I'm a teacher.

[mr715]

I started teaching 3 years ago after a doctoral program in science. I loved teaching in college and I love teaching in my middle school. I'm an alternative certification teacher (NY Teaching Fellows).

I started teaching in Washington Heights in NYC, in a school where 100% of the students receive free lunch - a high poverty, high needs school. Over 85% of the student body are English-Language Learners. I have many special ed kids, and kids with special ed services.

We are a good school - an A on our school report card, consistently successful in our quality review, and we pride ourselves in teaching "complete kids", not just moving test scores.

Teachers are professions. We are paid a salary for a service we provide. We are given benefits, we are respected, and we are treated as lifelong learners. Short of ivory tower academics, doctored professionals, teaching is one of the most cerebral pursuits.

Heres the thing... I AM responsible for my kids. A million times a day I feel frustrated and throw my hands up and say "What are these parents doing!" I huff and I puff and I hear parents going off to DR for months and leaving their kids at home (we report, of course). I hear parents refusing to give their child special ed services or medication.

But I cannot do anything about that. Parents are the second most powerful force in shaping the teenage mind, after peer group. Teachers are a forceful third.

Teachers share partial responsibility for the success or failure of their students. When 50% of a school succeeds, that speaks of a MASSIVE failure of teachers to assess their own practice, develop student centered curricula, and address specific student needs. It is a lot of work, and it takes more than 40 hours a week. If teachers are unwilling to go the extra mile, then that is there right. BUT when you do not go the extra mile AND you do not succeed, you run the risk of being perceived as not caring.

Teachers in NYC get paid more than cops. Its awesome. Its something that my union (of which I am a mostly proud member) fought hard to defend teachers and defend a necessary and noble profession.

However, as I said earlier, I am a professional. I am paid well for a difficult job. If I was a salesman that had to sell something everybody wanted, it'd be easy (teaching gifted and motivated kids). If I was a salesman that needed to sell an inferior product, I'd need to put in extra work to make myself successful (teaching high needs kids). If I do not produce results, if I am bogged in the mud, then something needs to change.

Teach for America and NYCTF are NOT the way to handle public education, and charter schools are an insidious threat, but teachers are certainly not blameless when results are consistently not being produced.

"Blame the parents" is a well received and appreciated rallying cry to me, as a teacher. BUT it doesnt solve the problem because parents wont change. Raise the pay of the teachers, make it competitive, but I think a school board can and SHOULD can a repeatedly underperforming school if they do not make motions to improve.


EDIT

[rufus dog]

1. delete

[mr715]

2. Thanks - the word was underperforming.

[iconocrastic]

10. There is a societal trend toward dumbing-down, society as a whole as well as students.

Congratulations that your school is doing well.

However, to the extent that the teaching profession and their administrations emphasize socialization (i.e., going along with the trend, which means more dumbing-down) then you good teachers will be fighting an uphill battle.

[mr715]

15. Teach to the middle.

Is the dominant view from administration.

Have high expectations from every student is a better emphasis.

[DontTreadOnMe]

3. Well stated

I am pro union.

I have been working for 30 years, never had a union job. I have changed careers three times now -- mostly computer and IT related.

I am tired of hearing about "teachers" rights when a school like Central Falls has over a 50% drop out rate. How bad does it have to get before somebody steps ins and throws the entire process out.

The solution to public schools is Federal Funding... equal amounts to every school - across the entire country based on population. No more "wealthy" towns only get the best schools. You can't run public education as a for-profit business. And if they raised the salaries of teachers, more qualified teachers would turn up!

How about taxing Wall St. to pay for Healthcare and Public Education! I am starting to get beyond the state of rage!

[proudohioan]

11. I totally agree with Federal Funding equality....

As a single parent, I had (for years) been making the hard choice between living in more affordable housing, or barely affordable housing with a better school system. Up until this last June, the barely affordable housing has always won. But due to this devastating economy, I finally had to move to a more affordable inner ring suburb. It was truly a heartbreaking decision to make, as I had to pull my kids out of their familiar school district and move them to a new school. This school is almost twice the size of their old HS, and has obviously less money to work with. It's been on "Academic Watch" for years (= less funding). Catch 22 situation, and truly unfair, IMO.

I remember during his campaign, Obama spoke about this same scenario; parents living in unaffordable areas of town just so that their kids could go to decent schools. I remember thinking,"Great, he gets it!!!". I was hoping that we could finally get rid of this nonsense of demeaning the teaching profession by having them focus on teaching kids to take tests, rather than teaching kids as a whole, teaching kids how to learn and think critically. This "no child left behind" legacy of Bush does neither the kids or teachers any favors.

IMO, Federal Funding based on population levels the playing field for both the teachers and kids. It's the fairest way to do things.

[4lbs]

4. If this was the first year that less than half the students graduated and less than 10% knew how

to do basic math, then I could say "blame the parents".

However, it appears that year after year this was the case. What, suddenly hundreds upon hundreds of parents, every year, are to blame? That would mean an entire community, nay, town or city is filled with uncaring parents. I don't think so.

Also, why is it just this one school that is underperforming? If it was truly the parents, truly a social malady, then this situation would exist at other nearby schools. Other schools would have a 50% non-graduation rate, and less than 10% of the student body that could do math.

Yet, it's just this one school that is inflicted with this situation. At least, that's all that's been identified so far. So, you look at the school itself. Namely, what have the teachers (and administrators of that school - principal, vice principal, etc.) been doing?

Evidently the superintendent of the schools has found that particular school's teachers and administrators lacking and fired them all.

[jotsy]

5. I'm a parent.

Thank you.

All I needed to read to owe you that was in the header to your post.

My children are 28, 19, and 13. My take on education has evolved over the years, but one thing has never wavered, and that's wanting to hug every person who has ever chosen to spend the bulk of their days with pieces of our future.

Having said that, I see the problems the delivery system seems to be bogged down with has a mesh of thorny roots. Would love to chat at length with any of those that face these daily trenches as to the trends on where we're at and what it takes to get it where you think it should be in terms of educating the public.

[mr715]

16. Just got back from parent teacher conferences.

The ones I meet are always the easiest conversations because they care, they make the effort, and they see their children as more than an accessory.

I never would have thought that I would be a teacher. I joined this school an arrogant former scientist at 25 years old... Who would have thought I would start bawling my eyes out on some ridiculous 8th grade graduation?

I'm optimistic and I don't think education is broken. There is a lot of "thorny roots" - to order supplies, I need to go through licensed contractors that saves us money, but is extremely complex and takes time.

But... the thing with education. It only takes one kid.

I love my job (I guess its a similar feeling to being a parent).

[Orsino]

6. Canning a whole faculty? Color me skeptical.

I applaud your acknowledgment of the teacher's responsibility, but one might as well say that teachers won't change, either.

I'm a "blame the village" type, personally. Nothing that happens in a child's life happens in a vacuum, and I feel unable to single anyone out in, say, this story of the failing school. The whole story, I'm sure is very complicated.

[mr715]

14. I ask this honestly and humbly:

What is the option in the system we have?

The school was terrible and yes there are mitigating factors but call it what it is - a failing school that was dysfunctional and poorly managed.

Someone needed to be fired.

So who gets fired? The teachers that had the lowest test scores? So, the effectiveness of teachers becomes based on their performance on tests? Do we fire based on seniority, which keeps low performing teachers in place? Do we fire 50% randomly?

No, nothing happens in a vacuum and parents SHARE responsibility. We have no mechanism by which we can hold parents responsible.

I know that if I worked at a school that was failing, I would throw myself into ensuring that my school survived. I would sacrifice my per session hours, I would work extra for free, and I would fight hard for the kids. I would not throw up my hands and say I won't work because I'm not getting overtime. That is my RIGHT, buuuuut if my kids still fail after I make that decision, it is partially on my shoulders.

[handmade34]

7. I appreciate your post

I was a teacher and I know that it is never black and white. No one is innocent and it is seldom entirely one person's fault. A community and its educational system is a complex mix. I have seen drastic changes in students by merely putting them in a different classroom (with a different teacher). As a parent, I removed one of my sons from our local school (where he struggled everyday) and placed him in a neighboring community school - his entire demeanor changed and he flourished. I have had students come to my classroom where their behavior didn't even closely resemble what other teachers had described. I am dismayed that so many are willing to make blanket statements... My experience is that teachers (within a functioning system) can make a world of difference for some students.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. On the subject of Teach For America

One thing I've observed is that many people who go into it don't really know what they're getting in to. For example, I think on subject material knowledge I would certainly be competent to teach most high school history classes or AP Government or AP Economics and I'm a reasonably good public speaker. But I also know that kids aren't always (and often not) well behaved or motivated to learn and I have neither the training nor the patience to deal with that. A lot of people who do Teach For America don't see to think about that second part.

[handmade34]

9. you make an important point

teaching is much more than knowledge of subject matter. My license is 7-12 Social Sciences and although qualified to teach this, my strength is more in working with the students and getting them motivated. I am able to respect individuals and not be dogmatic knowing that people learn differently and react to situations differently.

[mr715]

12. Charisma is important

One of things that makes a good teacher is naturally being able to command a room of kids. There are ways to do that with good lessons, activities, and engaging subject matter, but a lot of it comes down to force of personality. Some teachers are absolutely brilliant and are technically proficient in pedagogy but just don't have "it".

Teach for America looks at numbers, phone interviews, sample (5 minute) lessons and accepts people to a program that teaches TECHNICAL know-how. Teaching Fellows does the same, but with less emphasis on academic excellence and more on professional experience.

If you love AP Government/AP Economics, you'd probably be a good teacher because it comes down to passion. I eat, drink, and breathe biology. My kids love it because I love it. TFA doesnt necessarily allow teachers to teach what they love, but rather places them in positions of maximum employability (math, special ed, and science).

To be a good teacher, ya gotta control the classroom first. Schools are built upon the bleached bones of teachers that thought they could teach kids without discipline by being their friend, by negotiating with children, or by relying on the rare self-motivator.

[rufus dog]

13. Thanks for your input from a Teacher's perspective

Although I can form an opinion, it is important to hear from the professionals actually doing the work.

[old mark]

17. Several years ago, Philadelphia had over 33% of public school students absent

every day. The city called a meeting with parents and school board members and announced a plan to make it a criminal offence on the parents if a child exceeded a specific number of unexcused absences, resulting in a pretty large fine, escalating if absences continued, and even jail time.

Parents not only vocally objected, many walked out in protest.

Don't bother us with the school's job was the parent's message to the city.

mark

[demmiblue]

18. "Teachers are professions."

Lol! :rofl:

Not to mention the fact that you state that parents wont (i.e. won't) change. I am guessing that this is where your 'education' fails you. Part of educating children is the act of embracing the culture in which they live.

Oh, and, education is not a product.

[mr715]

19. Contempt not earned.

Typos and omissions are not representations of ones intellect nor their education. I do not feel the need to list my creds. I do hope that you have never used short hand, made a spelling or grammatical error.

Please clarify what you mean by "educating children is the act of embracing the culture in which they live"?


I also (partially) disagree with education not being a product. Kids need to read. The ability to read is a product with interim and terminal performance indicators. We can judge the effectiveness of instruction against those metrics. Thats what "standards-based" instruction is all about. Is education only about those products? No. But they are a part of it. It is something that is manufactured. It is not something that pops into being without teachers.

[demmiblue]

20. Contempt earned.

You are the 'teacher'. If you want to represent yourself as such, then you should be able to use proper grammar. If I am ever grammatically incorrect, then I welcome constructive criticism. No big deal!

The ability to read does no such thing. The ability to read, comprehend, synthesize, and apply certainly does.

I am kind of at a loss how you have difficulty in understanding, "part of educating children is the act of embracing the culture in which they live." Of course, you left off part of my statement. I.e. it is not about you, it is about the culture in which you teach.