The lament from a teacher which my friend, syndicated MDJ columnist Dick Yarbrough, recently sent to the state Legislature (via his column) is strong evidence of many problems in our public schools which I hope legislators will address - each and every one of them!
But this lament offers no reason why teachers should not be measured. Certainly all executives and staff in the education system should also be measured, and paid, on their performance and the performance of the system which they serve.
My business experience, my experience as a teacher and my experience as a board member in education and charitable organizations all teach me of the vital importance of measurement systems. Good will is not enough.
In my days of yore, my public school teachers regularly had over 30 students in their classes. In my short stint of teaching math at Georgia Tech, I had over 30 students per class. The private school where I was a board member, any my life of teaching in the business world, had more variety.
The conditions we impose on our public school teachers in many ways inhibits their ability to teach, and the learning experience for our children. These problems need to be corrected. Failure to use measurements would not solve the problems teachers face, and it would only serve to maintain some of the less competent in their jobs.
Please act wisely in solving our problems. Do not be afraid of proven strategies, no matter how sad the lament.
To my friend Dick Yarbrough, please don't seek to prevent progress with such anecdotal laments. We respect the job Amy Myers, and your son, are trying to do. Lets help them without resisting proven principles.
Bill Lyons
Smyrna
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Why don't you turn some of your energy into something positive??? For example, volunteer a couple of days at some of the lower-income schools in the County (or even at your child's school) and make some much-needed observations. Go into the classroom and see what the teachers there have to deal with before you make generalized assessments. For example, some of us have classes with 35 to 38 students in them. We have students that have been in YDC for committing crimes and students that are so disruptive, it is difficult to teach. When we call home to get support for the disruptive behavior, many of us are cursed at or accused of "picking on their child." Most of the time though, we are unable to make contact with the parents because the phones have been disconnected and we have to enlist the help of a social worker. In many cases, the parents don't speak English and it is difficult to communicate with them. Most of us are good teachers, we care about what we do, and we work 10-12 hours a day. Sadly, many of our students won't pass the CRCT; not because we don't try or we aren't good teachers, but because of the environment we chose to teach in, or for some, have been forced to teach in. So please don't judge everyone by the same standards or just look at test scores to determine if we are good teachers. I would like to challenge anyone who wants to judge a teacher to visit our classrooms, or better yet, try substituting in the classroom. I believe you would be surprised to see just how hard we work, and how much we do care about our students.
Proud Teacher
If the kids, parents, teachers and administrators know who is really doing a great job, then why is it that the only way that a great teacher can make more than the other teachers is to leave the classroom and go into administration.
Great teachers should stay in the classroom and make more money - bottom line