College Board Report on Teachers

Some time ago, the College Board released a report on teaching in America called  Teachers and the Uncertain American Future. Lisa Rosenthal, our senior editor, just alerted me to it.

I knew this was going to be an interesting report after reading the first recommendation: "Provide an immediate 15 to 20 percent hike in teachers' salaries (and rising to 50 percent in the foreseeable future), with provisions for an 11-month contract and a differential pay system based on challenging schools, shortage disciplines, and outstanding teaching contributions."

Read the whole kit and kaboodle here.

Comments

[Juan Rossouw]

Dear Colleagues and Parents

I have just mailed Ms.Tremon-J's class some correspondence from South Africa.
I read some notes posted by the parents and teachers with regards to your school and all the good, and not so good issues. How priviledged you are!...Parents! I was VERY fortunate to teach (as a South African) in Graham, N.C. at Graham Middle. My Math EOG scores were great (grade7) because of your wonderful Standard Course of Study. We (in Africa) do not have a Curriculum. We have to basically plan it ourselves. No textbooks! Imagine. I would sacrifice front teeth to be sponsored to teach in that wonderful (airconditioned/heated) classrooms again. We get used to our circumstances very easily, quickly forgetting the "tough times".I teach in South Africa, getting up every morning wishing it was N.C.!
Herewith a short note to parents : support your teacher! And...to all teachers- work hard at keeping the children laughing and learning, and you'll have happy parents! You have everything you need (and more) in your lap - support each other and grow together.

J.Rossouw

[A. Teacher]

As an elementary teacher with experience in both public and private schools, I find Dana's comments a bit abrasive and ignorant. If she struggles so much with the teachers' level of responsibility and sees us as liars and whiners, it is my strong suggestion that she pull her children and home school. Afterall, would you want those kind of people having ANY amount of time on a regular basis to influence your children? I certainly wouldn't!
There ARE many things wrong with our school system, but teachers who aren't working with the best intentions of children do NOT last long in this profession. Please be careful when you throw stones. Bear in mind that we do not only deal with the children who have home support and enriched prior knowledge, but we must also reach the students that do not come to us fully prepared to learn the lessons we have laid out each day. Much of my classroom time is spent working with those children to make sure they have an equal opportunity to learn the required curriculum, (in case you were wondering about some of those minutes in the day which are not spent on drill and practice.)
The entire structure of the system leaves much room for improvement, but nothing in this life is perfect...including private schools or home schooling your children.

[Dana Hunter]

I partially agree with some of the things you discuss with regards to higher pay, longer contracts and such, but feel the emphasis is has been on the teachers. As it was explained to me by my daughters fourth grade teacher…”it’s hard to teach them the basis, how the knowledge is applied and with less than 4 ½ hours of actual instruction time a day, there is no time to apply the drill approach so the children will learn the basics” “the drill associated work should be occurring at home, since we have no time to deal with it in class…since it is only 4-1/2 hours a day”

So let me see if I get this right; class starts at 9:05am and ends at 3:20pm for a total of 6 hours and 25 minutes our children are on school grounds. Knowing that there is preparatory work each morning and clean-up each afternoon, makes for approximately an 8-hour day. I’m sure there are time occupying activities during the summer breaks like worldly trips the teachers all describe to the students each fall that should be considered in their compensation package. There’s also the need of keeping up with the multiplicity of certifications and re-certifications to allow them to spend 4-1/2 hours a day, for 180 day each year.

Knowing approximately what my daughters teachers yearly income, coupled with his shared community involvements, he has explained how tough it can be and what a lot of the benefits are. So I feel he does quite well when all things are considered. And yes there is a compensation disconnect when compared to other employment choices, but this disconnect is not limited to just the educators, it actually is indicative of over 65% of the working population. Did you know that a good quality carpenter 30 years ago made $12-15 an hour, and thirty years later it is still only $13-18 with greater demands on technical ability and tool repertoire? Where’s the fairness there?

Our education systems problems will not be resolved by paying more people more money; not fixing the discontent associated with having to spend 4-1/2 hours a day instructing. The system should be looking at means and methodologies that are effective not so much streamlining. The education of the students should be the fore front and not the result. With the rising costs of energy districts should be looking at lengthening the days and dual utilization. Finding creative ways to expand on the education of the students becomes the vehicles to resolve the other issues. extending the education time from 4-1/2 hours to 6-1/2 hours would force a resolution of the staffing that may lead to creative scheduling more beneficial for the instructors.
As a tax payer I find that every year new bond initiative hit the ballots to expand and build new schools, and yet after the bonds are approved, next come the school closing efforts. Either we need new schools or we have too many, and then we find that our district is failing at teaching the children, only to blame it on the parents that receive letters of awards from the state governor commending her on her high achievement in Math during the last state wide proficiency exam. Just to find out that their fourth grade daughter can’t multiply 7X8 without taking her shoes off is a bit disheartening.

The teachers are deceiving the students and parents, and then lie and complain to the administrators, who are deceiving the school boards, who blame the public (parents) that they are too tight to fund the necessities for their children to receive 4-1/2 hours of education daily, by claiming they need more new schools to make the class rooms smaller so the teachers will feel less over-worked just so the administrators can close the excess schools and increase class sizes so the teachers can go on strike to demand more money to do less work. Boy my head spins every time I think about it. When is all of this effort going to be expended to fix the original problem…our children not learning!

[MATT E DAVIS]

After reading the report, I was excited about the possibilities. Then, I remembered we have too many policy makers who don't understand their powerful roles.
Education should be a priority-but it's not! Until our policy makers desire quality education for all children, it becomes our duty to continue the grand conversation.