Teachers Need to Step Up to the Plate

I was reading an article in the latest issue of Phi Delta Kappan and the writer spoke of NCLB with much venom.  Much as I like to blame George W. Bush for anything that is making me unhappy, I have to say that I was aware and saddened when students were suing their schools in the 80s because they couldn't read.  Teachers, and bad systems, were at fault then and failed to make changes.  So, GW steps in and devises NCLB to hold schools accountable to the students they are supposed to serve.  Although it has become a disaster, George W. Bush did not make it so.

In 2000 when I went back to school to get my Master's degree, I was in a class where the discussion came around to a local district that was planning a teacher strike.  While one of my classmates was employed in that district and could speak clearly about why the union was suggesting a strike, the news was reporting that the teachers wanted more money.  My classmate couldn't deny the charge.  Naturally I voiced my opinion.  If teacher unions want more, they need to address the issues that motivate the masses.  Get kids interested in learning.  If our children were doing well in schools, especially in poor districts, there would be no justify a strike and no tax payer would begrudge a teacher a higher salary.  

Teachers need to clearly and repeatedly state what is wrong with NCLB while showing how they can be accountable without having the constraints of standardized tests hanging around their necks.  Too many teachers do little more than teaching kids how to take a test.  I don't think they deserve higher pay.  And, regardless of their qualifications or pedigree, I don't believe they should be considered highly qualified.  I am tired of going to parent-teacher conferences and meeting teachers who are just going through the motion.  Covering material is not teaching it.

So, the educational field doesn't like NCLB?  Big surprise!!!  But public schools need to find a way to do the job (get kids learning) while distancing themselves from the stress of the test.  If they can't do that, then they should stop complaining.  Recognizing problems is easy.  Fixing them requires truly good teachers.