Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely positive about President Obama’s passion for education. It is great to hear him talk of the virtues of this great profession:
“Let’s also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child’s success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. In South Korea, teachers are known as “nation builders.” Here in America, it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. (Applause.) We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. (Applause.) And over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.” (Applause.)
“In fact, to every young person listening tonight who’s contemplating their career choice: If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child — become a teacher. Your country needs you.” (Applause.)
But if the US really needed good teachers, why does it treat its current ones so badly? Why does it constantly refer to disposing of bad teachers instead of offering support to improve teacher performance? It may be “time we treated the people who educate our children with respect,” but until you do, I’ll take it as words rather than substance.
I am referring to three examples which highlight the lack of respect of American teachers.
1. The recent decision by a New York State Judge to release the performance ratings of thousands of New York teachers to the media:
The judge, Cynthia Kern of the Supreme Court of the state of New York, wrote in a nine-page decision that the UFT’s argument “is without merit,” adding that the court of appeals “has clearly held that there is no requirement that data be reliable for it to be disclosed.”
The data attempt to measure the progress made by students in fourth through eighth grades under specific teachers by comparing their state test scores in math and English in a given year with the previous year.
The Department of Education has such data applying to 12,000 teachers; overall, there are nearly 80,000 teachers in New York City.
2. The “Last In, First Out” (LIFO) sham of a policy:
This policy dictates that when there are layoffs, the most recently hired teachers in the system are the first to be fired. These decisions are based solely on seniority, without regard for teacher effectiveness. The policy has three major negative impacts: first, it removes many high-performing tenured and non-tenured teachers from the classroom, while retaining those that are less effective but have more years in the system; second, it causes a higher number of layoffs, since junior teachers are paid the least; and finally, it disproportionately impacts the lowest performing schools, which have the largest number of new teachers.
3. The Teacher Bashing Website, RateMyTeachers.com:
This website invites parents and teachers to rate and comment on their teachers. The comments are public and often extremely slanderous. Whilst being a US website, teachers from all around the world, including my country, Australia, can be rated and commented on. Each teacher’s comments and rating can then be shared through Facebook by clicking a button on the site. This is absolutely disgraceful, and while the authorities know about it, they have decided not to intervene.
President Obama, I absolutely love your passion for education. You most certainly have a vision and an expectation that things improve. But for your words to ring true and your wishes to come to fruition there is a lot more you and your Government can do for teachers.
Let’s start by offering support to your current teachers instead of giving up on them in favour of new blood. Let’s give good teachers the opportunity to feel secure in their job. And finally, let’s consider the impact websites like RateMyTeachers.com have on teacher morale.
If you really want teachers to get the respect they deserve, the respect needs to come from your administration first and foremost.
Tags: Education, News, Politics, President, President Obama, School, Schools, State of the Union
Topical Teaching 
January 27, 2011 at 4:48 am |
I’ve thought a great deal about why teachers and professors have to be ‘rated’ on these awful websites. I find it particularly frustrating that people who use these sites to ‘rate’ people aren’t really aware of the mental and emotional efforts that’s required to teach, the training required…etc that that people who are teachers and academics have had to go through. This whole business of ‘rate’ is really a popularity contest in my mind based on whether the person who’s given either what’s deemed ‘an easy course’ or ‘an A’….I think that current teacher and academic morale is probably low becuase society doesn’t value teachers, teaching or the process of getting an education. Education isn’t instantaneous…and to be good in school means that has to work…and not be mediocre. It strikes me that many students don’t want to work hard and succeed since that requires a great deal of hard work…and so those teachers who do make their students work will get a low rating on these websites. Education, as much as Obama says that it must be more highly valued than it currently is…since it isn’t valued as it ought to be. Yes, I agree with you..it’s not just a case of training more teachers. It’s just not that simple to get the respect that they deserve.
If you really want teachers to get the respect they deserve, the respect needs to come from your administration first and foremost.
January 28, 2011 at 12:41 am |
Thanks Anthea for your incisive comments and for taking the time to read my blog.
January 27, 2011 at 4:48 pm |
They should be forced to disclose or have some type of disclaimer on their front page stating that “This is only a site for sharing opinion with no real measurable data to go on other than hearsay.” That will take some of the bite out of it. I am of the opinion that most of the ones who need to go are the administrators who keep covering up for people like the ones I write about-and still draw 5-6 figure salaries. Cut the snakes head off and the tail takes care of itself. Also, administrators and school board members should have to be required to have spent at least 5 (yes 5) years as a public school educator.
I want to know why it is that years ago, before US schools started putting the impression into these young minds that they were entitled to internet, computers, Ipads and Iphones, children actually COULD perform the skills required with only a pencil and paper? In the US I think someone is bilking the taxpayer with the same type of contracts the military used to dish out for something that is totally unnecessary before a child reaches the 10th grade level–then it should be a privilege, not an entitlement.
If they want to cut unnecessary spending, it should start with administrators, those “innovators” who go around the country drawing $5k or more to sell software and such that isn’t necessary and get back to the basics of learning Reading, Writing, Mathematics and real History! There are two entities in the US that have done more to harm the literacy levels of our children than anyone. One is the NEA and the other is the US Dept. of Education. Both are a waste of money and time. States should handle their own education and get rid of all these frills within a 5 year period that only cripple our youth! Too much money is spent on Administration, Electronic gadgets and other things that really are not a necessity.
Kids only need these things when they come to school: writing materials, good textbooks, paper and their well-rested mind, aside from colors/map colors, rulers, etc… It should be up to the teacher to teach–not a computer. Studies have shown that schools that don’t have the money for this stuff are scoring higher than those that do.
If you want to do the schools a real favor–put real discipline back in the hands of the teacher and the principals. Have the parents sign a permission slip and if they don’t want Johnny in ISS or Isolated lunch Detention, they can keep him or Jenny home from school with a zero for each written grade for that day. Period–NO homework intervention, etc. Their lack of a baby sitter should not be a factor on what is decided either. It didn’t wash when I was a child. They should be banned from extra-curricular activities as long as they are not passing, and they should be banned for a minimum of six weeks if they violate laws and are convicted in court and/or if they commit a serious offense on campus. I AM NOT referring to the ocassional speeding ticket or double-parking either.
Sorry I got so winded on there. I agree with you and it’s all a form of bullying to me (AGAIN!) only it’s in cyber form!
Bring back the CAT California Achievement Test and do away with these tests that are designed on false standards to penalize children and let the states handle their own curriculum. The CAT test only measures what needs to be taught without penalizing the child. It gives educators measurable goals as well. Time to give NES the heave-ho too! All of these suck up taxpayer money and we’ve got a deficit to reduce.
January 27, 2011 at 4:50 pm |
I need to clear up one thing…The only expenses that should NOT be cut is for assistive technology with regard to special education students and the free breakfast/lunch programs.
January 27, 2011 at 4:51 pm |
Sorry about my subject-verb agreement in that last statement, but I am going to bed to get some much needed sleep.. 😉
January 28, 2011 at 12:39 am |
Thank you kadja2 for your fabulous comments.