It would be one thing if Gov. Chris Christie’s latest statement that the teachers’ union “deserved a punch in the face,” was some lone comment by one irate individual. But the sad fact is there are more Christies out there! The friction between Christie and the teachers’ union runs deep, but don’t forget the other noteworthy bullying teachers have had to endure.
Remember Rod Paige, President G. W. Bush’s first education secretary? He compared the teachers union to terrorists not long after 9-11! How can someone placed in a position to oversee, and nurture teachers in America hate teachers?
And then there was Dr. Reid Lyon a research psychologist who advised President George W. Bush about education and who was one of the architects of Reading First (look it up if you get a chance). At a 2002 forum sponsored by the Council for Excellence in Government, Reid said if he could pass any piece of legislation, it would be “to blow up colleges of education.”
Reid went to work with an online teacher education program called the American College of Education. Rod Paige is one of the trustees. Think about that.
There are many more of these teacher bullies on a national, state and even the local level.
Most of this bullying is directed at the teachers’ union. But the problems many see, with both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), are that they are too amenable to those corporate ideas that will go far to dismantle public schools and the teaching profession. They have embraced Common Core State Standards for example.
I liken both the AFT and the NEA at the national level, to children at school who, too often, hand over their lunches to the bullies. This is not, however, the case for many state and local teachers unions who fight hard for policies that will be in the best interest of children. The Tennessee Education Association and their fine push back on value-added measurement is one example.
Even perhaps more underhanded and ugly, are the subtle bullying messages that have been allowed to permeate the country, that teachers are second class citizens. This “teachers fail” mantra has brought us some ridiculous reforms. Here’s a sample of just a few:
- Teach for America. Why would anyone believe that five weeks of training makes a teacher? More money has been poured into this group than is imaginable. Here is a list of the many donors.
- Relay Graduate School. Along the lines of TFA and the Teaching Fellows programs, we now have teacher education programs posing to take over teacher education in our universities, not to mention state credentialing, that are primarily online fast-track preparation programs.
- American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). This is a fast way to become a teacher (if you can call it that) by going online. If you hurry, it will only cost you $1950 this week…a discount.
- Charter schools. Charters were originally supposed to be for teachers to run—to demonstrate their professionalism. The concept was hijacked by those who want to privatize public schools.
- National Council of Teacher Quality. An outside group that poses like an inside group made up of a lot of “not really educators” mixed in with a few that are, to judge and push forward the privatization of teacher education. They want a new kind of teacher—their kind! Just look at the advisory board which includes Wendy Kopp (never a teacher), founder of Teach for America, and Michael Feinberg (from TFA) co-founder of KIPP charters.
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Teacher Effectiveness Training. Saying there is a need for teacher effectiveness training, implies teachers aren’t effective. Improvements could and should always be applied to teacher education. But teachers were never failing so badly they needed corporations to save them.
- Common Core State Standards. These standards are scripted and teachers had little involvement with their creation. We need a variety of teaching approaches made by well-prepared teachers who understand the developmental, social and psychological needs of children.***
- Teacher Earbuds. Read *I am Not Tom Brady* by Amy Berard posted on the Edushyster blog. Teachers wear earbuds as someone directs them how to respond to students from the back of the room. That one would consider teachers to be so ineffective that they need a robotic takeover speaks volumes.
- The Education Trust. A nonprofit group touting school equity for children in their schools by being “data driven.” Whenever the words data driven appear there is the idea that teaching in the past has been flimsy with little evidence of success. This is not the case but this group has for years deceptively reshaped what it means to be a teacher.
There are so many groups and instances of individuals who have intentionally struck at the heart of our democratic public education system—the heart being, of course, its teachers. I’m sure that you can think of your favorite teacher slamming group or experience. Feel free to share them if you would like.
So today as many teachers return to the classroom, preparing for a new school year and facing down bullies, just remember. The most important person next to the parent in a child’s life is YOU. No matter what the tyrants say, you are the protector of what a child learns and how they will face the world. Don’t let bullies take that away from you. Don’t let them warp your teacher professionalism.
Close the classroom door and TEACH! Find those groups and organizations that support you as a professional and try as hard as you can to ignore the bullies.
Work closely with parents, they are your allies!
And last, the definition of a bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. Teachers are not weak. They are strong. Don’t forget it!
For my teacher friends…HERE. Have a great year!
Allan Freedman says
I agree that there are significant negative pressures on the teaching profession and some are profit motivated and that’s just wrong. However I also believe there is a significant gap between in how educators are teaching reading and evidenced-based reading programs that help the 1 in 5 kids in the classroom who struggle to learn to read. As a dyslexic dad with a dyslexic son I have become acutely aware of how far off we are. I know teachers are really good people; some of the best in society given their choice of profession. God Bless them all. However when I walk into a classroom with a teacher who has a masters in education and ask, “do you have much experience with dyslexia?” The reply, almost exclusively, is “not much.” Which astounds me to no end given at least 1 in 10 kids in that classroom are dyslexic. And another 1 in 10 have other challenges that are not responsive to the ways we currently teach kids to read. And frankly the 1 in 5 number is very conservative if you consider that more than half the 8th graders in Maryland public schools are not “proficient readers” (NAEP). Bottom line, the teaching profession needs to adapt. The programs that work for these struggling readers are well-developed and evidenced-based. Some states are, like NJ, are making significant progress. But most are not. And when I go to my school board to try to improve reading programs, one of our biggest obstacles, far too often, is the representatives from the teachers unions. I just don’t understand why.
Nancy Bailey says
Allan, I appreciate your comment. Unfortunately, the dismantling of the teaching profession has been going on for 25 years. If you think getting a teacher with five-weeks of training and/or an online certificate is going to help make proficient readers, Or if you think a for-profit charter will serve your child’s needs, I think you will be sadly disappointed.
I graduated in the early 70s when there was a real effort to specialize and understand the needs of children. At that time and throughout the 80s there were some real gains, not perfect, but definitely good when it comes to schooling. That has been largely erased by the reforms of today.
By the way, New Jersey has always been considered to have some of the best schools in the nation. I’m sure that is changing with the reforms that are being put in place.
Also, I do agree with you that there are many problems with reading instruction today. I have written much about the problem. Thanks, Allan. Stay in touch and let us know how things are going.
Allan Freedman says
Thank you for standing up as a voice for teachers. I agree that becoming a teacher is not some five week endeavor. It is a vocation supported by knowledge, experience, passion and commitment..
Nancy Bailey says
Yes! Thank you, Allan! I share your concerns about the lack of appropriate programming for children with dyslexia. And we do agree that only if teachers get good professional preparation will they be able to meet the needs of those children.
susan norwood says
Students with dyslexia should be taught to read by exceptional/special education teachers.- not general education teachers. Dyslexic students need to be in smaller classrooms. Teachers have to manage large classrooms and attend to the needs of 25-35 students. We cannot be all things to all people. A child with dyslexia has special needs which cannot be adequately addressed in a gen ed classroom.
Nancy Bailey says
I agree, Susan. I should have made myself clearer. I was thinking of preparation for special ed. teachers in a resource class which I have written about in the past. But your point is well-taken. Inclusion today often means oversized classes with different disabilities and ELL too. I don’t know how a gen. ed. teacher can be expected to address so many needs effectively. Thank you.