Where Have all the Teachers Gone?

The recent recession has wreaked havoc with the teaching profession. According to figure provide by the US Depart of Labor, there are 250,000 fewer teachers than there were prior the recession. During that same time enrollment in America’s public schools has increased by more than 800,000 students. To deal with pupil increased of that size, there should have been an INCREASE in the number of teachers.  These cuts occurred in both urban as well as rural schools and impacted many stares. Those states impacted the most have been, California, Maryland, Michigan( not surprising with Detroit declaring bankruptcy), North Carolina, and Texas.

The fallout from these cutbacks has severely impacted class size, even in states where class size limits have been mandated by law. Classes of more than 30 pupils are not unusual. Since many school districts depend on local property taxes to fund schools, it is not surprising that the more affluent districts have fared better during the recession.  Within many of the schools, many of the “specialists”  in reading and special education have been hit hard.

The overriding question is what do we do now? Keep in mind that in states like Wisconsin, reduction in teaching staffs has been tied to politics and union busting. As we emerge from the recession it is critical that teachers, parents and community leaders focus on restoring positions and re- generate enthusiasm for the profession. The implications of inaction will be far reaching and the generation of students that we are counting on to lead us through the century and provide for the future of the United States will be in great jeopardy.

c.2013 J. Margolis

Merry Christmas

Best wishes to all of our readers for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.

Remembering Sandy Hook

While the month of December is best known as a happy and joyous month filled with holidays, friends, 

and family and sharing, it has also been the cruelest of months. On December 1^st 1997 several students were shot and killed in a school in Paducah, Kentucky. One year ago,on December 14, 2013 the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut was rocked by another senseless and tragic shooting. 20 students and 6 adults were killed by the shooter along with the shooter’s mother.

While the education community mourns the losses of student and staff, we need to take a moment to reflect on what has been done and should bedone to ensure the safety of students and faculty in America’s schools.  Recently a network television reporter made attempts to gain entry to several schools to test their security. Most of the schools passed, either denying him entry or having an escort take him to the main office. The reporter did gain access to one school rather easily and started walking down the halls looking for the office.

After all the education community has suffered- Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Paducah and Sandy Hook, we need to continue to be diligent and provide our students with maximum security without inhibiting their curiosity and desire to learn in a nurturing and creative environment. This is no small task.

  Let us remember those who lost their lives just for being students and teachers and strive to make America’s schools  safe for all who enter.

C.2013 J. Margolis

Ravitch’s Latest Book Takes aim at School Privatization

Can school be transformed into an industrial model and still be successful? The answer is a resounding no, according to Diane Ravitch, professor and author in her latest book” Reign of Error. “She cites the fact that issues like merit pay, school vouchers, for-profit schools, and even the Teach for America programs; all have flaws as corporate moguls try to fix public education with marketplace schemes that are also investment opportunities.

Ravitch notes that the childhood poverty rate in America is higher than in any other advanced country. She writes that UNICEF reports that this rate may be as high as 23 percent. According to the author “achievement gaps are rooted in social, political and economic structures.” Basically we as a nation have to deal with these issues if we are ever going to create a major paradigm shift in American public education.

If there is one facet our public education system that needs to be preserved and enhanced it is our early childhood and preschool programs.  This is the place where we need to focus a great deal of our investment. If parents do not have the time, resources or inclination to jumpstart their children’s’ education, then some other institution must.  Much in the same way schools inherited administering the free and reduced lunch program, accepted the responsibility to teach students about drug and alcohol abuse as well as sex education, America’s teachers need to be prepared to stimulate the young  and curious minds of those children who walk into our schools.

 Professor Ravitch believes that there is linkage between education and the future of democracy. That notion was first proposed by Declaration of Independence Signer Dr. Benjamin Rush in the 18^th century, just as the fledgling United States of America was being created. There is no denying that the education system in the US need to be fixed and soon.  Policymakers cannot continually jump from one “new best thing” to another with reckless abandon and hope that the quick fixes will cure the system forever.

Reign of Error- The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools

c.2013 Alfred A. Knopf Publishers

Can be order from Amazon.com from this site.

Today's Teacher Concerns

If we are ever going to attract and keep qualified and dedicated teachers in America’s schools, then we must address those issues that concern them the most. In an informal survey of classroom teachers there were a number of recurring themes. Let us set aside, just for the moment, the issue of teacher, as it will always come to the forefront of any serious discussion. W can then focus on the other overarching themes.

1)   One issue that always seems to be present is how do we motivate students. Many of today’s students do not receive ample support at home to see the value of education in their community. With so many electronic devices that are entertaining, it is quite difficult for the teaching profession to compete and make education engaging. It doesn’t always have to be “fun” but it should be thoughtful with achievable goals.

2)   Those dreaded lesson plans. Teachers are concerned about whether they are adequate enough for a class period. Will they be scrutinized by building administrators and held to some litmus test with regards to goals and objectives? In the event a teacher is absent from school, will a substitute be able to carry out the plans and not lose a day of precious class time.

3)   Not being able to successfully convey the material to the students. This is a major concern for first year teachers, as they may not have had sufficient contact time with students during clinical practice to become proficient in this skill.

4)   Getting parents on your side. Veteran teachers know that parent support is crucial to student success in the classroom. It important to have frequent and open communication with parents, making sure to always include them in the loop. Parents can be a great asset to aid students  with their homework. Don’t forget that some are available to be classroom assistants are trip chaperones.

5)   One of the most frequently mentioned issues is job security. Every year when school budgets are prepared, teachers at the low end of the seniority scale  have to nervously wait until new contracts come out. Not having a contract renewed, for whatever reason, can be an emotional blow.

This is just the beginning of a long list. It is important to know what the expectations  are from day one in the classroom. Being prepared and ready for anything are skills that will serve teachers well as they journey along their careers.

c.2013 J. Margolis

Common Core State Standards Update

Forty six states plus the District of Columbia have signed on to participate in the Common Core State Standards program (CCSS) authorized by the White House. This appears to be the successor program to No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. The essence of this new? initiative is to prepare school students for a more rigorous academic program. The implementation deadline for CCSS is to be the 2014-15 school year. Many of the classroom teachers around the country have expressed legitimate concerns that that they have not been adequately prepared to adept the new guidelines   and integrate them into their curriculum. One of the notable parts of the program is that the new programs do not specifically lay out HOW teachers should teach. CCSS provides guidance but leave the materials to select in the hands of the teachers.

According to the defined goals of the program “all students, regardless of where they live, will graduate prepared for college, careers, and citizenship.” That is an extremely tall order given the socio- economic diversity in America’s public schools. This may yet be another “pie in the sky” program that is not truly grounded in addressing the differences that leave some children behind from the very first day they ever walk in to a school. CCSS also purports to facilitate interdisciplinary learning with the expectations teachers in the various academic disciplines will collaborate to make the classroom a more productive place.

According to Common Core, parents will be key players in the success of the program. That can also be said for every other program that has come down the trail and failed. If parents don’t buy into the program and lend their support to their children and the classroom teachers, then any program is doomed to failure.

The National Education Association is lending its support to this initiative and has developed a teacher toolkit to aid teachers. You can learn more about Common Core and access the toolkit by visiting nea.org/commoncore.

c.2013 J. Margolis