowing this teacher to stay.
HStchr
March 16th, 2011
10:57 pm
EC Mom: Wait a few years and there won’t be anyone “eagerly” waiting for this teacher’s job. Also, if this teacher is truly bad, the test scores won’t be there to keep her in a job. It may be that she’s tough on kids and “mean”, and that never wins one a popularity contest. Usually folks who are truly bad end up making foolish mistakes that get them fired. It can be done and is when there is a true problem. I find that the teachers in my school that parents complain about the most are the ones making the scores go up because they’re willing to take the flap and forego being liked in order to actually hold kids to a higher standard. I can’t imagine so many people protecting a truly bad teacher- not in this environment.
BB
March 16th, 2011
11:40 pm
I am SO glad I’m not teaching anymore. I sometimes have “nightmares” that I am back in the classroom!
d
March 16th, 2011
11:52 pm
@Teacher Reader. Just a thought…. if we’re going to get rid of my professional association or union or whatever, why don’t we do the same with every other professional association – AMA, ABA, etc. No, instead, we let those professionals be in charge of their professions. They determine who gets licensed. They determine who gets barred. Why don’t we apply the same line of thought to NEA? Think about it, over 1 out of every 100 Americans is a member of NEA. That’s 3.2 million of us. I’d think we could come up with some good thoughts. Heck, we can even manage to pass balanced budgets and other policy using proper parliamentary procedure when there are nearly 10,000 of us voting (by the way, did you realize the NEA Representative Assembly, the highest authority in NEA, is the largest democratic deliberative body in the world?)
justbrowsing
March 17th, 2011
12:37 am
This is the new method used by administrators: Either you are too hard on students and have the evidence to back you up which justifies effectiveness, OR, you have a poor rapport with students. Interesting administrators aren’t they. So duplicitous!!!! (at least a lot them are)
Hadit
March 17th, 2011
5:35 am
One factor that comes into play is the eradication of the family. Teachers are expected to move children forward when they come to school unprepared and from a home that may not value education in the slightest. No one dares mention this issue, so the teachers are blamed. You simply cannot bring children to world-class standards when there is no reading or studying at home.
Another issue is the growth of things like zero tolerance policies. They always lead to idiotic decisions that end up in the paper. The educators look like brainless fools and respect evaporates.
redweather
March 17th, 2011
6:38 am
“Teachers are merchants of hope….not breeders of doubt.”
That is a usable quote. In my experience, teachers have to walk a fine line between hope and doubt. Some students give up at the first sign of an obstacle; others remain starry eyed about wanting to become doctors and astro physicists even as their GPA descends below 2.0. There is only so much teachers can do.
Georgia Coach
March 17th, 2011
6:41 am
John T. I was NEVER a MACE member and never will be. I do not believe in flushing $40 a month down the toilet. Once again you avoided the issue. If you are going to promote MACE here then tell me what one gets for his or her monthly dues.
GA hates teachers
March 17th, 2011
7:08 am
34 year Veteran,
Thank you for your years of service to the profession. We need mentors like you, so baby teachers like me have someone to ask questions. I agree with so many of your points, and I mourn the loss of dignity in teaching with you. If it is any consolation, other teachers recognize your hard work and so do the kids.
hey Trotter
March 17th, 2011
7:58 am
please explain “pimping” MACE?
Tad Jackson
March 17th, 2011
8:19 am
I know the best guidance I have ever received are from veteran teachers and observant principals, and from certain folks in another group: the students themselves. You’ll have a closer bond with some students, and it takes guts, but ask them, privately, how they think you’re doing.
It’s fascinating what they’ll tell you, and fascinating how they react to your question. It’s actually a remarkable teaching moment … for the teacher.
http://www.adixiediary.com