Education

by Pat Antonopoulos

Each time I read about failing schools, drop-out rates and dumbed-down curricula I am usually reading a lament about the quality of teaching. No Child Left Behind was primarily directed into the schools, attempting to address many problems including functionally illiterate high school graduates. Though worthy in concept, NCLB addresses the problem at second-stage rather than source.

A recent email circulated a circa 1930 eighth grade graduation test. The email talked about the amazing depth of the testing and the fact that "only an eighth grade education" was not synonymous with under-educated. In fact, the email challenged college graduates to take and pass the test.

Elementary teachers interact with students approximately six hours a day for 185 days each year. Middle and high school teachers have far less one-to-one contact with individual students. Principals and counselors are expected to be behavior specialists fighting the daily disruptions that are crushing the educational process. In School Suspension is just one of the strange concepts developed to remove kids from the classroom while accepting that parents don't have time to step-up to the problem.

Of course, there are problems in our schools. My return to college when my children were in elementary school was prompted by witnessing the problems. I was determined to be part of the solution.

Teachers do not need a defense from me. Day after day, teachers return to the classroom. Most are determined to make a difference, to address the problems and educate our children. And the rewards certainly don't come in the form of high salaries. The rewards come because students are important and teaching is a way to be part of the solution.

Teachers cannot monitor nutrition, hours of sleep, quality of friendships, choice of heroes, time spent on video games, texting with friends, homework completion, hanging out at malls, forms of discipline, behavior expectations and television, music and movie choices.

Teacher definitely do not need a defense from me. What they do need is a new paradigm in which education is pushed higher up the scale of cultural values.

Merit Pay

by Pat Antonopoulos

Where to begin?
Maybe with the teacher facing 25 third graders from families struggling with poverty, poor educations, minimum wage jobs and run down neighborhoods.
Give that teacher a 'little blue book' with the requirement that classroom disruptions be noted in the book rather than sending the most disruptive child to the principal for help with behaviors. Of those 25 children take notice that 23 of them are so emotionally scarred that they constantly quarrel with one another, vie for the teacher's attention, and appear to have come to school without any training in self discipline.
Take a look at this teacher haggard by fatigue, frustration plus evening and weekend hours dedicated to the needs of the students. If the opportunity arose, you might notice that the teacher's personal money is being spent for classroom needs.
Over the past 15 years, maybe longer, teachers have been mandated more and more parental responsibilities. Many classroom discipline problems rarely existed years ago. Parents took responsibility for their children's behavior. Parents expected and insured that their kids knew what was expected in the classroom.
Behavior problems at school were quickly addressed at home.
And now? Now the teacher is expected to handle all those issues in the classroom and can even be criticized for the child's behavior! "What did you, (the teacher) do that created the situation whereby my child acts like this? What have you done to correct the behavior?"
Merit pay?
How?
Test scores?
Principal's anecdotal records?
Parent input?
The Merit rests in showing up every day...in caring...in making all the effort needed to educate the children so they can break the cycle.
If we want our children educated, parents must take back the responsibility of teaching appropriate school behaviors.
In the meantime, Merit Pay must include those teachers who continue to care about our children even in circumstances where test scores might not or cannot reflect the dedication of these teachers .