Challenges Facing US Public Education Today by Julie Taylor Monetta
“The teachers I have loved most have grace. Their work is not proficiency and outcome – it’s poetry and ministry.” ~Jonathan Kozol
A Tale of Two Teachers…or, Where Have All the Teachers Gone?
At a recent social gathering I had an opportunity to catch up with a couple of people I rarely see who are in my tribe – educators. Over the years, during reunions, parties, and even funerals we have made time to catch up. A little venting, sure. But mostly a chance to talk about new developments, classroom experiences, and a bit about educational politics with peers who understand my world. Both of these professionals are respected, seasoned, and passionate about students. And they’re both ready to walk away from their profession.
One is just retired from a position as an administrator of an alternative high school – tough kids, hard situations. When we saw each other a year ago, “George” was ready to retire – he’d more than served his time. But he also thought he might consult with districts who could use his much-needed knowledge and skills to better reach students who are severely at-risk. He has worked with some area schools. However, rather than feel like he’s paying it forward without the stress, he goes home exhausted and even more disheartened by what he sees happening in education.
The other educator is fairly young and teaching at a solidly-middle class school district. The kids love her, especially as she is involved in many extra-curricular activities. Her colleagues and administrators respect her – she has even been named “Teacher of the Year” by her staff. She should be in the prime of her career. Instead, she is biding her time until she can retire early. At that point, she says, she will have nothing to do with the education field.
Regardless of where you live, these two people could be from your district. Experienced, successful teachers are leaving the profession in droves. Additionally, the number of young people considering education as a profession is alarmingly low. This should be a matter of great concern for every American, whether they have school-age children or not.
How did this happen?
Unfortunately, our citizens have been well trained for a very long time to believe that public schools are failing and that teachers are the culprit behind that failure. Starting with “A Nation at Risk” in the early 80’s, the message has been steady and insidious. The media will tell you, again and again, that public teachers aren’t doing their job, unions protect bad teachers, and schools are failing.
Here’s what the media doesn’t usually include in these reports: federal funding of public schools has not adequately increased to keep up with inflation, and money going to for-profit charter schools is making the financial stability of public schools even worse.
While it is true that there are “bad apples”, as there are in every profession, the “Right to Work” legislation passed in many states in recent years is not helping the situation. What the news doesn’t tell you is that being part of a union ensures due process, not a free pass. In fact, states with strong teachers unions have a correlation with better teacher quality.
What You Haven’t Heard…
The media has told us consistently that American students from public schools have fallen behind students from other countries, such as Finland and China. What the media doesn’t tell us is that Finland has a poverty rate of about 5.5%, compared to the U.S., where poverty is about 20%. Think about it: approximately two out of every ten children in the United States live in poverty. Since poverty is usually concentrated in specific areas (urban schools and some small, rural schools), that means that some teachers have little-to-no poverty in their classrooms, while others have entire classes of children who don’t have enough to eat and day-to-day stress makes learning more difficult. However, while poverty has long been more of an issue in low-income areas, as inequality increases it is becoming more of an issue in middle class schools, as well.
The media also doesn’t tell us that in some countries with higher Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, such as China, not all children are educated; while in the United States, the goal has long been to educate every child. You can look here and here for more information about PISA scores and what can actually be interpreted from that data.
One other consideration left out of the media’s reports on public education: in both Finland and China, teaching is a highly respected profession. Why does this matter? While it’s common knowledge that teaching is not a highly paid profession, who would want to go into (or stay in) a field with low pay and such low respect that you’re being demeaned constantly? It is little wonder that so many experienced teachers are leaving the profession, and there is a steep decline in college education preparation programs?
Winners and Losers in Education
Why have the conditions for public school teachers become so grim? What possible reasons could there be for these attacks on public schools and their teachers? The answer is simple: money. While free public education is a respected value for many Americans, some people and institutions have also found ways to profit from public education. Here, a couple examples.
For-profit charter schools have become a huge money maker for investors. It has become a vicious- and profitable- circle. The more public schools are defunded and attacked, the more parents seek out charter schools, which leads to further hurting public schools, meaning that more parents seek out the alternative of charter schools.
Another issue presenting a profit incentive is testing. Many public schools that are described as failing earn that reputation through low students’ scores on standardized tests. Standardized tests represent an opportunity for significant profit for investors. The Washington Post explored this issue a few years ago in Florida; their analysis would find traction in every other state as well.
This is not a partisan issue-legislators of both parties have created laws favoring charter schools, which have less (or no) oversight and fewer regulations. President Obama was just as culpable with hurting public schools as President G.W. Bush was.
Then along came Betsy…
However, as bad as the situation has increasingly been for public education, the horizon looks much more grim in the near future under President Trump and the Secretary he chose to head the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos. Secretary DeVos’ appointment creates many deep and serious challenges for US public education, for schools and school systems, for educators, for students and for families. In the next two days of this week, educator Patrick Kearney’s open letters explore these challenges.
I believe…
As an American citizen, I am deeply concerned about the state of public education and its educators. I fiercely believe that public education is one of the pillars of a democracy, and that education is (or should be) the way out of poverty. Children are the future of our work force, our society, and our country.
As a Christ follower, I am appalled at the victimization and profiteering that is imperiling our children, often by people who claim to be Christians.
Finally, as an educator for most of my life, I am furious about what is happening to my profession and to my students. I truly believe that for most teachers, their profession is their calling and their ministry.
What can we do? What can you do?
I believe that we are called at this moment to speak up and speak out for our children and the future of education in the US. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Patrick J. Kearney, veteran educator and author, contributes open letters to Secretary Betsy DeVos he authored in late 2016 and in May 2017. These continue to be read and discussed, thus educating the public and empowering others to speak up too.
My hope is that more Americans become aware of the truth of what is happening and speak up. Speak up by voting. Pay attention to the policies pushed by state and federal officials and make education one of the central “issues’ of your choosing a candidate.
Speak up by calling out “reformers” who want nothing more than to profit off of our children, and then educate those around you.
And speak up by offering encouragement and appreciation to the teachers who are still in the trenches, doing their best to serve our students. That just may be the small branch that some gifted educator holds on to.
For Further Reading – Resources to prepare us for speaking up and speaking out
On teachers leaving the field
http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/teacher-resignation-letters-paint-bleak-picture-of-us-education/
The challenges inherent in Secretary DeVos’ appointment
Investors’ profit incentive in education
http://www.alternet.org/education/corporations-profit-standardized-tests
The problems with standardized testing
https://fairtest.org/how-standardized-testing-damages-education-pdf
A word from Julie Taylor Monetta: I am a literacy specialist with over twenty-five years’ experience teaching students in pre-school, grade school, middle school, high school and college in Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. I have also had the pleasure of providing teachers across the country with training and professional development.
While I have known my share of “bad apples”, I can attest that the vast majority are dedicated teachers doing their best to improve their craft in a tough profession.
Teachers in our country have not done enough to stand up for themselves and their profession. Many find the politics confusing and distasteful, and they trust that the system will work for them in the end. Many are too tired to “fight the system” and put all of their energy into their profession. And largely, teachers are “nice”. Cliché’, but true. Their job is one of service and they don’t want to make a fuss.
As I have watched the train wreck that has become of public education, I decided a few years ago that it was imperative to pay attention, know what was going on, and to speak up for students and my colleagues. Over time, I’m seeing more educators take the same stance.
My hope is that by presenting the big picture and some of the details of what is happening, more citizens will rise up and demand that our government representatives once again support and protect public education.
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