If you kill the heart and soul of a school, what’s left?
Here is an essay by UGA professor Peter Smagorinsky about the failure of education reforms to consider or invite the views of teachers.
A faculty member in the College of Education’s department of language and literacy education, Smagorinsky won the 2011 SAGE Citation for Excellence in Reviewing for his work on behalf of the journal Written Communication. He earned the Edward B. Fry Book Award in 2009 from the National Reading Conference for his “Handbook of Adolescent Literacy Research,” the College of Education’s Russell B. Yeany Jr. Research Award in 2009 and the Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Research Award in 2008. He has written several compelling entries for Get Schooled. (This is a link to the most recent.)
Also, here is a new post on teaching that ties into this one.
By Peter Smagorinsky.
Maybe it’s the election year; maybe it’s the times; maybe it’s the zeitgeist. Everyone seems to have an opinion about education, and the stronger the better. And the more money behind the opinion, the more likely it’ll become a policy.
There is one group of people that is entirely ignored when it comes to developing educational policies that have authenticity, relevance, viability, and other attributes of authority in the school setting. This population has been, over time, abused, reviled, belittled, undermined, and disrespected; and presently is under greater attack than ever before. At the same time, this population knows more about schools than any other group on earth, understands teaching and students’ learning better than anyone else, has a greater investment in schools than the policymakers who govern the institutions, and works harder on behalf of students than anyone in the profession. That group is the faculty.
Teachers are the heart and soul of every school. Students are guaranteed to be gone within two to six years. Many administrators come and go without staying long enough to make an impact, except on their own career trajectories. At one school at which I taught, in my seven years of employment we had three different principals. I have visited schools in rural Oklahoma where the principalship turns over every year or two as people use the position as a springboard to bigger and better jobs. Parents’ interest tends to come and go as their children move through the system, and many taxpayers without children believe that they needn’t support schools, since they personally get nothing from them.
The one constant is the faculty, which makes a dedicated commitment to the community that spans decades. The institutional role played by teachers is more responsible for the culture and continuity of the school community than are the contributions of anyone else. In spite of this extraordinary career dedication to schools and their kids, teachers are the ones whose perspective is rarely consulted, and of late, they are the ones who take all of the blame whenever anything varies from the script established by policymakers, no matter how unrealistic that script might be.
Teachers are the heart and soul of every school because they are the ones with the longest, most dedicated commitment and term of service to the institution. It seems to me that creating conditions that make teaching a satisfying profession should thus be the center of any educational policy.
Presently, teachers are controlled administratively through threats and other disincentives. They tend to be treated like children, and bad children at that. That seems like a very strange way to treat the lifeblood of the institution by those who come and go over time. Many of the most dynamic teachers are now leaving the profession in alarming numbers.
Treating teachers with greater respect, creating less intrusive work conditions, and providing teachers with a strong voice in how schools are run would help restore morale so that, even if the salaries are not high, faculty members are able to make the difference that so many people seek to make upon choosing the teaching profession in the first place.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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36 comments Add your comment
teacher&mom
March 5th, 2012
9:12 am
Thank you.
Dr. Proud Black Man
March 5th, 2012
9:23 am
Amen! Thank you very much!
Mary Elizabeth
March 5th, 2012
9:26 am
“Presently, teachers are controlled administratively through threats and other disincentives. They tend to be treated like children, and bad children at that. That seems like a very strange way to treat the lifeblood of the institution by those who come and go over time.”
“Teachers are the heart and soul of every school.”
======================================================
I agree with the article above, in every respect. It is an outstanding article. Professor Smagorinsky understands both education and teachers. I thank him for his insightful words.
alm
March 5th, 2012
9:30 am
Well said and thank you.
carlosgvv
March 5th, 2012
9:35 am
This is similar to the plight of Nurses. Hospital administrators and doctors seem to listen to everyone except the nurses, who are closest to the patients and know what is most needed.
Beverly Fraud
March 5th, 2012
9:37 am
If you kill the heart and soul of a school, what’s left?
Hmm…maybe a cadre of totally incompetent administrators who, finding their “researched based reforms” to be a complete and utter failure, resort to facilitating THE largest cheating scandal in United States educational history?
William Casey
March 5th, 2012
9:40 am
Excellent! I’ll add that within the overall faculty of almost any school, there is a core group of teachers for whom teaching is a “calling.” This core group is the “soul” of the school and largely define it. Schools are in danger of losing both their hearts and souls.
Elizabeth
March 5th, 2012
9:48 am
Well said!
Michael Moore
March 5th, 2012
9:49 am
Well said, Peter…but your words continue to fall on deaf ears. Consider the current legislative anti-teacher legislation:
HB 109: An attack on the speech of public employees. This restricts teachers and other state employees from using any leased or school related electronic devices to promote or oppose legislation. Think about this…it’s a bullying attempt to silence particularly teachers who might oppose say legislation using a single test score in evaluating teacher performance;
SB 426: Modifying Social Studies Curriculum – We’ve already seen Maureen’s blog on this from the UGA professor of history
SB469: Attack on the Right to Protest/Assemble – Public employees could not picket. So a teacher’s march on the capitol to protest further draconian legislation would be illegal if this passes. You would think being a right to work state would be enough.
AlreadySheared
March 5th, 2012
9:52 am
IF teachers were respected professionals, it would not be necessary for them to have the applicable standard for the current lesson written on the board (one can be confident that respected professional is teaching what he/she should be teaching).
Just one of many small marks of disrespect afforded to teachers on a daily basis.
Atlanta Media Guy
March 5th, 2012
10:02 am
DCSS could learn a valuable lesson on how to support teachers. Enough with the coaches and non-teaching personnel let’s find good teachers, pay them well and let’s see what happens. These cookie cutter programs, like America’s Choice, are wasting taxpayer dollars. Those funds should be directed to the hiring of teachers! We’ve lost our focus in Georgia on the very people that can get results! Over 600 positions have been retired or let go in DeKalb, over the past three years, let’s hire those 600 positions back and get rid of the friends, family, sorority and frat members that permeate our Palace (Central Office) in DeKalb. Do we really need so many of them?
It is all planned
March 5th, 2012
10:03 am
Check this out: Below are links that state and federal legislatures pay to be members of…it is very very expensive but what happens is the legislators become members and use this database of legislation to write these bills. It is just a copy paste job and they insert Georgia’s name in the document. These documents are written by the “Industry” are looking to cash in. Charters are ponzi scheme and it goes well beyond “school choice” These parents who have been mislead are going to crack when the charters fall on their face too…both Traditional Public Schools and Charters will have to fail in order for our society to wake up…but I feel it is too late. This makes me sick and makes me think about leaving the profession.
Here is a list of GA Legislators who are ALEC members:
- Rep. Howard R. Maxwell
- Rep. Jan Jones
- Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-24);
- Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers
- Sen. Fran R. Millar
- Sen. Greg Goggans
Full List: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Politicians#Georgia_Legislators_with_ALEC_Ties
Here is a list of ALEC-endorsed/written legislation: http://alecexposed.org/wiki/Bills_Affecting_Americans%27_Rights_to_a_Public_Education
Here are some legislation that we know has been proposed, passed, or is coming down the pipe in Georgia:
- 2D1 Charter Schools Act
- 2D4 Next Generation Charter Schools Act
- 2D8 The Autism Scholarship Program Act
- 2D10 The Foster Child Scholarship Program Act
- 2D13 The Military Family Scholarship Program Act
- 2D21 The Special Needs Scholarship Program Act
- 2D23 Virtual Public Schools Act
- 2E6 Longitudinal Student Growth Act
- Parent Trigger Act
V for Vendetta
March 5th, 2012
10:19 am
Yeah, it would be ncie to be treated better by our own profession.
And by parents.
And by politicians.
And by students.
(Sigh)
skipper
March 5th, 2012
10:21 am
Coming from a family of teachers I agree; teachers should be MORE than involved. However, beside the fact that beaurocrats who are in positions to make decisions may not have the ability to do so, other factors are in place as well. Now, teachers spend so much time comforming to non-important paperwork required to satisfy some nut that is defending his job that it is riduculous! Everything from sensitivity training to worrying about “self-esteem” issues to discipline issues, etc. I am not old fashioned, but if a student cusses a teacher, he (or she) needs their butts physically thrown out of the class and properly handled; period! Teachers need to be able to TEACH also, not fill in forms, follow political correctness, and live in fear all the time!
Kicking around legislators won't help gm
March 5th, 2012
10:33 am
I find the button displayed on the Get Schooled blog offensive. There are some good politicians in this country. Not all of them are horrible as this button proclaims.
I find this button odd because if if had the expression on it “Those who can, do. Those who can’t teach,” there would be a lashing out and many people saying that we shouldn’t paint all one group with the same brush.
I disagree with the guest writer who proclaims that “teachers are the heart and sould of the school.” HEART and SOUL.
The heart and soul expression is used to describe the most precious part of anything. Teachers are definitely a big part of the school but they are not all of the school. I say the parents, students and teachers are the heart and soul of the school.
With all the newsworthy topics about education today — for example the APS superintendant just approved the option for redistricting and is presenting it to the board — I would think that would be the newsworthy topic here on Get Schooled. Maureen has actually already posted this picture of this button before on the Get Schooled blog.
I really appreciate good teachers and they are a real value to our community. A good school is the pride of the community….and we need to give praise when it’s due..but posting a slam against legislators without a real piece of thought-provoking commentary to back it up, is not helpful.
GM
Ron F.
March 5th, 2012
10:33 am
“teachers are the ones whose perspective is rarely consulted, and of late, they are the ones who take all of the blame whenever anything varies from the script established by policymakers, no matter how unrealistic that script might be…”
Nice to hear someone other than a teacher articulate that point!
Viking Vol
March 5th, 2012
10:35 am
The sentiments expressed in this column led to my retirement after 35 very successful and rewarding years of teaching. Education is ruled by fads. Everybody has an opinion about what should be done to “fix” education. What all fail to realize is there are no overnight fixes. We would no sooner start one program before it was abandoned for something else. I’ve seen the pendulum swing too many times and I had to leave before it finally hit me.
Parent Teacher
March 5th, 2012
11:18 am
Leave it to good mother to miss the point.
Ashley
March 5th, 2012
11:35 am
I agree that teachers are the heart and soul of education…….Some would tend to disagree. Many teacher and instructor have come to the aid of students who are from economically challenge homes, some students go all day long without a kind word or encouragement from home by parents who are either to busy or just don’t care. There are bad teachers just like there are bad employees in any profession, but teachers generally bear the brunt of abuse when little johnny is misbehaving both by parents and the administration. Teachers don’t want to leave for greener pasture, but not having a voice sometimes leaves them with no choice. I remember when I was in seventh grade I had a science teacher who ‘d also been my mother science teacher , I ask him if he was tired of teaching …….he say no because it was his mission to make sure the next generation was on the fast track, and with a wink he said besides “they leave me alone and let me do my job” . I use to wonder who were” they “, now 42 years later I know who they are and Mr. Comer would be so upset.
Courtney
March 5th, 2012
12:01 pm
Teachers are everything. Administrators and politicians should listen to those in the classroom.
South GA Teacher
March 5th, 2012
12:06 pm
I Love the pin…I have it on my signature when I send out emails.
TeacherMan
March 5th, 2012
1:00 pm
This simple question is so obvious and so critical, could you please keep it on the front burner and constantly ask our politicians to answer it! Our ‘policymakers’ need a scapegoat, so they automatically focus on the bottom of the education power hierarchy. What the public needs to understand is exactly how teachers spend not only their ‘work day’ at school, but also their personal time in grading, calling, emailing, self developing, lesson planning, etc. Yet the sole accountability for results often rests on the teachers. Our highest performing students typically come from the most accountable parents.
I suggest you interview a few hundred teachers from a variety of backgrounds. Then ask you’re readers what they think are the biggest challenges teachers face in the classroom? They might be surprised!
TeacherMan
March 5th, 2012
1:03 pm
Enter your comments here
*your
BT
March 5th, 2012
1:04 pm
From an administrators perspective, I totally agree. As the instructional leader of a school, I set the expectations, provide the training and resources needed, then get the heck out of the way and let them do their job! I find your moral is high and our school functions at a high level as well.
A “bad” teacher confesses. More pressure, worse teaching. | Get Schooled
March 5th, 2012
1:07 pm
[...] by Mr. Johnson. (Please click here to read his full piece. It is worth your time this morning.) Also, take a look at this other Get Schooled post from today, which also relates to this issue. Like most teachers, I’m good some days, bad others. The same [...]
Brandy
March 5th, 2012
2:10 pm
Amen, Brother! Of course, you’re mainly preaching to the choir on here…
Just A Teacher
March 5th, 2012
3:11 pm
For what it is worth, here are my thoughts on the subject. Teaching is a profession, not an occupation. Unfortunately, it seems as if everyone thinks they know how to do it. I suppose that is because everyone was once a student. That logic is fallacious. I have been a patient, but I wouldn’t dare try to tell a surgeon how to do his job.
This is why I believe we need union representation: not to hurt the profession, but to give us a voice in the laws and policies which are implemented and have a direct impact on our ability to do our jobs. Let’s face it: GAE and PAGE either are not being listened to by lawmakers or are simply not interested in aiding classroom teachers.
We all know that many policies which have recently been put in place have a detrimental effect on our jobs. Increased class size, limited professional development opportunities, and, of course, stagnant salaries all have negative consequences for teachers. However, I can not recall even one instance of anyone in a position of power with the capability of improving these drawbacks ever asking my opinion. In my 17 years in the classroom, I have been told over and over again what will be required of me, but I have never been asked what changes would benefit my students and me in the classroom. I say, “If you aren’t in the trenches with me, then you have no business telling me what to do on the battlefield!”
Teacher2
March 5th, 2012
8:13 pm
“teachers are the ones whose perspective is rarely consulted, and of late, they are the ones who take all of the blame whenever anything varies from the script established by policymakers, no matter how unrealistic that script might be.”
Amen!
NW GA Math/Science Teacher
March 5th, 2012
9:10 pm
Dr. Smagorinsky: Remember the meeting this past summer? I distinctly remember representative Lindsey saying they were aware of the problem with admin. Are they still aware? I agree with your take more now even than then.
To the administrators: You admin, let me TEACH!!
ScienceTeacher671
March 5th, 2012
10:40 pm
Dr. Smagorinsky is my hero.
Those who cannot,
March 6th, 2012
6:23 am
The “slogan” in the button is missing a coma. Oh, the irony…
world we live in, in cobb
March 6th, 2012
8:49 am
What a timely and inspiring piece! Thank you so much – would you consider running for office?
Madatfulton
March 6th, 2012
9:14 am
@ Those who cannot, I guess there is irony in that fact that you said “Missing a coma”, when it should be “comma”.
Charterstarter, Too
March 6th, 2012
9:49 am
I am in absolute and total agreement with Mr. Smagorinsky. We have two important things at play – teachers who stink and should be fired remain protected by the bureaucracy (much to the disgust of parents and quality staff members), and stellar teachers who are totally committed, totally self sacrificing, who have no voice in educational policy at the higher level or more importantly, no (or very, very little) voice in school level decision making where it really matters.
I’m pulling charters into this discussion because this is where I believe the bend in the road with traditional schools is in large part – providing a voice for the teachers. I know when I started our charter school, we began with a mission, and everything we did was totally focused around that mission. The teachers were chosen who believed in the mission and philosophy – they didn’t all agree in the HOW, but they certainly all agreed with the WHAT and the WHY. And once we had those people on board, they played the biggest role in determining how our school ran – from the instructional priorities, curriculum design and mapping, assessment plans, materials, textbooks, professional development planning, budget, traditions, how to engage parents, scheduling, discipline…everything. They were the ones who were going to have to implement it, so we needed to make sure they bought into it, and the best way to do that was to allow their collective expertise to craft it. As administrators in this process, we were facilitators – the hard work came from the professionals (and not just the teachers, but the paraprofessionals, office staff, and any other person who was going to be working in the building.) It was an interesting process and inspiring to behold as this group of educators shared an amalgam of experiences and professional opinions until they came to consensus. That consensus comprehensively tied all aspects of the school together and was perfectly aligned to the mission and the students we were serving in OUR school. Everyone’s voice was valued….and later, parents were provided a voice, and things were revised somewhat taking these opinions into consideration, so they too were a valuable part of the process.)
The school has been open for years and is very successful academically and operationally. And, the teachers’ voices are still sought out in all aspects of decision making – even in board governance. Each year with school improvement planning, the teachers drive the critical analysis of where the holes are and how to address them. When budget cuts came down, the administration and the board did not prescribe furlough days or cuts – instead, they laid the issue on the table for the staff, and the staff grappled with the problem and came up with the solutions to address the cuts. Interestingly, they came up with some solutions the board and admin. had not considered, and not surprisingly, they furloughed themselves some to ensure funds stayed in the classroom. And nobody felt put upon or resentful, as everyone shared the problem and the solution.
I cannot tell you how empowering this is in a school. It is one of the cornerstones of a strong school culture – when you have a staff that is all on the same page, respected by administration, and respected by one another, then it provides the climate for student learning to occur and for parents to feel part of a community. Everyone holds everyone else accountable for “how we do things here,” since everyone has a voice in the process. Marginal teachers don’t last in an environment like this – it’s too much pressure, as the parents expect better, the kids expect better, the staff expects better, and the administration and board expect better. Plus, outcomes are expected with the charter performance goals. The marginal teachers either pick up the pace and conform to excellence or they leave or are dismissed. Teachers should ALWAYS be valued in the schooling process – not just the delivery mechanism, but the inventors of the process to do it right.
That is something that a larger system with its uniform processes cannot do.
Viking
March 6th, 2012
9:26 pm
GM,
“I say the parents, students and teachers are the heart and soul of the school.”
A nice sentiment, but less and less true these days. Parents, emboldened by legislators and policy makers, are more inclined to hold teachers, not students, accountable for achieving high test scores.
Demonizing teachers makes for good talk radio, but unproductive education policy.
Jeri
March 7th, 2012
10:55 am
Yes, teachers are the heart and soul of education because without them what is going to become of our educational system? Little incentive exists to want to become a teacher and the working environment keeps getting worse. I consider myself an excellent teacher and I made it six years before becoming a statistic.I’ve currently left the classroom. Although I miss my job immensely on many levels, I can’t deny that I feel better than I have in years. Our society, from parents, students, politicians, and administrators, don’t value or trust teachers to teach. That is so sad.
So as more and more teachers leave the profession, the heart and soul of school is going to become online instruction. Good luck with that. Count me out.