Jim Schoettler wrote an editorial in the Times Union about what we need in our next school superintendent. He talked to the mayor, presidents of colleges, former school board members and education advocates. Do you know who he didn’t talk to? Teachers.
Whats the one field where the people that do it are not even considered worthy enough to be asked their opinion? It’s the same people last asked about education issues? Teachers.
If he would have asked me I would have said, we need a superintendent that is interested in doing the right thing even if it is the hard thing. Somebody who is committed to rigorous classes, disciplined hall ways, multiple curriculums that serve more kids needs and who realizes teachers are the districts number one resource and they must be treated with respect not like easily replaceable cogs or yoked farm animals. They need to be collaborated with not dictated too because unlike the mayor, presidents of colleges, former school board members, education advocates and newspaper reporters, they know about the issues in the classroom and have the best ideas how to fix them.
Well go figure. Remember former gov. Jeb Bush chose an accountant Jim Horne to be the Education Commissioner and he made Phil Handy a financier to be the Chairman of the State Board of Education. Neither had an education background. It was Phil Handy who decided on the A+ Plan to grade schools based on FCAT.
ReplyDeleteOnly in the teaching/education profession would this be allowed to happen. Would they be allowed to dictate to doctors and lawyers. Hardly.
I am not a teacher, but many friends and relatives of mine work in Duval county schools and I am absolutely dumbfounded by the treatment of these teachers. These are not slackers, "do-nothings", or pass-the-buck types so often found in so-called leadership positions in the school system. These are highly educated, caring, quality teachers. Some are notified two weeks prior to the new school year they have been transferred or in some cases demoted to a position in a school much further than their current position. Why? Because they weren't friends with the principal...or in the past have spoken their minds about the children's needs or demanded that another co-worker complete their required lesson plans or reports. Don't buck the system, don't make waves, and certainly don't speak your mind about how to better educate the kids. There are numerous examples of high quality teachers kicked about and bullied by persons in positions of leadership where apparently, leadership, integrity, decency, and courage are sorely lacking. I've just started looking into this, and it has inflamed me to the point of pen to paper. To those in Duval county positions of power...from Assistant Principals, to Special Education Heads, to Board members...the public is watching, your actions do not take place in a vacuum your cowardice, bureaucratic buck-passing and blatant disregard for doing the right thing will be noted, and shared. Thank you. Sincerely, Citizen T
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