Education: Here Today – Gone Tomorrow?
Education: Here Today- Gone Tomorrow?
I will speak from the heart and hopefully I can touch a mind or two with my thoughts. I have been in the business of educating kids for over 30 years and think I have a feel for some of the things that work and that do not when trying to reach the future of our great nation. First a few things that are not so good in teaching right now. Teachers are not held in the degree of respect that they deserve.Teachers have been told (not asked) to do too much with too little. And this in every aspect of the education system. Teachers have no or very little input into what is taught how it is taught and given consequences they can’t control. The moral of way too many teachers is very low and they see very little chance to climb out of the mess we are in. I am saving this for last for a reason. The compensation to the teachers and I mean the ones who take roll, give grades and field questions from every so and so is not enough. I really believe that the folks that teach every day from the heart would be satisfied with their pay if they were treated with respect and had a chance to practice their art with the backing of the the administration and the parents of those little darlings.
My reasons for believing some of the bad things are happening in the Florida and the US education.
Number One: There is very little to no local control.
Number Two: Because there is no local control the control is from the government and I mean the national government. This is where No Child Left Behind came from. And Average Yearly Progress and countless others over the last few years.
Number Three:The Florida state government in Tallahassee makes bad things from Washington DC even worse. See FCAT. Pay for performance. Evaluation systems that have been proven to be unfair and judgmental. Such as having 5 year olds evaluate their teachers. Unfunded mandates. The worse “Good ‘Ole Boy Network” that can be found.
Number Four: The leadership in the districts from superintendents to principals to supervisors do not have in in their heart what is best for the students. Now I know that will hit a few nerves but so be it. I also know there are a few (a very few) that go full speed to do what is best for the students. So what do the leaders do. Well the superintendents and school board members in many counties worry about either getting elected or getting reelected. So they appoint people who will be under their control and close control to carry out their orders without question. They give one year contracts with the threat of their job if they cross the line and actually try something that works.
OK so what would I do differently than what is taking place?
First: CLEAN HOUSE in August, and November.
Second: Give local control to the schools as much as possible. There are things that the districts can do as a whole that is good but not as dictatorial as it is now.
Third: Discipline next Discipline next More Discipline Next Student Accountability Next Parent Accountability. I think you know where I am coming from. If I get a chance to write another editorial I will spend it on discipline and how to make it work.
Fourth: Reward teachers in a common sense and forward thinking way.
This is just a start and much more can be said to help us get the education of our valued youth on track.
Written by: A long standing educator in Santa Rosa County
Submitted to NSRNews as an Op-Ed (Opposite the Editorials)
