It's Still the Teachers' Fault

It’s been a helluva year already. This is why teachers don’t blog. Worn out, beat down, scared. I don’t even have time to keep up with intelligent discussion of teacher issues going on in blogs or the WaPo because I am overwhelmed. Not all teaching positions are the same. Mine this year is very difficult and demanding. Nuff said.

But running across this: “ Letter from disgusted teacher: ‘I quit’” in Valerie Strauss’ blog reminded me of what I already know---there are throngs of disgusted teachers hanging on by a thread. This is especially true in DCPS where the thumbscrews on teachers are continually tightened. Yes, DCPS administration will argue that they provide bonuses for highly effective teachers, blah, blah, blah. But ask teachers what they would really like and it’s not bonuses. It’s support instead of doubt, it’s time instead of continuous “training.” It’s Special Education co-teachers instead of excuses. It’s smaller class sizes instead of more videos for us to watch on how to be a better teacher.

My pathetic message for now is this: DCPS, stop making your teachers feel inadequate, mistrusted, overwhelmed, and incapable of reaching unrealistic goals. Stop offering bonuses to principals, teachers, and who knows who else until all classrooms are properly staffed, especially with the Special education services that we legally are supposed to offer. Principals, stop telling us we just have to deal with what we have, that “downtown doesn’t care—they just want results.” Stop with the Master Educators who simply instill fear and loathing in just about all teachers and reinforce the mistrust I already cited.

DCPS, your teachers are good, caring, professional people but in many, many places across the city you are demoralizing them and will drive them out of the profession. That’s not a recipe for success but for turnover. But turnover may be par for the course. Many of our top leaders use the District as a stepping stone to higher positions while those of us in the classrooms continue the fight, as long as we can stand it.