In Urban Classrooms, the Least Experienced Teach the Neediest Kids
In urban classrooms, novices learn on the job, and the children suffer
One can assume that those five little words, "equitable distribution of qualified teachers," should translate, at the very least, into the equitable distribution of experienced teachers. Only time will tell how "qualified teachers" is further defined.
What else has got to give? Congress must amend current law. It must remove the seniority exception from federal calculations meant to ensure comparable resources across low-poverty and high-poverty schools. As long as teachers are paid more based on seniority versus other measures of demonstrated success, districts will mask the inequitable distribution of experienced, better paid teachers across their schools. If we truly care about raising student achievement, the truth about teacher qualifications at individual schools has to come out.
Once we can wrap our heads around the true extent of the problem we can start taking down the second obstacle: figuring out a way to entice more experienced teachers to teach in high need schools. This will require a long-term commitment to systemic reform including investing in low-poverty schools to make them more attractive teaching placements and funding incentives to initially attract experienced and, we hope, higher quality teachers to low-income schools.
Will this require dollars beyond what we have? Not necessarily.
Federal law already provides schools with money to pay for this. It's just that the funds typically go to reduce class sizes or provide professional development for teachers instead - strategies that have mixed results. Some of these funds should be redirected to pay for incentives drawing teachers into high-poverty schools. This is also a great use of stimulus money.
Secretary Duncan has said that the top priority for stimulus dollars "is to do right by our schools and our kids." A first step in this process is advancing reforms so that the most experienced teachers are matched with the children who need them most. To do otherwise is unfair not only to the next generation of teachers but to those who should be of primary concern: our students.
Reader Comments
Purpose of Education
First, all stakeholders should believe that the purpose of education is to create production citizens.
I agree with both Allison and Dawn that financial support, parental intervention, and commitment to educational excellent are needed.
When the prison population has a higher increase than college atttendance, there are serious problems in the United States. Throwing money at the problems and instituting new programs every other year have been ineffective. We should take strategies that worked and apply them to the new realities in our country.
Leadership in this country should invest in education as if not doing so is a terrorist act. Education should be tied in with our national defense. If leaders saw education as ensuring the security of our nation, they would act differently.
broken system
Our entire education system is outdated and broken. We're still running schools on an agrarian calendar that isn't applicable to today's world. We have expectations of every student meeting every standard, unlike any other country in the world.
We're "training" teachers by having them study subject matter in depth. The training we need as educators is on human relations, behavior, how to teach children whose lives are ihn shambles, where to turn for help when your students are addicts or the children of addicts, and understanding of class differences.
We have allowed parents to become disengaged in the education process. It is truly sad that in a school of 350 students I cannot get more than 5 parents to come to an advisory meeting, unless of course we're planning a promotion party or changing the dress code. What message is that disengagement sending to the kids? Yet parents come in all the time complaining that we don't involve them in decision making. We send letters, e-mails and have automated phone call reminders. Do I have to have a chauffering service too?
It's a shock to the system the first time a student curses at you. It's a bigger shock to the system when the parent comes in cursing and defending their child's disrespect. As a principal it's interesting to me how many people seem to think that rules do not apply to them or to their children. Not only is our educational system broken, but in large part our society is broken. That's a really tough fix!
For the 7.5 hours a day we have our students our teachers, paras, and principals are working on teaching how to get along with others, how to behave within the "normal" parameters of society, and how to cope with crisis...on top of the subject matter that 100% of our students are expected to master. Most days I feel the need for a superhero's cape! I choose to work with these students, because that is where I think I can make the biggest difference. I'm sure I could go other easier places, but I don't see the fun in that.
Until we change our society this problem will never be fixed.
It's time to act as citizens
Rather than complain about the writer, posturing politicians or uncaring parents maybe it's time for everyone to take a look at themselves. Are there people who don't care? Most definately, but at least the writer is attempting to look at education with careful deliberation and try to find answers. How many of us can say we have done more than read an article in the newspaper or listen to the local school chatter to then procede to make a proclamation of the failing education system while we continue sipping our coffee and reading the entertainment section?
I am a parent, I know many teachers who care and many who are burned out. I know politions who blow so much hot air they could be the source of global warming and shocking to some - others who care deeply. I've heard the chatter, read the studies and had the arguments. I have been to more school committee meetings where I have been the only person in the room that I've lost count.
Why should politicians listen to us when we say nothing? How can parents know how to care and support their children when they've lived a life where no one has done so for them? No one has taught them? How can we expect teachers to work miracles with no experience, no supplies and buildings falling around them? We can't. While it is possible to rise above these challenges, we've all heard the inspiring stories, the hill is VERY steep. So shall we all fall down and give up? No.
We need stop unfunded mandates - they are helping to destroy our school budgets and in turn our schools but we also need teacher support, training and incentives. We need to utilize the laws and resources the way to they were meant to be utilized and frankly this will never happen until each of us actually tries to make our voice heard. The "posturing" politions will never change unless we require them to change.
We need to support the parents who have no support - that does not have to mean throwing money at the situation - mentoring is one free option. We need to reach out to our communites and say "what can I do to help," and when the door is slammed in our face because "it's impossible and things are never going to change" we need to knock on the door that much louder.
There are no pat answers but success is possible. When people take ownership of the system, work with what they have, demand more from themselves and others and refuse to settle for less amazing changes can be made. If we take the suggestions of people such as the writer - people who have truly studied the problems and add our voices AND ourselves things can change. We have had so many successes in this country - we can do it here.
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