Tenure is not the problem: Debunking education reform myths - and providing a real path forward (Click here to read more)
There are ways to fix public schools, but too many "reformers" are blinded by ideology. Let's listen to a teacher
Morgan Agnew.
I've been a California public high school math teacher for eight years. I'm not the best teacher in my school or even in my department, but I get consistently positive evaluations, I have been honored by my principal with a local teacher of the year award called the Golden Bell, and I've been the chair of my department for three years. I have my bad days and I've had my bad years (notably my first), but all in all I'd give myself a solid A- as an educator.
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Last year I was elected by my colleagues to be my school's representative to our union's executive council, making me one of two vice-presidents of the San Rafael Federation of Teachers, the local of the California Federation of Teachers that represents the teachers of the two comprehensive high schools and one continuation high school in San Rafael, California. Our leadership is small and underpaid - our president receives about one hour off per day to do all union business, and the rest of us (vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, negotiators) receive very modest stipends. We're essentially volunteers. Given that I am taking a leave of absence next near to travel abroad I have resigned as site representative, and I write this with the perspective of a high school teacher, former union officer, and as a product of California public schools.
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This piece is a response to the ruling in Vergara v. California. The suit was brought on behalf of nine California students whose legal fees were paid by David Welch, a wealthy Silicon Valley businessman and engineer with no experience in education policy, through his nonprofit Students Matter (whose name seems to imply that students don't matter to teachers). The suit challenged teacher tenure protections as unconstitutionally denying minority students a quality education by protecting bad teachers who tend to be concentrated in schools with high minority populations. On June 10, 2014, Judge Rolf Treu sided with Welch and his plaintiffs. Although teacher tenure rules remain in effect while the verdict is appealed by the state's two largest teachers' unions, I would bet my teacher pension that within five years tenure protections in California will be gone.
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There Is No One Single Problem
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The state of California funds schools serving wealthy suburban students at a much higher rate than schools serving impoverished urban and rural students, without any regard to need. We cram 45 students in high school classes held in poorly ventilated rooms on 100 degree days with no air conditioning and textbooks from the early '90s. We disparage vocational education and skilled trades while extolling the virtues of a four-year college education for every student. We teach hungry students whose parents aren't able to get their kids to school in time for a free breakfast. And we have some absolutely awful teachers who should never be allowed in front of students, not to mention lazy administrators, dishonest superintendents, and ideologically driven board members. These are all problems, but none of these is the problem.
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In this country, and particularly in this state, K-12 education funding simply isn't a priority. On a national level data indicate that we do spend more on education than most other developed countries, but there are a couple of big "buts." But U.S. education spending data includes teacher pensions, and teachers don't get Social Security, so our pensions aren't actually as generous as they seem. But U.S. education spending data includes healthcare for teachers and their families, which in many other countries is provided by the state to all citizens. Yes, we spend a lot on education, but we also spend a lot on other things, like the military and prisons. Simply comparing our spending to other nations doesn't tell the whole story.
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