One of the common laments of education reformers is that teachers put their own interests above the interests of their children. If only we would worry about children's needs they cry we could make things better.
Teachers went from respected sometimes revered members of society to the public face of all of societies problems, often portrayed as lazy, selfish, barely educated and greedy and it doesn't matter that none of it is true.
First teachers are hardly lazy.
This year's education report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development outlines the state of education in the world's most developed countries. It finds that American elementary school teachers spend more hours actually teaching students than peers in any other surveyed country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/09/oecd-teacher-salary-report_n_5791166.html
Or greedy because when compared to other professionals with similar education and responsibilities they make quite a bit less.
According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the teaching profession has an average national starting salary of $30,377. Meanwhile, NACE finds that other college graduates who enter fields requiring similar training and responsibilities start at higher salaries:
http://www.nea.org/home/12661.htm
This however hasn't stopped them from spending billions of their personal money to outfit their classrooms, a fact which should destroy the selfish argument too.
A a 2010 survey by the National School Supply & Equipment Association found that 92 percent of teachers spend their own money on supplies and 85 percent buy instructional materials for the people they teach. Perhaps more surprising, the study concluded that, "Teachers' personal money is the most common source of funding for classroom projects. On average, teachers spent a total of $398 on school supplies in 2009-2010 and an additional $538 on educational materials." The total expended that year by the nation's 3.7 million teachers? A whopping $3.5 billion.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/12504-public-school-teachers-spend-billions-of-their-own-money-on-student-needs
Then their educations also far exceed the general public.
Then according to the national center for education statistics, 52% of teachers have advanced degrees where only 10% of the general public does and doesn’t that shoot a hole in the poorly educated teacher theory?
Teachers went from respected sometimes revered members of society to the public face of all of societies problems, often portrayed as lazy, selfish, barely educated and greedy and it doesn't matter that none of it is true.
First teachers are hardly lazy.
This year's education report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development outlines the state of education in the world's most developed countries. It finds that American elementary school teachers spend more hours actually teaching students than peers in any other surveyed country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/09/oecd-teacher-salary-report_n_5791166.html
Or greedy because when compared to other professionals with similar education and responsibilities they make quite a bit less.
According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the teaching profession has an average national starting salary of $30,377. Meanwhile, NACE finds that other college graduates who enter fields requiring similar training and responsibilities start at higher salaries:
http://www.nea.org/home/12661.htm
This however hasn't stopped them from spending billions of their personal money to outfit their classrooms, a fact which should destroy the selfish argument too.
A a 2010 survey by the National School Supply & Equipment Association found that 92 percent of teachers spend their own money on supplies and 85 percent buy instructional materials for the people they teach. Perhaps more surprising, the study concluded that, "Teachers' personal money is the most common source of funding for classroom projects. On average, teachers spent a total of $398 on school supplies in 2009-2010 and an additional $538 on educational materials." The total expended that year by the nation's 3.7 million teachers? A whopping $3.5 billion.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/12504-public-school-teachers-spend-billions-of-their-own-money-on-student-needs
Then their educations also far exceed the general public.
Only slightly over 30% of all Americans over the age of 25 have a four-year degree, where 100 percent of public school teachers have them. So in effect the education reformers who are so critical are saying that teachers are the worst of the best.
Then according to the national center for education statistics, 52% of teachers have advanced degrees where only 10% of the general public does and doesn’t that shoot a hole in the poorly educated teacher theory?
Every myth and distortion debunked.
So why the attacks on teachers? Well quite frankly one of the reasons is because teachers allowed them to happen. The reformers counted on teacher's nurturing and sacrificing nature not to fight back. It is almost as if the entire profession suffered from battered spouse syndrome unable to defend themselves.
Well that time has passed.
I agree with everything above. The average teacher works hard and is dedicated; most feel overwhelmed on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I do see teachers every day who don't have lesson plans, don't grade consistently, veer from collaboration, send kids out for silly reasons, complain all day, etc. As a veteran, I know the job is difficult, but some teachers, about a quarter at my school, should not teach, period. Most put in extreme effort, yet some make others look bad. When we are 4 weeks in and you have 2 grades in the grade book and awful lesson plans and can't stand the kids, something needs to change. I see so many teachers who seem like they work hard, but when I ask them what their kids are doing, they can't tell me.
ReplyDeleteBecause our profession is becoming so vilified, some people sneak into the system who should not be teaching. I will say though that most don't last. Most of the bad ones leave pretty quickly.
My biggest issue is that people look at the worst teachers and see "teacher" when they should look at the best or average to define us.
There may be some bad teachers but the the amount of minutia demanded of teachers by administration I can't see any of them remaining in the profession past one year.
ReplyDeleteWhen teachers put their personal interests above those of their students they do it by leaving for another profession or job. Administrators and School Boards produce bad teachers. Remember, when a teacher first steps into a classroom he/she is energized to produce at his/her utmost, but after battling with erroneous paperwork and the obnoxiousness of Principals and Assistant Principals for some time, they become beat. Understand first of all what 90 to 100 hours of work per week could do to your bodily system and energy. I worked at First Coast High School as a math teacher and I can tell; it was a living hell! Good Bye Teaching.
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