An excellent article that was written by a retired Teacher.
MinnPost Improving Urban Schools
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About Me
- John
- I am married and we have 3 adult daughters and a dog. We live in Plymouth MN. My interests are learning, communicating, home improvement projects, motorcycling, boating, and other outside activities. Thank you for reading my blog and have a great day !!!
6 comments:
#3 sounds like a good idea for my school. - Make reading education an absolute priority.
the problem is we have so many low readers I don't know how we could staff the numbers of small groups needed.
about teachers teaching what they want, I don't think that happens much. The schools in which I have taught are completely standards focused.
I keep hoping that Teachers would be happy focusing on teaching the prescribed content instead of being frustrated that they have limited influence regarding what it is. It seems to me that focusing on the unique learning needs of each student and trying to modify one's own style to reach them would be challenging enough.
I copied this here in case the moderators don't let it in there...
"Here is my view. "And if the Administrators fail to deliver good Teacher engagement and Student results, let's make it easy to replace them. I am happy to give the Public schools more money if they start putting the student's needs before the wants of the adults."
However you are missing the point. If one gets rid of the whole silly seniority based compensation and job security system, all of your issues become less likely and less important. With that gone, if a Teacher is unhappy with an administrator / school they can apply elsewhere and get a job based on their qualifications and capability. Just like we do in the private sector.
Currently with tenure, steps and lanes, older Teachers are paid significantly more, and more secure in their positions... Whereas I would like better Teachers in challenging class rooms to be paid significantly more, and more secure in their positions... Maybe some day.
Currently with tenure, steps and lanes, older Teachers are pressured to stay in schools /positions that they dislike for fear of losing tenure and higher than market pay. Whereas I would like older Teachers to be paid market rate based on capability and the challenge level of the students and the curriculum, so then Teachers can seek happier situation as they wish. Not feel trapped each day, which I think is a miserable thing for them and the kids." G2A
My principal just let at least one teacher go based on two years in a row of poor test scores (which in my school means lower than low- if someone gets a 20% pass rate they are a high achiever)
Another teacher was moved to a grade level where students are not tested, which is where I'd like to be if I ever taught in general education.
Now the important question. Was the terminated Teacher who you would have wanted teaching your children back when? (ie organized, energetic, maintained class order, caring, taught well, etc)
One more:
"I believe that the current seniority based system discourages some of the best candidates from becoming Teachers, and is very bad for the unlucky students who need the best Teachers.
The people who choose to become Teachers in MN are those who are okay with starting with a low wage, being subject to work rules and only maximizing their income decades later after attaining additional degrees that may or may not make them a more effective Teacher.
This means that anyone like myself who is highly internally and externally motivated to work harder /longer to attain better results is unlikely to even apply. In private non-union industry I was free to work as hard as I wished and my employer was free to reward my attaining results. I work with many older Engineers who make less than I do because of my capabilities, attitude and high performance.
And I agree that subjective terminations occur. I was terminated at ~48 yrs old by someone I think was a terrible Mgr because I was expensive and our personalities did not mesh. Since I was paid the correct amount based on the market, not some arbitrary steps/lanes amount, I was employed again in a better situation within 4 mths.
Finally, the idea that the highest paid Teachers in Mpls can avoid the most challenging schools because of their seniority should be criminal. If these senior Teachers are the best of the best, then they should be working with the kids that need them most."
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