Professionalism

What is professionalism? Is teaching a profession, are teachers professionals? The definition of profession is a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science; a learned profession is any of the three vocations of theology, law, and medicine commonly held to require highly advanced learning. A professional is someone who is following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain or someone engaged in one of the learned professions. By definition then, it must be seen that teaching is indeed a profession, and recent regulations such as the requirement of a masters, national certification standards, and increased licensing procedures would lead me to believe that teaching is trying to become looked at as one of the learned profession, and therefore held to a higher standard of respect within the community. So then we are left with the question of what role, if any, unions and regulations such as HB 79, 190, and 428, have in elevating the status of teaching.

In 2008 the Education Sector and the FDR Group surveyed over 1,000 K-12 public school teachers about their views on teaching professionalism, unions, and many reforms within the profession. According to the survey most teachers see unions as vital to their profession, 54 percent feel they are absolutely essential and only 11 percent see them as something they could do without. Three out of four teachers strongly value the traditional protections of the unions. Seventy eight percent state that “without a union, teachers would be vulnerable to school politics or administrators who abuse their power. “ Only twenty one percent of teachers agree that the profession would be held in high prestige if collective bargaining and lifetime tenure were eliminated. (Education Sector Reports, Waiting to be won over)

I do not think that the presence of unions hurts teaching as a profession, and it is clear that teachers feel the need for the union. I do think that negative publicity and the publics’ views regarding tenure, teacher misconduct, and the quality of teaching in the public schools all hinder the professions ability to gain the prestige that educators want to see. I agree with the article Union Bashing Won't Reform Our Schools when it is stated that school districts and their local teachers unions have formed a symbiotic partnership in mediocrity. Teachers not fulfilling the role they were hired for need to be removed and it is sad that because it is viewed by administration as easier to keep these poor teachers in the schools then fight to have them removed lowers the standard of all teachers. Administrators, not unions, are ultimately responsible for the hiring and firing of teachers and they have been neglectful to their profession, and their students, by choosing to take the easy road. If poor teachers are removed, regardless of the struggle, then the profession as a whole will gain credibility with the general public.

With regards to HB 79, 190, and 428 the article How should Ohio deal with teachers accused of crimes states that most teachers are properly disciplined when a violation of profession codes of conduct are committed. It also stated that in actuality there are a relatively low number of convicted or accused teachers overall. The media sensationalism of a few cases (such as those pointed out in Lindsey’s presentation) also hinders the teaching profession. I agree with Rep. Matt Lundy who voiced concern that HB 428 could jeopardize the careers of upstanding teachers if charges prove false. Lundy is concerned that the current laws do not provide for proper due process and could lead to the punishment of good teachers who become targets for angry students. I personally agree with back ground checks and the removal of teachers found guilty of the crimes listed in the legislation, however I also worry that without proper checks and balances, a large number of good teachers could be punished due to the actions of a very few bad ones. However, I do not think that HB 79, 190, and 428 jeopardize the professionalism of teaching instead it is the increased media attention of the actions of a few horrible teachers has irrevocably harmed our professions reputation with the public.

Teachers want to be recognized for the hard work they do, they want their chosen profession to be elevated to the status of doctors and lawyers. I do not feel that unions or recent legislation hinder that. I do feel that it is almost impossible to alter the publics’ view of teaching and teachers, often due to negative media attention to test results, the few sensational stories of abuse within the profession, and the misconduct of administrators. Regardless of the steps the profession takes to increase accountability, until we can move forward and take steps to erase years of negative publicity our profession will continue to be viewed in a slightly negative way with the general pubic and therefore unable to be held in the level of prestige it deserves.

Professionalism

I believe that there have been many instances that have contributed to the increasing requirements to be a true professional teacher. However the single greatest influence has been the evolution of the union. The union has stood for many years to make life better for all people. Whether it is hours an individual was allowed to work safety issues or pay increases the union has always been the first in line to defend an individual’s right. For years people would graduate college, get a teaching job and work there for the next 30 years without ever trying to gain new knowledge or new instructional techniques. Through time the unions contributed to teachers being required to receive their masters in a certain amount of time to constantly stay fresh with the new techniques. Also required was that when teachers apply for their licensure renewal that they have taken 6 credit hours to show that they are continuing their education. With these improvements that teachers are taken they are receiving compensation for the willingness to be more of a professional. Another improvement that can be contributed to teacher unions as well is the L.P.D.C. hours where an individual each year has to take 7 hours worth of outside course improvement workshops. These 7 hours are then compensated with a teacher receiving a day off of work. If teacher unions had stayed in the same mode we may not have seen these vast improvements in our profession. These improvements have made teachers an even more highly regarded profession. In jenny’s presentation she also made a statement about unions being our voice for our collective bargaining. If we did not have these unions to back us up we would never be able to negotiate a contract to receive the compensation deserved for the work that we do. So I believe that due to the vision of where the unions would like to be it has contributed to the increasing professionalism of teaching.

Professionalism

I think like anything else, unions have their ups and downs. As Jenny stated..”Unions are advocates for public schools, teachers, children”. They are put in place to protect teachers. They want to see children in public education receive the best education by trying to provide good incentives for teachers. They offer you protection against arbitrary firing, they offer you protection against unreasonable demands, and etc. In Jenny’s powerpoint she talks about the issue with “tenure”. This makes it difficult to remove poor teachers. I think this is one of the biggest problems with a union. We have teachers in the system that just shouldn’t be there anymore for one reason or another. They are not benefiting the children any longer. Another problem with unions Jenny states is the seniority issues. A lot of first year teachers taking on positions that are least desirable. New teachers feel obligated. This is the last thing first year teachers need to be doing. The worst year for a teacher is the first year. Everything is brand new to you. You are trying to figure out what lessons to teach, how to get across to your students, classroom management tips, etc. I currently work with a first year teacher who said this may have been the worst year of her life. She has bought every classroom management book there is, and she feels like nothing is really working. As if that is not bad enough, the school keeps asking her to be on all these different committees. Teachers are not prepared for their first year, so, why do the school systems feel its okay to throw extra jobs at them. As if they don’t carry enough weight on their shoulder. I guess, you honestly just have to weigh your options. I’ve never been apart of a union. I have heard a lot of positive and negative points about them from my mother who is apart of a school union. I don’t feel I am educated enough to make a stance on it.

Union Professionalism/Teacher Misconduct

Are Unions professional? Historically, unions have been linked to blue collar workers, laborers if you will; and white collar positions are non-union, highly professional positions. So, it’s not too surprising that teachers are not considered professional when affiliated with a union. However, I do not feel that unions are completely to blame for the non-professional association with teaching.
It doesn’t bode well when teachers are having relationships with students, becoming pregnant by students or coaches in the schools pushing their athletes so hard that they collapse or die due to heat exhaustion, or deprived of water as part of their conditioning for the sport they are playing. As Lyndsey outlined in her presentation during class these events are sensationalized in the media and the punishment does not always fit the crime. In some, the cases are dropped because the parents want to protect their child from the media circus and the teacher goes on to teach another day (“passing the trash”), in another school system or the state system for reporting these crimes are not structured to keep track of the offenders and there is no way of knowing about the true crime committed.
Teachers have a huge responsibility when they go into the profession. Not only are they responsible for the education of those students they are also responsible for the safety and well-being of those students. I believe teachers in the past have been considered professional and given the respect associated with the position; however, when teachers are publicized in the media as predators they have become that diminishes any respect which the profession may have been given. Teachers are in a position of power. They are looked to on many levels by students and when that teacher crosses the line and takes advantage of a student they do not deserve the respect to be called professional.
As presented by Jenny, Unions were established to provide a voice to those who needed the support of an organized group to address poor working conditions or ill-treatment of workers by management. I doubt that when unions were established there was any thought given to situations, such as, teachers taking advantage of their students for them to address how best to handle it or to put in a contract how misconduct of a teacher will be treated; hence, the development of House Bill 190. This bill is an attempt to protect students and to communicate to unions the education system will not tolerate misconduct by a teacher(s).
As mentioned in the Edweek article, “The Power of Progressive Thinking”, unions and school administrators need to collaborate with another to come to an agreement on how to best serve the students and teachers. They need to come to together to improve the safety and teaching of students.

Unions can only be as professional as the people holding the position in the profession.

Standard and Expectations

House Bill 79 was introduced to address reports of teacher misconduct and even though it became effective several years ago, it is still not clear what "conduct unbecoming to the teaching profession" means. Legislation directed the State Board to define the term for purposes of reporting requirements. However, to date no rules have been filed. Legislation also required districts to keep reports of misconduct in eployee's file. However if ODE doesn't take action on the individual's license, then the report must be taken out of the employee's personnel file and moved to a seperate public file. Majority people are not aware that regardless of where the report of misconduct is kept, the report itself is still a public record and can be accessed. As noted in class, approx eight months after HB 79 was introduced, HB 190 came into effect (11-07), extending criminal record check requirements to all school employees not included in HB79, but licensed by ODE and nonlicensed school employees. Even though HB190 just passed, HB 428 is now the new and "improved" legilation that is in effect to address employee misconduct changes. HB428 requires the State Board to deny or automatically revoke the license of any educator who commits one of more than eighty offenses, and requires districts to remove an employee from the classroom if arrested for "certain" offenses-too open ended.
As Jenny presented in class through the video, if the teacher isn't convicted or the victim doesn't follow-up, the teacher is free to continue teaching. The can go to another school, another district, even another State and not have past "issues" follow them. I believe this is where consistency and standardization needs to come in so that there are standard of practice and professionalism across the board. How do you define professionalism when there are different standars and different criterias among districts and States? Professionalism has to initially come from within ones self. Professionalism is part of one's character. As to paraphrase Jenny from her blog "the people who choose to abuse are somehow lacking character." As for unions hindering or supporting professionalism...they did not hire the teachers, administrators did. The union is there to support those who were hired into the system and who pay their dues so that when they need help, their union rep is there. So, possibly administrators need to do a bit more research/investigation of those who they are hiring and exposing our children to. The schools are suppose to be a safe haven where children are nurtured and educated.

Unions and Professionalism

School unions have been around for quite some time. If you were to research about school unions you would see that they have held the same standards throughout history. Their purpose is to be another voice for the workers or in this case the teachers. The unions are to make financial decisions and to be a collective voice for bargaining. They are there to provide preofessional development for teachers through workshops, conferences, and grants. They are there for protection against arbitrary firing and unreasonable demands in the workplace. From what I have seen I believe that unions do have a strong relationship with teacher misconduct legislation. Unfortunately I believe that in many cases the unions are the escape route needed in order to protect the teachers who have committed crimes and should not be in our classrooms. If you think about it there are a ton of cases that have never been reported and have passed through the system because school unions protect their teachers. How do they protect their teachers? One way is that they unite and agree that "taking an employee to court to get him or her dismissed can be expensive and time consuming" according to the article in Education World (12/9/98) regarding "passing the trash" issues. On the other hand I do believe that with the current legislation of (HB 79, 190,428) teachers will be held more accountable for their actions and the unions will not be able to protect them because of the crimes that they may commit. Finally the teachers who any parent would not want around their child may be dismissed and possibly have their license terminated. I was astounded by reading recent reports in Education World that 16 states do not require criminal background checks for first time applicants for professional certificates. If someone does have a history of past offenses, these states will never know. Also in 16 states educators convicted of a sex crime against students will not automatically lose their licenses, therefore a teacher who has a history of having sex with students may teach again! In response to the reflection question there is proof that the legislation that is currently being reviewed and updated will play a major role with teacher unions and professionalism. On another note I will share two quick stories with you. The first one is that an eighth grade teacher at my jr.high school when I attended was arrested for having inappropriate relationships with three of her students. I believe after being convicted of different counts of sexual crimes she remains in prison today. It was found later that a previous district had dismissed her for what they called "inappropriate conduct" just two years prior to her arrest. Where was the background checks then? Who wants these teachers in our schools? I actually cringe to the thought that I could have had this woman as my teacher. I think it is fairly obvious that more needs to be done with the legislation issues so these so called teachers can teach where they belong and that is behind bars. Our unions do need to make clear to their employees their intentions, their job responsibilities, and the consequences that can occur as a result of breaking the law.

Removing Poor Teachers

A problem that I noticed with teacher unions is that in some cases teachers are not being held accountable for their actions. For example, because of tenure it can be difficult to remove poor teachers if they have seniority. It is extremely difficult to get rid of ineffective teachers because of the cost. Governor Strickland stated that the state of Ohio would remove ineffective teachers from the classroom but I would like to find out more about how he is going to do this. Deborah Delisle, head of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District, said it cost over $200,000 the last time she went through the process with an ineffective teacher. The students are the ones who are getting hurt when they have and ineffective teacher. There needs to be a way to remove poor teachers without spending so much money.

As Lyndsey stated in her presentation about House Bill 190 abuse will happen in schools and the administrators will fail to let others know about it and there will be too many legal loopholes so the offender will get away with the crime and will stay in the classroom. She also stated that many teachers who have been offenders will go and teach at another school district putting more students at risk. House Bill 190 is a good form of legislation because it requires all teachers to get a background check. A new bill under debate in the statehouse would allow the Department of Education to automatically revoke the teaching license of a teacher convicted of anything included on a list of 80 crimes (John Vettese). I know that when I apply for jobs the application always asks if you have committed a misdemeanor and you have to explain what the misdemeanor. However, offenders of sexual abuse may be lying on the application and administrators may not investigate the offense. It is very necessary that all teachers get background checks so that we can make sure our students are safe at school,

Education legislation and how it relates to teacher unions

As we have already seen in class, teachers today have numerous issues to deal with regarding their professional careers. Current (and recent) legislation has brought ideas of professionalism even more into the spotlight. Specifically, House Bills 79, 190 and 428 have introduced more standards for teacher conduct and require background investigations (state and federal) to be completed before anyone can work in a school environment. As Lyndsey stated in her presentation however, House Bill 190 was so broad that when a teacher was found to be in non-compliance with the provisions and lost their job, they could go to almost any other school district and get another one.

In relation to teacher's unions, I am of the belief that a lot of the misconduct that occurs in schools goes without consequence. While looking at Wikipedia's definition of the NEA it states, "With the recent scrutiny placed on teacher misconduct, regarding specifically sexual abuse, the NEA has been criticized for its failure to crack down on abusive teachers. From an AP investigation, former NEA President Reg Weaver commented, "Students must be protected from sexual predators and abuse, and teachers must be protected from false accusations." He then refused to be interviewed. The Associated Press reported that much of the resistance to report the problem comes from "where fellow teachers look away," and "School administrators make behind-the-scenes deals". This quote goes along with the fact that many have stated dealing with the cost of the lawsuits and completely following through with allegations of abuse/miscounduct. Although I do believe that unions protect teachers from being wrongfully let go, I also think that they can protect the teachers that should no longer be in the classroom due to inappropriate actions.

It is my belief that as teachers we are set to a higher standard regarding our personal actions, because we are supposed to be role models for our students. Although this is not necessairly fair, it is reality and it does make sense. However, we are also human and we do make mistakes. Depending on the severity of the offense I am of the belief that some infractions shouldn't be made out to be something to lose a job over. On the other hand, I do believe that there are some actions that should result in an immediate loss of a job/teaching license, as stated in HB 428.

When we discussed the issue in class of teacher professionalism and whether teachers act differently if they are part of a union, I can see both sides of the issue. Teaching is one of those jobs where there are not necessairly set "hours", but this does not mean that schools should expect or require their employees to attend countless meetings that frequently spill over into their "personal" time. Although I have not had any personal experience with unions yet in my career, I can see how they are complicated because on one side they support teachers and make sure they are not being mistreated, but on the other hand they can protect those that should not be able to have the jobs that they do based on their behavior. I think that the laws are trying to adress these issues, but it will take some time to truly see how they are working out.

Professionalism: Character Trait or Legal Mandate

If the authors of the teacher misconduct legislation expected HB79, 190, and 428 to stop educators from inappropriate behaviors toward their students, they were sadly mistaken. Laws are not going to stop deviate behaviors. Laws cannot change a person’s innate character. I would speculate that most of the folks who were featured in Lindsey’s presentation did not go into the profession of teaching thinking, “Gee, maybe I can sexually abuse one of my students!” No, most of us do not go looking to hurt someone or to break the law. Some of us cannot pass up the chocolate brownies sitting in the teacher’s lounge, even though we know it will go straight to the hips. Others can come into the lounge, get their mail without even giving the brownies a second glance. The people who choose to abuse are somehow lacking the character trait that draws the appropriate boundary line between student and teacher. It would be interesting to look back into these people’s lives to see if there were any telltale signs of inappropriate boundary issues. No amount of laws can stop the behavior: they only can help with the prosecution of the crime.
So what are we to do to protect our children, and how does the union fit into this equation? Traditionally, teachers have been held at a high level of professional standards. My handout of a teacher’s rules for a school in Iowa in the mid–to- late 1800”s is evidence of the high professional and personal standards teachers faced years ago. School boards had ultimate authority over their teachers. Unions are in place today to give a voice to the educator and to guarantee fair treatment of teachers. As I mentioned in my presentation, the teacher union began as a professional association and is still a professional association. On the issue of professionalism the 2006 NEA Representative Assembly adopted this statement:
“Professionalism. We believe that the expertise and judgment of education professionals are critical to student success. We maintain the highest professional standards, and we expect the status, compensation, and respect due all professionals.”
Unions hold our profession to a high standard. The union does not want teacher misconduct in our schools. They want our “judgment” to be sound. At the beginning of the school year, our union representative stated strongly that we were not to give cell phone numbers to students, text students, and a list of behaviors that could be considered inappropriate. Union leadership has come out in favor of peer reviews and mentoring. Their goal is to help teachers be the best professional they can be, and to protect our students from those who would harm them.

Professionalism

I believe unions have the best intentions in making teachers and their job viewed professionally. After the presentations and reading articles it seems like unions hinder certain aspects of improving certain areas within the profession of education but do so with the attention of protecting the teachers and administration. One example is the ideas of teachers receiving tenure after teaching for three years. This is good for teachers because they know they are safe from being fired but it may also be bad because some teachers start to slack off once they have tenure. I couldn’t believe, in the article in the Plain Dealer called Good teachers are key to student achievement, but bad ones are hard to fire, that Lakewood school district had to spend $350,000 to take a teacher step down from their job after they were accused of teasing students to make them step down from the job. Looking at the other side I understand that the union was protecting the teacher from false accusations. I think as teachers we do need this protection because some kids will say and do anything if they are mad enough. But at the same time students should have the right to have teachers who are committed to their job and want to be there to help them improve their education.
The same problem comes with the idea of protecting both teachers and children when there is a felony being brought against the teacher. I believe protecting the children is number one but at the same time I think teachers should be protected till being proven guilty. I know in class it was mentioned that any accusation would be documented in a teachers file forever. I think if they were shown to not be guilty it should be erased from their file. I was shocked when I read that more then 1,700 educators had to be disciplined in Ohio in the past seven years. ( Speak Out) Something does need to be down to limit these numbers for parents trust us with their children and children trust us that they will be safe. So what can we do to protect both the teachers and students? This is a tough question and one that should be looked at by unions, educators, and the state together to create a balance system protecting everyone rights in the end.

Are Today's Teacher Unions Professional Organizations?

~Professionalism, to me, implies that one acts in a matter full of integrity that displays the proficiency gained by the education and training one has received. When teachers do not display such integrity, it is my opinion that they need to be removed from the profession. The focus of our teaching needs to be on our students and what is to be in their best interests. So often I see unions and union leaders quick to stand up for their own "rights" while neglecting the needs of their students.
~Unions have certainly aided teachers and other laborers in that there is a collective bargaining agency that will be a voice to management. As Jenny pointed out in her presentation, unions were created to give a voice to the laborers. She mentioned that teacher unions provide many positive attributes such as professional development, a collective bargaining voice, and legal representation. But the teaching profession is more than just a "labor force" working with machinery and the like. We are working with the children and all that we do must be for the best interest of those children.
~As stated in "Union Bashing Won't Reform Our Schools", "the fact is that many American school districts and their local teachers' unions have formed a symbiotic partnership in mediocrity." The adversarial relationships between administrators and teachers do not help the children. All should work together to "clean house" and remove ineffective teachers. Did anyone notice the inset picture in the Plain Dealer article? There was a van with "Vote for the Worst Teachers..." and a web site entitled "www.teacherunionsexposed.com" at the bottom of it. I went to this link out of curiosity and found some interesting comments from teachers concerning the teacher unions. Jeralee Smith shared that she does not feel that the adversarial relationship the unions bring is beneficial to the children, teachers, or the districts. Ken Shelton echoed her thoughts, adding the idea that as we are all adults, we should be able to work out our differences in a professional conversation, one to one. Yet, this is discouraged by our unions which say that "you must not go into a meeting with an administrator unless you have representation with you". The other issue with unions is that much of the money that goes beyond funding the local needs is put to use in political arenas, many of which the majority of union teachers may not support themselves. Personally, I would not want my hard earned money going to support some of the causes endorsed by the NEA. If the union is indeed a representation of its members, it should consider the members' desires as to where the money should be spent.
~It seems that Tom Mooney, as reflected in the articles "Mooney Institute Tries to Blend Unionism, School Reform" and "The Power of Progressive Thinking" has indeed sought to reform the idea of unions so that they are able to be agents of collaboration, working with districts and administrators to unify them in order to "improve the quality of teaching and learning". When districts and unions work together, the "initiatives gain credibility", solving problems with instructional issues, teacher compensation, and teacher quality. Peer evaluation is also stated as a way to "develop good teachers and weed out ineffective ones."
~ We as teachers need to be reminded that we are indeed educated professionals, experts in our field, and should present ourselves as such to our children, parents, fellow staff, administrators, and the community as a whole. As my school district posted a strike this past fall, I was faced with the decision of 'crossing the line' (by the way, I am not on contract). I was told that it was not "about money", but I later found out that money(salary/insurance) was indeed a main issue; I felt lied to by my coworkers. As the date of the strike neared, it was apparent that neither side acted professionally. There was a lot of 'mudslinging' from both sides. While I appreciate the fact that the union is there to represent the teacher in the case of a charge of misconduct or to protect against unreasonable demands, I am not always in agreement with the "collaborative" requests. I am there for the children. If there is an issue that concerns the children that is not being addressed properly, I will be there to support the children. We are coming into difficult time economically. There are many out there who do not have a job or the security of health benefits. As Dr. Scott addressed in class, we may be coming into a time that the membership may "fall out". Our school survived the strike and settled two days before the scheduled walk out. The teachers demands were met and they got their raises and their lowered health care payments as they wished (for example, payment from $45/mo. for a family to $20 - I wish I could pay $45 for my private insurance!) Yet now we are faced with Reduction In Force as the school district cannot afford to keep a full staff.
~Can unions be professional? Perhaps they can, but they must be reformed to be a true representation of the professionals they serve. Unions should promote more collaboration between staff and administration. The leaders in the unions seem be a product of the generation of people who believe they are "due" certain "rights" and monetary benefits and wish to promote their own political agenda. The union should strive to truly represent all teachers, not be a political organization using compulsory fees to support their agenda.

Unions and Teacher Misconduct....What's the link?

Throughout history, many different types of people have become teachers for many different reasons. As a society, most of us hope that these people are interested in children, learning, and good people at the core. But, as Lyndsey showed us in class during her presentation, not all teachers possess these qualities. I don't think this is so much an issue of why they choose to conduct themselves unprofessionally, but why they got to be in a position of that much power in the first place. Lyndsey also presented us with information on HB 190, and after reading the FAQ article on ANGEL, I understand that each current teacher and new hire must obtain a fingerprint and background check, which is an attempt to prevent these types of hires. The problem is, that we also learned last week, that most of these "teachers" who are being charged are being saved by unions and school districts who are trying to protect their own name, instead of thinking about the individual who needs obvious help and the current and future children that this individual will affect. So, do I think there is a link between misconduct and unions, absolutely. I agree with the Goldstein article in that "Teachers who are not adequately serving children, and who do not improve when provided with support, need to be removed from teaching, and quickly." But, unions are set up to protect these individuals in ways that keep them in the system until they are either forced out by their peers or they finally reach an age to remove themselves from the situation. I am not just thinking about inadequacies academically, but also ethically and professionally. This brings to mind the term "passing the trash" that Lyndsey presented us with. This type of protection and negligence is causing schools to hire teachers with questionable intentions to teach the vulnerable children of America. I think what the Mooney Institiute is trying to do by guiding unions into the ways of school reform is beneficial because school reform is a hot topic right now. We want our students to compete globally and we want them to achieve higher standards than ever, but unions and administrations are stuck in an old way of thinking and through these processes are slowing down the reform that we as individual teachers all the way through the federal level of our government are trying to achieve. I think unions need to stay concerned about the rights of individual workers and are a beneficial tool for protecting those who truly need it, not those who need to cover a scandal and have questionable intentions in this profession. When listening to Lyndsey's presentation, all I kept thinking is this does NOT represent a majority of teachers in America, and then I thought, thank goodness or we'd be in more trouble than we already are. Hopefully the unions will work towards a screening process to eliminate not only those already convicted of such terrible misconduct, but to weed out those who have been suspected in the past or have the potential to commit misconduct in the future. Through a process such as this, I think reform in education can truly begin. 

What's the Bottom Line?

The bottom line is that we should be educating our students, preparing them for tomorrow's challenges. To do so we have an abundance of school options, teaching programs, laws and regulations to make this possible. As a nation we have become conditioned to think education is key in our society and is needed to become successful in life's endeavors. However, how can a place as opportunistic as America have issues in schools where teachers don't lose their jobs for consistent poor performance and sexual relationships happen behind the coach's door? Some educators have either displaced their reasons for going into teaching or have decided incorrectly on a career that they are not suitable for. Careers in medicine, education, politics and law are professions you prepare for, invest in and commit yourself to. Teaching is a job that often goes unappreciated, underpaid and in some instances abused because of the loopholes in unions and undefined policies in its regulations.

In the American Road to Culture by George Counts he brings up points that are similar to those we earlier in the semester. He says it is principals and ideas that shape the conduct and evolution of education in the United States (1930). In order for education to be effective, it theories must be part of civilization and sustain the intimate relationship with social life and institutions (Counts, 1930). As I think about it, this makes sense because the education one receives will be effected by the environment that it is obtained. Counts mentions that it is the power of environment that offers the individual survival of man and how man depends on the process of education as it relates to social order. For these reasons it is our duty as educators to be role models and act accordingly. We want children to walk out of our buildings at the end of the day and feel like we have a genuine care and interest for them. But unfortunately we learned through Lindsey's presentation this is not always the case. We are here to nurture students and foster their growth as individuals not tear them down and set them up for emotional downfalls in their future.

As Counts acknowledges the importance of faith in the individual and schools in his work, this is the same thing we have lost in education. I think the loss of faith in the indivdual and schools has lead us to the issues we face today. Is there a difference between misconduct and the order of unions...not in the sense of losing the faith and belief for what purpose we serve as educators today.

Preparation or Restriction?

I think Holland's article in reference to the teacher in Virginia is a prime example of how our current teacher preparation system is lacking. At Baldwin-Wallace, I received and phenomenal education that prepared me above and beyond for my teaching career. However, the current continual certification renewal and set time for the completion of you masters I find to be more of a money making scheme by the state, than a genuine focus on continual acquisition of skills by educational professionals. Teachers are not encouraged, financially, to continue their education, yet are legally bound to do so. In most other occupations, of any origin from the labor field to the business arena, employees are encourages AND financially supported or wholly reimbursed to continue their education and gain further knowledge of their field. Taking into consideration some of the facts we were shown in our hand out during the presentation, concerning how teachers are treated in other countries, it causes me to wonder: How can we gain the professional respect we deserve, when our own system does not support or encourage our success?

Protection of a Few to Benefit the Majority

In the spirit of taking some one's blog and expanding it further, I would like to add to Mary's blog "Do Teacher's Union Promote Slackers?" It is not a new idea by any means that veteran teachers are hard to fire, and the protections set up by unions many times enable these situations to perpetuate. However, to blame the mediocrity of a small group of people on an established organization, seems to me, overzealous. The idea of professionalism and work ethic are intrinsic characteristics that are governed by an individual's dedication to their career. No union is telling a person what kind of worker they going to be, those traits have long been established within their psyche long before they were ever concerned with any union. In the Plain Dealer's article, as with many news outlets, when a view is being expressed, it is often to one particular extreme.
People are frustrated. Parents want the best education for their child, but are hindered by what local schools can offer. Teachers (I believe, on the majority) want to provide the best education possible for students, but are tied to testing and lack of funding and support. Administration wants to see their schools thrive but hindered by test scores and bureaucracy. We need a scapegoat and the Plain Dealer article provides that. Are teachers really "entrenched in mediocrity," or are they imprisoned by, it due to all the before mentioned factors?
Unions are in place to protect the rights of teachers. I am sure that there is corruption and I am sure there are many instances where teachers who "don't care" are able to keep their jobs due to those protections. However, I also know, first hand, that a teacher union protected me from false and biased accusations from my administration. It was through its direction and support that my rights were defended, fairly and justly. Perhaps there are many complaints about teachers who don't care and how unions protect them, but I believe that even if a small minority receive unfair "protection" from unions, there is a larger majority, who do care, who do give all that they have every day, to every student, that undoubtedly benefit from teacher's unions. It is time we start taking responsibility for ourselves. If you want to leave that meeting at the time that is stated on your contract that's fine, but I am pretty sure the union president wasn't the one who made you get out of that chair and walk out the door, were they?

Do Teacher's Unions Promote Slackers?

“The fact remains that it's difficult and expensive to get rid of a veteran teacher who isn't getting the job done” (Starzyk and Stephens). Examples of the cost of getting ride of a veteran teacher are also listed in the article “Good teachers are key to student achievement, but bad ones are hard to fire”, from the Plain Dealer, November 30, 2008. In class, I personally mentioned a tenure teacher in my high school who shouldn't have been teaching. The teachers’ unions obviously place a significant road block to physically removing incapable and unprofessional teachers from their positions. I can see why some school districts would not want to waste the money to even try to have them removed. How do these enabling unions increase the professionalism of the teaching profession? They don’t!

Do teachers' unions promote professionalism in the area of work ethic? Do the teachers’ unions perpetuate slackers in the profession? If unions say to it’s members that they only have to attend so many meetings in a scheduled period of time, and they only have to work so many hours in a day, then perhaps the unions are perpetuating slackers. Is it professional to only give the bear minimum to a profession? What ever happened to high standards and high work ethic? What ever happened to giving more than what is required? In the Plain Dealer article mentioned above, it discusses ordinary people’s complaints about the teaching profession’s "entrenched mediocrity." Many ordinary people’s biggest complaint about teachers was that “they did not really care about their job”.

The State Board of Education adopted the new teacher, principal and professional development standards in October 2005. The Standards for Ohio Educators book details the standards and how they can be used which is found on the ODE website. On the website is a PDF on the Ohio Standard for the Teaching Profession. In this document is listed the following: “Teachers assume responsibility for professional growth, performance and involvement as an individual and as a member of a learning community.
• Teachers understand, uphold and follow professional ethics, policies and legal codes of
professional conduct.
• Teachers take responsibility for engaging in continuous, purposeful professional development.
• Teachers are agents of change who seek opportunities to positively impact
teaching quality, school improvements and student achievement”.

The big question is: Are the teachers’ unions helping or hindering teachers from accomplishing these goals?

More Questions Than Answers

I am new in the professional field and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. However, I do have an important question and I find it puzzling that no one can answer it, “why aren’t teachers seen as professionals?” I cannot understand why the pay for this important position is so significantly low, why there is a need for unions to ensure appropriate working conditions, and why this is still not valued as one of the most important professions. We constantly hear “children are the future”, we know that many parents cherish them more than life itself, and I’ve had some friends say they value the work I do and could never do it themselves. Where does this disconnect occur?

Both teachers unions and misconduct legislation are responsible to play a role in accountability in education. And accountability is necessary, but is this system working? The misconduct legislation holds teachers accountable for professional and appropriate lifestyles. Or, at least it is supposed to as we saw in the presentation by Lyndsey. Teacher unions work to ensure that teachers are receiving rights and those around them are treating teachers as valuable professionals. That is if they are carried out accordingly. A number of classmates in our discussion supported unions saying that they make it so the workload isn’t unreasonable and their rights are protected. This I understand, but why don’t other professionals need the unions also? Aside from the possible lawsuits from families, why do teachers need something concrete to support their rights?

The article “What should Schools Do With Bad Teachers” talked about the expense with removing “bad” teachers from the schools. It always seems that the staff knows who “those teachers are” and if this is the case, why are they still employed? In another field they would be “let go” for not following protocol, acting inappropriate, and not doing their job. If unions are good for the profession then they shouldn’t make it so difficult to dismiss those who are ineffective. I can’t believe some of the ways administrators “look the other way” in this sense.

It was brought up in class that for teachers to be treated like professionals, they must act like them. And I think for the most part teachers do. There will always be those who give the group a bad name. But, I know many who arrive to work early, stay late and spend countless additional hours at home working towards the success of their students. They brainstorm with colleagues, dress the part, and utilize professional development opportunities. Pretty hard to do when their friends in other fields work 9-5, leave work at work, and get to drink coffee on the job all while receiving twice the pay. (I worked as an administrative assistant last year and I could not believe I could drink coffee and listen to the radio while get paid, seriously.) With this reputation are we going to be able to recruit the best possible teachers for the future?

Misconduct legislation VS. Unions?

It's possible to imagine a relationship between teacher's unions and teacher misconduct legislation but that does not mean that the relationship is vital and thriving. I imagine that it is one that is reaching to connect but just missing the mark. I think that's because each side has it's own to protect: the unions protect the teachers and the legislation protects the students. It's not to say that the unions don't care for the child's best interest, but it's true business is teachers.
"The evolution of teacher/education/employee misconduct legislation" article breaks down the components of the bills 79,190,and 428 and the challenge facing those who wish to understand the true nature of those legislations lies in the definition of misconduct. HB 70 does not offer a clear representation of what "conduct unbecoming to the teaching profession" happens to be. The other bills have recommended code of conduct that make them credible. It is impossible, I think, to label something professional when it is unfinished. It is entirely "unprofessional" to speed a bill through that is unclear and incomplete.
When rules are defined and standards for teachers are in place (ODE Standards for Ohio Educators) then professionalism exists. Those teachers that break those rules and laws, as within any profession, should be held responsible and consequences faced. The idea that some may feel (as Jenny spoke about in her presentation) it's easier to just let the"close to retirement teacher" finish out the remaining years even though her teaching may be shoddy, is just preposterous to me as a parent. What parent would agree to that? The article "What should schools do about bad teachers?" states that it could cost $200,00-350,000 to complete the years long process to fire that poor performing teacher. Whose fault is that? The unions? Maybe the protection that the unions create costs some students a better education.
I think that the unions do promote the idea of professionalism. NEA's website and publications offer the reader insight into the exciting world of education. I like that the unions are able to give the teachers a voice and that it can be backed by thousands/millions strong. Political maneuverings, I think, make unions lose a little of that professionalism that they so strongly encourage because motivations then are driven by agendas.
Not sure if that relationship between teacher legislation and unions can be made whole or even if it's supposed to, just as long as the main goal is in the student's best interest.

Funding or Teacher Prep?

How sweet it would be to have a simple answer to the woes of the American educational system. Unfortunately, the problems the American education system faces are not simple. Last week’s lesson suggested two possible solutions to creating a more effective educational system: funding and teacher preparation. Jon Snyder, from our video “Empowering New Teachers: Bank Street College of Education” stated that when “a really talented teacher has a really expertly supported teacher, then kids do better.” I would have to agree wholeheartedly with him. When new teachers are given non-threatening, positive feedback and opportunities to learn from an expert or seasoned teacher while in their first year of teaching, the new teacher will finish the year with a sense of accomplishment and an eagerness to return the next year to provide an even better education for his or her students. According to the charts in the NCTAF Power Point, the American education system is losing many of its new teachers within the first 5 years of graduation. Why? People will not quit jobs if they are supported, are valued, and are seeing successes in their students. Some may say that we are not getting new teachers to stay or even recruiting new teachers, because the pay is low. Even though I am sure none of us would pass up a pay raise, most of us went into education knowing it would not make us rich. No, we are losing teachers because they are overwhelmed with the responsibilities in the classroom. Adelle gave us a list of current teacher responsibilities, and each year more is added to our list. Unless administration recognizes the need for a strong support system for its new teachers (and seasoned, I might add), the “drop out” rate for teachers will continue. I am approaching the end of my first year of teaching at a new building, in a new position. I have struggled and have been so overwhelmed with the new responsibilities, even though I have been teaching 13 years. If it was not for the support I have received from my co-workers and principal, I would be seriously looking to do something besides teaching in the special education field. However, with support and understanding, I am looking Ohio forward to next year and the chance to grow in my vocation even more.

Funding presents its own obstacles to the effectiveness of the American education system. Because of spending restraints many of the innovative or even basic programs are passed by or scratched from consideration. This adds more pressure onto our overwhelmed teachers. For example, if the school cannot pay for the extra teacher needed to make class sizes reasonable, then the larger class size drops the effectiveness of the teaching. Give the teaching staff a chance to list what they need to make the school an excellent learning environment and to raise the students’ level of learning, pass that list onto the superintendent or Board of education, and watch the suggestions get scratched due to funding. Administration wants those things, too, but they have a budget. The Funding of School Districts in Ohio chart certainly indicates a disparity of funding per student amongst our school districts. Maybe Governor Strickland’s plan to change Ohio’s funding formula will create not only more equitable funding across the state, but enough to move from adequate education forward toward excellent education for all of our school districts.

Who Should Be Permitted to Provide Public Schooling?

Hess says that traditionally, public schools are deemed to be those directly accountable to elected officials or funded by tax dollars. Hess also points out that it's getting harder and harder to define what a public school is! I agree. With the advent of vouchers and with different levels of government involvement, some supposedly private schools seem to be more "public" than conventional public schools.
I'm not so much concerned with labels of public and private as I am with just making sure that every American family has a fair opportunity to put their children in safe schools that offer a quality education. Some of our hard-earned tax dollars go towards education. If a parent applies for a voucher to get what they feel will be a better education for their child, I don't have a problem with that. I do believe that we need to make sure that vouchers are used responsibly, and that the voucher system is not abused.
I believe that there are good and bad schools on both sides. In one of the articles I read, the author states that a school is as good as its administration, staff, admission policies, class size, parent-support, and budget. I agree. Much like an athletic team/organization--quality starts from the top down.
I do have an issue with "fairness". Like a golf or athletic country club, private schools are the domain of those who can afford them. The biggest difference between public and private has always been income level. Vouchers may make private schools available for the poorer families, but what about middle class families who want a different choice? I also feel that if any school is receiving state tax dollars, than they should have the same rules, regulations, and level of accountability as the public schools. Some private schools want public dollars, but want to still run the school by their private rules. If we (meaning: charter, private, public, homeschool, etc.) are all competing for students and families, than we should have a more level playing field. Finally, to receive public money, the private schools should have to broaden their rules for admission. Public schools cannot turn away anyone, regardless of handicaps, behavior, family income, etc.
In short, I believe there is a place for all kinds of schools (labels), but if we are indeed competing for students and funding--than we all need to be on a more even level of accountability, rules, and regulations.

Stop The Leak!

American Education is like a leaking faucet there are many ways to stop the leak but only a few ways to fix it. The way our government has been going about stopping this leak of poor performances in many classrooms is by putting a piece of gum over the leak. I believe that the government is constantly overlooking the source of the problem and always trying to find the cheap way out. Every few years the federal government puts a new way to improve our education out there and by the time everyone begins to understand and develop the program the next president comes along and puts his stamp on the issue. This continues the slow drip that is our education.

In Issue 8 in our book, Paul Houston makes a great statement, “NCLB’s answer is that drilling our children will allow them to compete with the Chinese. Yet the real winners in the coming competition between East and West will not be the nations that focus on basic skills but those that cultivate high-level skills and ingenuity. In that regard, America has had an edge for some-time.” I think one of the answers to improving American Education is to stop trying to compete on an international scene. Focus on our needs to improve our schools based on what is going on here. We need to develop our students into well-rounded individual’s not just students who can recite various answers because they memorized it. These students need to know how they came about these answers and gain knowledge of how it worked, or what lead up to an incident in history, or how to solve a problem in math.

I feel another answer to American Education comes down to money. Teacher’s need to be paid better for the amount of work they put in. Schools need to receive money to stay current with technology, equipment and buildings. I believe this all needs to be either state funded or federal funded. The need for levy’s to pass to generate money for the schools is like hitting the lottery. More often the schools lose than win, because the money has to come out of the community resident’s pockets. When a person is asked to pay a higher rate in taxes it can have an effect on their choice to support a levy or vote against it. If our education becomes government funded it can help in many ways, poverty areas will receive the same technology and equipment as a suburban school system. By doing so it will help these teachers in these rough area’s out and also eliminates many of the excuses that are being heard. Tax payers will receive a break on paying for school levy’s and school’s can focus on education rather than having to worry about how they can make cuts to save money much like a business.

Whose fault is it?

As is most of the teaching/safety world, I am frustrated by Jarod's law. I do understand that a small child was killed due to a safety issue in a school that apparently no one was in charge of keeping track of, but this seems like a situation where the consequence does not fit the crime. As with most of you, my school has been inspected and we got back our suggested modifications. Some are reasonable, but most are not. My concern for the future is not whether our schools will be safer or not, but where is the funding going to come from to enforce all of these rules. Will this issue still seem so important 5 or 10 years from now, or will it be simply pushed aside? And, I have to agree with Dr. Scott, what in the world is wrong with this table company? If I am going to place blame, that is exactly where I go, back to the source. Schools have enough responsibility and worry that goes into educating and caring for children daily, they should not have to be so weary of companies who claim to make products to make our lives in a school "easier". This is certainly not the case in this issue. 

Whose job is it?

Throughout every presentation we kept hearing about how we as teachers, nurses, administrators, etc. are continually doing the job of parents. This is especially apparent when discussing health issues. As a teacher I try to remember several things. First, the way I live my life and what I expect is not the same as every family I work with. I think this is important because different cultures view things differently. In some cultures, their traditional foods are fattening or the larger you are, the higher your status. This is not the general case in America or in our society, but it still affects some of the students we are teaching. The second thing I try to think of always, is the type of example I am setting for my children. The article about the Oregon teachers and the junk food controversy really points out how we want to preach one thing and often do another. We are such large influences in our children's lives, and we need to be setting the best example we can at all times. The obesity rates Amanda showed in her presentation were alarming. And they are on the rise each year!! I send home a newsletter every other week, and I included Amanda's resource book- Eat This, NOT That! as a suggestion for parents to pick up. Do I feel as if it is my responsibility to feed these children, and make sure each health issue is addressed? No. But I do think I can do all that I can by setting a good example and dropping subtle hints to families about healthy living. If it even makes a small difference, maybe we can see those obesity rates and life expectancy rates for the future change for the better. 

Combination of both?

I think that both funding and teacher preparation contribute to American education. I believe that teacher preparation plays a key part because without properly educating our teachers who are currently teaching students, then the programs will be unsuccessful. In order to have proper teacher preparation we need the government to provide us with the funding to see these programs out. Adelle talked about what is expected of a teacher in the 21st century. A current expectation for teachers is that they use computer based technology which would not be possible without funding for the computes and the programs used on them. Megan mentioned in her presentation on funding that education needs to be funded so that students are given an equal opportunity to succeed. Without the funding, any additional programs that a school district offers would not be possible.

The Answer..

I think the answer is better teacher preparation. I think colleges pump into you all the knowledge you need to know. I think they stress upon you how important those tests are and how important those content standards are. When it comes to classroom management…they fail to discuss how important that is. NCTAF talks about how one third of the new teachers leave within three years. I think it is not only because they feel this is not something they were well equipped for, but because they feel underappreciated.
By the time we start student teaching and get settled, its time for us to leave. Adelle talks about how 19% of teachers said they had been formally mentored by another teacher.
That’s awful. I’ve heard of the many horror stories about poor mentor teachers. I was lucky enough to have an amazing co-teacher. But I’m one out of that 19 percent? That’s ridiculous. A lot of our new teachers are getting off to a bad start, and it is effecting the way they teach. They finally just get fed up and give up.
Adelle talks about how the requirements for teaching in a Colonial America is a small amount of learning and a willingness to work in what was then an ill-paid, low-prestige occupation. The learning aspect of the job has changed. You spend years learning all the content of the area you would like to teach. However, teaching is still considered a low-prestige occupation. I remember when I finally told my counselor I wanted to switch from criminal justice into teaching, she looked at me funny. Then she asked me if I was sure, because teachers don’t really make that much and there is more opportunities out there for criminal justice. How discouraging.

teacher prep

When considering the issues of funding and teacher prep, I will have to agree with many others that it is a combination effort in fixing both of these major problems that will truly reform American education. While attending the Ashland Undergrad program, I felt as if I was getting a nice preparation for the skills I needed to teach a class of students in the core subjects areas. But, I always had several questions when it came to watching others in the program with me. 1. What about those who want to teach but just CAN'T? (We've all seen these people...) 2. How much of teaching comes from natural ability? Can this be taught? 3. And finally, what about all of the people who would be wonderful teachers but due to the amount of bureaucracy in education programs, they choose other professions? Holland poses this very question in his article when he sites the teacher in VA who was forced out of the classroom because he didn't have enough credit hours on his resume, but was doing a spectacular job in the classroom. He goes on to point out the silly courses this teacher would have been required to take although he had thoroughly proven that he was versed in the subject areas! How frustrating and expensive to stay in that profession. We have talked about Teach for America in class. This is one of the ways of teaching while bypassing the traditional certification route. I would love to see a first year teacher next to a new Teach for America teacher, and see how it pans out. Maybe some charter schools similar to the ones Holland mentions in his article have the right idea- You don't have to be a traditionally certified teacher to teach at the school but you sign a document stating that you take full responsibility for the education of those students. Would this turn out better teachers? I think that it could in focused subject areas...but take elementary teachers for instance, we must be versed in all areas. And teachers at all levels must have a sense of control, organization, and empathy, along with people skills. Do we learn these things in college? Overall, teacher prep has to change because we have proven that the current system is lacking. Who knows? Maybe Strickland's plan will prove beneficial. I guess only time will tell... (If we can ever even come up with the money to fund it, oh but wait, that's another issue!)

Connection between Student Teaching and First Year Vital

Like many issues we’ve discussed, there isn’t one clear cut answer… funding or teacher preparation. I think both must be taken into account. However, the teacher preparation portion hits close to home for me, so that is what I would like to focus on. I think the student teaching and early mentoring programs need total revamping and should be more closely related.

I came out of my undergraduate program completely prepared to work in any special education setting. I had the confidence that my coursework taught me best practices, my natural skills would have the opportunity to flourish, and my lifetime of experience would allow me to work with any group of students in special education. I had taught bedsides in a Children’s Hospital to cancer patients, in a program for students with severe behavior problems that needed to be at a separate facility, and with kids who had cognitive delay. I took my first job as a teacher at a separate school with a class of 6 students with autism and a handful of other issues. I left within 3 months of beginning the job.

Since that point I have learned this is not an “exception to the rule” situation, I have heard many similar stories from other new teachers. The “Did you Know” video said almost half of new teachers leave after their first five years... that’s 50%!!! I wasn’t there for the class discussion this week, but Adelle’s PowerPoint mentioned lengthening the teacher preparation time. For me it wasn’t more class work I needed. The problem wasn’t lack of preparation, it was assistance in the real setting.

What if we could make a better connection between the student teaching and first year... In special education especially, the broadness of the possible teaching areas is immense. You have the different settings (suburban/urban) and types of schools that other teachers deal with choosing between. But then add on the fact that you can teacher kindergarten up to 12th grade. You could be assisting with the students with learning disabilities in a room or be at a separate facility for kids with emotional disturbance in your own classroom. The range is so broad and so different. Why not have a student teaching like atmosphere in the fall at your first job? You get hired in and work with another teacher in the room. They help you with those first few months that are so important for the teacher and the student. They help develop methods for IEP goals, grade keeping, behavior management, and counseling specific to your setting. Then after a few months you have the independence in that same setting they helped you create and they still check on you some. Maybe this could be a good way for teachers leaving the profession, discussed in the New York Times article (Report Invisions Teacher Shortage) to give back. Some may wish to spend their final year in the field as a mentor.

I think an answer is that we need to find some solution, be it this or another method. The field of education is loosing too many energetic and devoted young teachers that they shouldn’t be loosing. I hope Strickland does keep this need for mentoring and assistance for young teachers a priority, or the field is going to miss out on great talent!

American Education

Any teacher can see that America has to change the education program somehow and in some way. The schools in the United States are so far behind other countries and their education programs. There has to be a reason why these other countries schools and their students are so advanced especially when it comes down to global education. Through studies and research there have been two factors as to why many argue that schools are not performing well. The financial argument is that the schools that have more money and who can give their staff and students resources that other schools do not have access to have a far better chance of being considered an "effective" or "excellent" rated school. The other factor is the idea of teacher preparation. Is it right to blame the teachers or school system for low test scores and not making AYP (adequate yearly progress)? What exactly is the answer to a better education system in America? I believe that both of these factors are the answer that will lead us to a more positive educational system in America. I tend to be in favor more of a new program that will provide future teachers with the training and preparation that is needed to be a highly qualified teacher. Although I do not like everything that has been spoken about in the education reform plan discussed with Governor Strickland he just may have the change that we need and that maybe atleast Ohio will have successful and accountable schools as a result of these new teacher preparation programs. If you think about it our jobs are as important as any doctor out there. These students lives are in our hands on a daily basis just like that of a surgeon. Something has to change with the teacher preparation system in Ohio and other states. I don't know that we can have a good residency program without the funds to provide teachers with the necessary resources they need to be a good teacher. This is where I find that both are interrelated and that they both play a significant role as to what is the answer for better education in America. Adelle mentioned that only one out of five teachers felt that they were ready for a classroom when beginning their career. Does anyone think something is wrong with this? I have always had a personal issue with this as well. I learned everything I know because I taught kindergarten for ten months before having my license and I had to figure everything out on my own. When I started out there was no mentor to help at all. In fact, the Praxis three was new to everyone and anyone who did try to help me had no clue because they never had to take the Praxis three exam. I remember worrying if I was doing lesson plans, grading, parent communication, conferences the right way. Not one time in the five years that I spent at O.S.U. did I find one class helpful for my career path. In fact, it was not until I started the program at Ashland that I finally felt like I was in school to be a teacher. I cannot speak for everyone but for me there was never any type of teacher preparation classes until I was almost done with the program. I believe that you can give a school all the money they may need BUT if the teachers have not been efficiently trained in the classroom the resources available will not make a difference. Adelle also mentioned some of the things that we as teachers need to do in the 21st century. We cannot modify lessons, give interventions, use better technology, work with I.E.P.'s and other teacher musts if we have not been properly trained. I feel that the residency program discussed in class just may be what we need in our schools in order for them to be more successful. Our career is one of the most important and rewarding professions and it needs to be more respected in our society. I believe we will continue to scratch our heads and wonder why our schools are failing if we do not take action and move towards better teacher preparation.

Teacher Preparation

People often debate whether it’s the preparation of the teacher or the amount of money a school receives that makes a better education. I think both help in advancing an education but in the end I believe it’s the preparation of the teacher that will have the greatest impact. Even if a teacher has the best tools (i.e. active boards, lab rooms, lab equipment, computers, and more) the students will not receive a good education if the teacher is not properly trained to use such tools or prepared to teach the subject matter. Money can help advance the teachings of a good teacher but can’t on its own create an enriched education.
So what is the best way to prepare our future teachers? I think no matter how much education a person gets to become a teacher, his/her real education will start once he/she enters a real classroom to begin teaching real students. Ohio Governor Strickland is considering changes to a teacher’s education where the first few years in a classroom are treated more like an internship. I believe this could be effective if done correctly. Right now first year teachers do have a mandated mentor but often the mentors are too busy themselves to help out a lot and often they only help out by getting their teachers prepared for the Praxis III. I actually like the idea of the first year being more like a paid internship rather than first year on the job. To make this work though I think the teacher needs to be equipped with a mentor that would check on them every week to help answer questions about paperwork, lesson planning, grading, what they should or could do with certain rule violations and so on. I feel it would be well worth the cost to hire one mentor in each school district to guide teachers that could get quite lost during their first year of teaching.
Robert Holland discusses how beneficial value added can be for the classroom and in improving a teacher’s ability and willingness to teach. Value added is when they rate a child’s growth in the classroom and often can affect how much a teacher earns based on their growth. I do believe this can be beneficial in seeing how much a student is learning. At the same time, however, it will determine how well the teacher can “teach to the test” and not necessarily develop better all-round teachers. With the value added concept we are again using one test to determine how much a childs had learned. I think we need to stop focusing on teaching for a test and start focusing on teaching to help make the child want to learn and grow as an individual.
Teachers should be more prepared for the subject area they are going to teach or for the actual process of teaching. I feel like it’s important to be well educated in both areas of the spectrum. Even if you are a master in a given subject, if you do not know how to convey this knowledge to the level of students you are teaching the student will never understand the information. Instead, the student will lose interest and give up. This is where we have to get rid of the idea that anyone can teach. I believe a lot of people have the ability to teach but need to be properly trained just like any other occupation. In both the Darling-Hammond article and in class we discussed the idea of Teach for America. The program takes well educated people and trains them for two weeks before they enter a classroom to teach in more challenging areas. In the article it mentioned how many of these teachers felt ill prepared and were frustrated because they couldn’t pass on the knowledge they had to their students. I think this shows that despite how knowledgeable the teacher is, the teacher has to be able to break down the information and represent the information in many ways and levels so everyone can understand. Other than classroom management I think this is one of the hardest skills a teacher has to learn. Colleges and universities need to prepare teachers with a variety of skills and ways to convey information. They also need require teachers to practice these skills before entering the work field to make sure they are comfortable with presenting information in various ways. Also, it’s important to learn and understand the pros and cons of each teaching style and method to better determine what is going to work best for the type of students they are working with.
In the end I believe money can help advance a child’s education, but without a good educator leading the advancement money will have no effect. No matter how much technology is involved younger kids still need well-trained teachers to guide them through the knowledge and challenge them to think more in-depth.

Education as We Know It

Education has become the frontier of Ohio's "hot topics" discussion as of late. Governor Strickland has devised a plan that will utilize the practice of evidence based methods but will it work for Ohio? The dictionary says that education is the result produced by instruction, training, or study; the science or art of teaching. The answer for Amercian education is hidden behind the curtains of funding and training. It's almost unfair to select one or the other because the system needs equal output from both ends to be successful in change.

Adelle's touched on the teacher certification process and how it varies country to country and state to state has different requirements. Would it not make sense to have the same certification standard across the board for teaching in general? I certainly feel that extended certification and training for teachers should be reimbursed and favor the mentoring program,also mentioned by Adelle. How can one feel adequate in the classroom if their teaching exposure has been limited to a student teaching experience? Like nursing, teaching is a profession that is mastered through extensive training instruction from experienced professionals. Today's educators are going against all odds with the students they encounter today. It's almost as if you need to have skills of a teacher (of all subjects-primary grades), social worker, administrator and a health care professional (medical and psych logical). Unlike a firefighter who goes in to do just that fight fires, we are fighting the entire picture. In the clip "Empowering New Teachers:Bank Street College of Education" they prep educators by exposing them to different activities that center on diversity and student relativity (the hand games). That is clearly a struggle for some teachers. It's difficult to help anyone if you have no idea how to relate to them!

The new plan for distributing school funding is going to be interesting to watch. Like any job, I do believe there are some teachers who are not meeting the standards and addressing student needs whole hearted. These individuals should be recognized and dealt with appropriately. It's unfair to have a host of new grad teachers unemployed, desperate to make a difference because "Mr.Smith" has seniority with the school district and performs inadequately. In the article "1st Educational Stimulus Flows to States...by Sawchuck and Robelen, is using teacher quality reporting requirements for funding. I think it's about time to set standards for our students educators. Hopefully, this new system will improve the academic situation in America.







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Mentoring Program

I think that the problem with education primarily has to do with teacher preparation. Funding does play a significant role in that the money needs to be spent wisely to train teachers and give them resources so that they can be effective teachers. However, after reading the articles and watching the videos for this week I think the main problem with education is that new teachers feel isolated in the classroom when they begin teaching. New teachers are frustrated when they enter the classroom and about 1/3 of all new teachers will leave the field within 3 years from when they started teaching. I like the idea of learning teams. I the video Did You Know? (NCTAF) it stated that young teachers are eager to make a difference and about 55% of retired teachers want to give back to help new teachers and students succeed. I believe that it would make a huge difference in education if experienced teachers could work with new teachers to give them support and to help them become effective teachers. NCTAF found that 70% of teachers nearing retirement would be interested in staying if they were able to work in new education roles in "phased or flexible retirement" (Kirsten Olson). Students are the ones who get hurt in schools that have high turn over rates when teahers are leaving frequently. By having teachers form learning teams the state might actually be saving money because they would be paying experienced teachers less by phasing these teachers into retirement. The video Did You Know? (NCTAF) also stated that in Asia and Europe teachers rarely work alone, they use teamwork to improve teaching. Having a mentoring program as Governor Ted Strickland has suggested could be an effective tool for preparing and retaining new teachers.

Quality education

In order for changes to take place in American education, both issues of teacher preparation and school funding need to be taken into account. In regards to teacher preparation, both college education programs and the first few years of teaching need to be examined. The teacher collaboration and learning team models are in my opinion a fantastic way to approach teacher roles, especially combining veteran teachers with novice ones. In the article Cross-Generational Learning Teams Could Create Millions of ‘Encore’ Careers, Tom Carroll states that “We think our effort to go to scale with encore careers in education is stymied by the current stand-alone teaching model that requires every educator in the classroom to be certified. We want to deliver education with teams of certified teachers and adjunct members who have knowledge and experience in the areas of learning that the teachers and students are working on.” In my opinion, involving parents or community members that can offer expertise or “real life” information on subjects could only improve student interest and learning.

Also, as shown in the NCTAF Did You Know? teaching is the one profession that has not evolved from having one person to using a team approach. Why is this? In my field experiences in college the only teachers I really saw using a team approach were the preschool ones, and it worked very well. I am of the belief that if teachers are able to collaborate then they are able to implement the best ideas for their students. Maybe it needs to be a bigger part of the teacher preparation programs to expose pre-service teachers to the learning team model. Another thing I found interesting was the exercise that Tanya Judd-Pucella did with her students in the Education Week article Teacher Leadership, Hollywood Style. After choosing an influential teacher movie and analyzing the lead role, her students discovered that even the portrayals of “hero” teachers in Hollywood films usually worked alone and did not share their struggles/successes with colleagues.

As far as school funding goes, it appears that Governor Strickland plans to make some beneficial changes to Ohio’s plan by introducing the evidence-based model. According to the article Creators of Evidence-Based Approach Review Ohio Plan on the “School Funding Matters” website, the creators of the model examined Governor Strickland’s plan and concluded “By using the power of all the money available to schools, combined with a growing research base on what kinds of programs work to improve student learning, Ohio has the potential to shift the debate on education away from how much money is needed to how it can most effectively be used to improve student learning”. Perhaps this is the more important part of the issue, not necessarily how much money the school is receiving per pupil, but how they are using that money to benefit the individual student’s learning experience. As unfair as it was to see that the difference in funding per pupil in Northeast Ohio schools is more than $13,000 (Where School Districts Get their Money), I don’t believe that the main factor going into a child’s education is the amount of money that a district can spend on them. The quality of education they receive at school in my opinion depends on the excellence of the educators and administrators that make-up the school environment.

The Answer...

The answer to American education is teacher preparation. How can we help students learn if we feel that we are not prepared to teach after stepping out of four long years of college? Adelle showed us stats on how many teachers felt unprepared coming out of college going into there first year of teaching. I personally felt that BG prepared me very well, along with Lindsey and Megan stating that BW prepared them. But what about the teachers who aren't prepared who have spent all that money on an education? Linda Darling-Hammond states that changes in course taking, curriculum content, testing or textbooks make little difference if teachers do not know how to use these tools properly to diagnose students learning needs (Holland). Which makes sense. We are taught all of these concepts and ideas in college but are we really showed how to use them effectively and in a variety of ways to help our students succeed? I came out of college feeling ready to get in the classroom and teach. But there are those who don't.

After listening to Strickland's plan again, I had time to rethink his idea about teacher preparation, in that new teachers out of college should be required to intern for four years before receiving a permanent position. I do feel it would provide first year teachers with much more preparation than what some of us had in our four years of college. But this plan brings also about several questions. Will these graduates have to pay for this program? Will they get paid for four years of teaching? Will they have their own classrooms? Or will it be similar to a student teaching experience in college? I would like to know more about this part of his plan.

Colleges do need to change some things in the curriculum for education. I do feel that more field experiences should be implemented in the area of expertise. I felt that I did a lot more pre-school practicums and observations than I did in the public school setting with students I would be licensed to teach. I also think that the core curriculum classes should be cut down, and more speciality classes dealing with education should be implemented. We need all the experience we can get in order to be considered when we are on market for a job. School after school turn down candidates who have just graduated because they have no experience or not enough. How are they supposed to get experience if not a soul will give them an opportunity in their school system?

Who knows, maybe Strickland's idea on a teacher internship after college will ensure that new teachers receive jobs that they deserve, due to their dedication and hard work. I believe it has much potential to succeed.

Health Issues

Citizens of today’s society have been hood winked. Our freedoms are slowly being taken away from us and we don’t even realize it. The reason for this is…we are being told it’s to protect us, it’s in our best interest, and it’s healthier for us. Blah, blah, blah. Even being responsible for ourselves is being snatched away as we move through our daily lives, by government, insurance companies, and yes ladies and gentleman…school districts.
Even choices during school lunches are diminishing and it’s not just affecting students, it’s now affecting faculty. In the article, “Federal Bill Targets Junk Food in Schools”, the government is now structuring a bill to eliminate vending machines in schools in an effort to possibly curb obesity in students, to provide them with healthy choices and basically take the responsibility for their bodies away from them. How do they explain the lack of exercise provided during the school day? Children are becoming more obese because they no longer know how to play, they are secluded by parents fears of bad neighbors/neighborhoods, video games, email, internet, etc. and even the elimination of recess/gym periods, as mentioned in the article “Facing Up to the Obesity Problem”, published in Edweek in their February publication. Is it truly the food or the lack of activity that is causing health concerns in today’s youth/society?
We have become a society of followers instead of leaders. Decisions are being made for us, we are being told what to eat, not eat and when we do something wrong instead of taking responsibility for our actions we look for someone else to blame. Why didn’t society protect me from myself?
I believe we are well intentioned. We want to do good; protect children the best we can, but in doing so we are educating our children to be irresponsible and dependent on society. Give the responsibility back to the parents where it belongs even if they fail, remove the burden from the teachers and the schools for the well being (health wise) of their students. Teachers have enough to do without burdening them with health issues too.