Teachers Matter

I don’t feel well!  Lately I have had to say too many goodbyes, and frankly it makes me ill.  My teachers, my colleagues, my FRIENDS are leaving.  They are leaving my district, they are leaving my state, and they are leaving my profession.  Some have retired.  Some have taken jobs in other school districts (and other states).  Some have simply quit teaching altogether.  All have been motivated by one thing…to improve their lot in life.  They are looking for better pay, better working conditions…RESPECT!  And who can blame them?

These are good people!  Educated people!  Professionals! They are some of our best and brightest!  People I have trusted with my own children. I know these have been tough decisions for them because they care.  I know they have involved tears.  I know they have involved sleepless nights.  In the end I also know they are decisions they felt they had to make for the betterment of themselves, of their families and in some cases of their health.  

I am sickened because I feel powerless to help.  Issues beyond my control have led us here.  Years of under-funding and unequal funding of schools coupled with rising insurance rates and retirement costs have forced districts like mine to make tough decisions; Give raises and/or maintain staff levels and working conditions and go into deficit (and risk government take over) or don't so that you can maintain a fund balance but in the process demoralize employees.  And if that is not enough, public sentiment has changed.  A well-organized, broad-based public relations campaign has portrayed everyone associated with the profession as incompetent and doing harm. Public education has been effectively demonized and as a result, educators have become undervalued and under appreciated. This is not how you keep your best and brightest and attract young talent to the profession.

Recently Michigan’s new State Superintendent, Brian Whiston, and the State Board of Education invited a number of education organizations, to present their ideas on how Michigan can become a top education state.  There are two days of presentations scheduled - August 11, and September 8 – with close to two-dozen groups planning to present.  Each group gets 8 minutes to give their input.  I expect we will hear lots of ideas.  I am sure assessment will be talked about.  No doubt curriculum will be discussed.  I predict plans for greater accountability will be presented.  I suspect the need for professional development will be laid out. And I bet money that educator evaluation will be a popular talking point.

The one thing I hope to hear is this...Teachers Matter!

“Of all major contributors to learning (the student, home, school, curricula, and teaching), the teacher and teaching are among the highest average affect size to impact student learning (Hattie, 2009).  Hattie is not alone in his assessment.  In fact some of the leading researchers in the field (Marzano, Hershberg, Meyer) and over 200 studies (What Matters Most, 1996) have said that the most significant factor in improving student learning is with a knowledgeable and skilled teacher. 

I believe if we truly want to be a top education state, and if we truly want to make education a priority, we must first acknowledge and embrace this one truth…Teachers Matter.  Quality teachers are our most valuable resource.  We know it.  The research supports it!  We must be willing to invest in growing and retaining that resource.  We need to fund districts equally and fully so that districts are able to grow and retain our best and brightest.  No district should be placed in the position mine has been.  Unless we create a meaningful, respected profession our teachers, our colleagues, our FRIENDS will continue to leave our districts, our state and our profession.  That makes me sick!