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Many CPS teachers believe they are unfairly blamed for low achievement and other problems in schools. What should the new leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union do to create a more positive public perception of teachers?
I should first say for the sake of transparency that i am one of the founding members of CORE, the caucus that just won the historic election victory on June 11th to lead the Chicago Teachers Union.
I agree that teachers are unfairly blamed for low achievement. Whenever a policy expert notes that the United States lags behind other industrial countries in terms of math, science and reading performance, they fail to mention the comparison is like apples and oranges. In Japan only 2% of the children live in poverty, whereas in the United States over 20% of our children live in poverty. Much of the recent discourse about educational disparities fails to take into account the astronomically high levels of poverty that American children endure.
Additionally, we see that we have hit historical highs for students of all racial backgrounds attending schools at all levels. That means we have more English Language Learners and more students from impoverished families attending public schools than ever before.
Any teachers union worth its salt must address the issue of the systematic underfunding of public schools serving the most vulnerable. Also, we must address the education debt that has accrued over generations and how low income youth have been shortchanged during that time.
We must change the conversation from equality of education to equity in education. How do we address the historic negligence that has been imposed upon poor communities? Focusing on the role of teachers is often a bait and switch technique used to distract from the bigger issues that are responsible for educational disenfranchisement.
Here's a recent exchange I had with a reader of my SMALLTALK blog. Anon took me on for my support of teacher seniority rights (http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-i-support-teacher-seniori...).
Here's Anon's comment:
Mike, I disagree. What if teachers decline in ability or burn out after five, ten or twenty years, do we just shrug and say we owe it to them? And what about the kids, aren't they somewhat important? Do our children not deserve a teacher that is giving their absolute best? The status quo is not working, and hasn't been for decades.
Here's my response:
Anon,
Your "what if" question is important, not just for teachers, but for all working people in this economy. Yes, what happens when workers age, decline in ability, burn out? It seems you would throw them out like an old coat. Put them out on the street? No due process? No authentic assessment of their work? Claim you're doing it "for the kids"?
That's exactly what's wrong with this ownership-society reform model. It degrades teachers. It leaves a system intact which burns up teachers, young and old. Leaves especially low income kids largely with un-certified and inexperienced teachers or TFAers who on average, last 2 years and have no mentors to guide them.
No, I prefer respecting the work of teachers, putting in place efforts to renew, inspire and revitalize them. Give them more autonomy and power over their teaching environment. And yes, fire poor performers, but only as a last resort and only with due process.
That's what's good for the kids.
What do you think?
To many students, teachers are like their second parents. Most teachers strive for their students to move forward in their academic career. There are a few that are just teachers for the benefits and not because they love children and youth. These teachers ruin the reputation of teachers that go beyond their call of duty to ensure the best education they can provide for their students.
The new leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union should have a "Teachers of The Month" in their newsletter and website that are nominated by students. One teacher from the elementary school level (K-8) and one from the high school level (9-12) are eligible to be nominated for the month. A student should write a paragraph of why they believe they are an amazing teacher and what they love about them. Then the teacher is notified via First Class that they have been nominated and/or notified that they are the CTU Teacher of The Month. They will also receive a certificate from the CTU to make it nice and official, and teachers would hang it proudly in their classrooms. For teachers that have not been nominated by their students, they may feel motivated to try to be a Teacher of The Month. This helps teachers throughout Chicago to show that they really do care and go beyond their call of duty to make sure their students are getting the best quality education of their ability.
The CTU can also do a video blog online where teachers post up videos of their classrooms and how students interact with one another and how the teacher teaches. This really shows parents, administrators, and communities that teachers take the time to show a typical day in school, and they they are doing something that impacts their students' lives.
Janelle Perez, Jones College Prep Graduate '10
I think that the Union should showcase students that exhibit exemplary performance and the teachers that support them. Student that excel don't do it in a vacuum. The structure of emotional and intellectual support would be evident in both student testimonials and their results. Not only would this increase the stature of teachers in the community, but it may provide the teaching community the ability to share good practices. These communications may inspire teachers to attempt to outperform their peers.
I don't think that it is fair to hold teachers totally responsible for low test scores because so many things have an impact:
Parents need to have the ability to encourage children to read and do their homework. They need to be willing to take children to different places like museums, zoos, etc. so that they gain the experience and vocabulary. Parents need to make sure that children know that school is their primary responsibility and that they need to be well-rested, have a good breakfast, and come to school prepared to listen to the teacher. Parents also need to make sure students read everyday on a level that will prepare them for the test.
The Community needs to find ways to motivate students and provide incentives to students who apply themselves and do well. They need to provide places where children can go to to be safe, receive homework assistance and get exercise especially since there are so many single parent families and families in which both parent needs to work.
The student needs to focus on school when they are there and make sure that they complete assignments and get adequate rest. In school, they need to focus on what they need to learn that day.
Yes, teachers have a responsibility to help students prepare for the test and to learn what is needed for that grade level. They need to work with the parent and community to motivate the students but they share the responsibility with parents, community and administration. No one group should claim sole credit when a child does well nor should they shoulder the whole blame when they don't.
I see teachers every day inspiring children, giving them confidence, encouraging them not to give up when everyone else around them is telling them that they won't amount to anything. Teachers have one of the most challenging jobs there is. They are often time the mothers, the fathers, counselors, the nurses and everything in between. They don't get the credit that they deserve for going above and beyond the call of duty. Of course there are some who don't deserve the title, teacher; but I think they are in the minority. Maybe the new Teacher's Union can create a site where principals highlight outstanding teachers, not just a photo and a description, but video of them in action. Seeing is believing.
It gives me chills to believe that teachers could come to work day after day, 6 hours a day, and 180 days a year just to do a bad job. Why do the new leaders of the Chicago Public Schools believe that? These children are the same ones who will grow up to lead our country; they are the ones who are being prepared to take care of us teachers when we are no longer able to do it ourselves. So it stands to reason that we want to do a good job; that we want our children to achieve; that we don’t want problems in schools. It is not the fault of teachers that students fail and it is not the fault of teachers that problems occur. I retired from teaching after 34 years. Some years were great and some years were full of torture, abuse, misuse, ignorance, and unfortunate circumstances, not just to me but to the entire climate of the school. Of the years that were great, I was allowed to teach my classes to the best of my ability without unnecessary obstacles, unrealistic expectations; I was happy, the students were happy, the parents were happy and school was happy. Some school leaders are placed under such pressure that they are forced out of the position of leadership to positions of aggression and/or passive aggression. This uneasiness or disconcert causes principals to lie to their superiors, and twist or maneuver records or teachers until the process of teaching and learning are no longer sacred. Teachers know their strengths and they know their weaknesses. All teachers have college degrees, most have post graduate degrees. Teachers are intelligent individuals. They can plan, they can teach, and they are able to meet their own expectations.
One more thing: CPS would save so much money if they would stop allowing high school students to fail courses and then give them the chance to take the same courses over and over again for free. I was a high school teacher and I know for sure that so many students deliberately fail classes so that they can take those same classes over again in summer school or in the following school year. It is true that all children are entitled to a free, appropriate education—but not several.
“What should the new leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union do to create a more positive public perception of teachers?”
Public opinion is not against teachers, but it does appear to have a problem with unions. In the 2008 Gallup Poll of “Most Respected Professions”, high school teachers ranked a very respectable third place (following nurses and pharmacists), with 65% of respondents rating teachers as “very high/high” in honesty and ethics. Again, in the 2009 Harris Poll of “Occupational Prestige” teachers came in a respectable sixth place, following firefighters, scientists, doctors, nurses, and military officers (but well above lawyers, bankers, business executives and engineers).
In the same Gallup and Harris Polls, “Union Leaders” rated only 16% and 17% approval respectively – near the bottom of the pack. This begs the question, should the union attempt to change public perception about teachers, or does the union itself need a public face lift?
Karen Lewis is, and has been, on the right track by working closely with parents, community groups and students, for they are the ones who know teachers best and it is their support that is most meaningful to us. They need to take charge of the narrative that has been presented to the public and change it from what has often appeared to be a defensive and greedy posture, to one promoting the positive professionalism that is truly the norm in our schools. I believe our new leaders are committed to this fresh, honest message, and that, while there are many challenges facing schools, they will show the wisdom and humor that made them great teachers prior to the election.
I work with parents on the south side of Chicago, and teacher quality has many definitions and variations as perceived by families and residents. On the one hand, parents perceive teachers as “good” if they are honest, open, and engage in a willing and positive partnership with parents around educating their children. Additionally, parents often perceive teachers as good when they know the teacher cares about the child. The truth is that test scores are not always the most important factor in how parents judge a school. Often times climate, respect to the students and parents, safety, etc. are indicators to parents as to whether the teacher should be in the classroom or not. Additionally, when teaching in high poverty areas, research shows that other factors impact a child’s ability to learn, often impacting a teacher’s ability to teach.
As with any profession, there are always people who do well, and those whose positions may not be a good fit. To blame teachers across the board for low-performance is like blaming parents for a failing public school system and the violence on the streets. I always remind people that there are more teachers inspiring our young people than there are letting them down; unfortunately, the latter is the image we are led to believe is the status quo. After all, look at all of the union teachers doing remarkable work in our most coveted and magnet, selective enrollment, IB, and gifted programs.
Schools are continually asked to do more with less. On the one hand, they say you’re chronically under-performing, the school proves otherwise, and yet while the school wants to develop a plan to make improvements, teacher cuts and increased class sizes become their new reality. It is easy to predict a lose-lose situation will likely occur where many of our schools are being set up with repeated obstacles year after year and this creates greater challenges to teaching our students. I am sure from a staffing perspective this also impacts trust and belief in the people who manage the system, resulting in attitudinal changes that may not be for the better. The short of my answer is that it is far too complicated to blame solely teachers.
I believe the Union-elect is on the right track in terms of being vocal, outspoken, and partnering with parents, groups, and communities around common issues that truly impact learning. I believe we will see the new CTU administration take on non-traditional issues such as student learning and opportunities, education disparity, funding, and adequate learning environments to press the differences in learning and teaching when these are factored into the equation. I also believe that as with all large entities, changing the public’s perception of trust by creating greater transparency and accountability will also help to reinforce the confidence the public has in our teachers, and align our efforts back to education. It is with hope that in turn, our teachers and through the administration-elect, they may encourage more meaningful teacher-parent relationships (not just “come in because Johnny was bad” or “you aren’t doing enough as a parent”) so that the voices can become stronger and unified around education and fairness.
I agree with Denna Quillin’s statistics from Gallup; teachers as individuals are highly respected. However, the unions appear to only be concerned about teacher paychecks and protecting bad teachers. Personally, I have encountered very few bad teachers during my school and professional experience, but unfortunately that is the public perception.
I met Marilyn Stewart several months ago and recommended that the teachers union should be on the forefront of school reform. Who is better qualified to say what kids need in schools? I've read some indication that Lewis might lead this way. Teacher unions should be on the forefront of education innovation and steps ahead of their administrations in driving successful schools. The unions need to get off of the defense and on the offense. The offense is a position of power and it will send a message to the public that it cares about kids and not just about teachers.