ChalkTalk: Teachers Are the Solution, Not the Problem

During the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump Jr. stated that our schools are “like Soviet-era department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers."  Translation: our system favors teachers’ jobs over students’ educations.  Anyone who says that our education system benefits the teachers more than the students has never met an actual public school teacher. We are working in one of the hardest jobs in the world and we are devoted to our students and our profession. We spend our own money (LOTS of it) to stock our classrooms with school supplies and books. We stay late (far beyond our paid hours) to prepare and confer with parents. We work weekends and sacrifice time with our own families in order to take care of the students in our classrooms. We spend our "summer break" reading professional books, catching up on current children's literature, and attending professional development.

We do all of this and are underpaid. If the system really benefitted us more than the kids, I would hope we would be making out like bandits. We are not. I have an advanced degree just like my husband, but unlike my husband, that degree has earned me less than $1,000 more per year than my colleagues without it. On that note, my 15 years of experience mean that I make a few thousand dollars more per year than a novice teacher. The educational system doesn't seem to value my educational experience and expertise.

On top of all of this, there is a general belief that I should reach beyond the classroom in order to "advance" myself. I should want to become an administrator or get my PhD because being "just a teacher" isn't enough. On a regular basis I have to defend why smart, talented teachers should stay in the classroom. We aren't staying because this is such a cushy gig. We lose so many teachers every year because what we do is challenging, and we often do it with little support. We have increasing demands and teachers leave because they can make more money in jobs that are much less stressful. Those of us that stay do so because we love what we do and what we do is important. Public schools open their doors to every single child in our country. As teachers, we care for and educate every single one of them. We do this because it is our career and we are passionate about children and learning. We aren't here for the paycheck. If the job security and salary were the driving force for teachers, we would have a lot of empty classrooms.

I am all for educational reform, but why don’t we talk about paying teachers what they are actually worth instead of blaming them for problems in the system?  Why don’t we talk about elevating the discourse when it comes to the profession of teaching instead of categorizing teachers as greedy or lazy?  Why don’t we talk about ways we can support and develop teachers instead of using them as scapegoats?  Why don’t we recognize teachers who are pouring their hearts and souls into their jobs instead of tearing them down and belittling their commitment?  Why don’t we have a real conversation about public education and invite the stakeholders who have shown the greatest commitment to the issue, the teachers?