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.