States Are Suddenly Redefining Expectations for Their Teachers

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Richard Whitmire: Corporate shill and Rhee apologist.

Julie Dearborn of CA 4:07PM August 10, 2011

I once had a grand father who wisely said that you get what you pay for. If we are not paying teachers at a "professional" level or for large amounts of over time...why would anyone be motivated to put up with teacher bashing and blame for ineffective schools? Here is another analogy: If we are discussing Ford Motor company for example and the production line was continually breaking down, a highly paid consultant would be hired to determine the problem. If the manager could not increase productivity, he/she would be fired....not the people on the production line. Teachers are the production line. Administrators are the head foreman or managers. Children's learning is the product. Now throw in that the company has to be highly effective on 40% less money. Now you the situation the State of Az has put school districts in.

Terry of AZ 9:28PM August 09, 2011

One more point:
I can't speak for others but I was very upset when Rhee fired the teachers because of the insults and the injustices that accompanied her actions. A subsequent court action agreed with my assessment and ordered many of these teachers reinstated.
No one wants ineffective teachers in the classroom. If Henderson and other superintendents are able (at last) to be choosey about whom they hire and retain, well they are just doing their jobs. Let's just hope there continues to be enough people who want to teach fourth grade in the District of Columbia or Los Angeles. My guess is that as soon as the effects of this recession are over, urban districts will experience the most severe teaching shortage in American history. At that time, the leafy suburbs, which have been customarily quiet about "bad" teachers, will once again have their pick of educators. The big cities will probably place the blame on "the unions" but we'll all remember the real reasons.

Linda Johnson of CA 12:50PM August 09, 2011

Richard Whitmire,
It doesn't matter how many articles you write, I will not purchase your book and I hope no one else does either. In case you are not aware, teachers are the usual audience for books about education.
A person of your intellect should see the relationship between the recession and teaching jobs. For many years urban districts had a very difficult time hiring and retaining teachers for their classrooms. As a result almost every teacher was rated "effective" by administration (NOT unions) and awarded tenure. Now, that situation has changed drastically as there are many applications for every teaching position, even in our largest cities. Administrators, who used to accept and retain every teacher who came their way, are now in a position to choose who they hire and who they retain. So the changes are due to economics and not to Rhee.
The real test comes when the effects of this recession are over. With talented women going into all fields, and men continuing to eschew teaching, will we go back to hiring anyone "with a warm body?" With all the teacher-bashing going on right now, will it be even worse than ever? Only time and the economy will tell.

Linda Johnson of CA 12:31PM August 09, 2011

Could this lead to a reluctance of new teachers to put their career livelihood on the line working with bad eggs at urban schools? I suppose if it leads to increased urban salaries, one can't complain, but I suspect the result will not be better teachers. Smarter teachers will not go teach for the same salary in a cutthroat environment at a school packed with perpetual underachievers whose culture of failure could damage teachers' careers. Count me out of that rat race; I suspect I am not alone in saying the pay does not support the level of competition that exists in business. Sorry.

Andre of SD 4:24PM August 08, 2011

This is such B.S.. There are hard working, diligent poor kids, just as there are spoiled, lazy rich kids. Wealth is not a requirement for good parenting or good kids. And it's certainly not a guarantee of immunity from a rotten culture.
Put this old canard to rest.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 1:34PM August 08, 2011