We Won’t Improve Education By Making Teachers Hate Their Jobs

[eridani]

http://inthesetimes.com/article/19109/teachers-public-education-reform-standardized-testing

The comments come from a new survey of K-12 educators nationwide that yielded responses from 2,964 teachers and principals from 48 states. The survey was conducted by the Network for Public Education, a grassroots public school advocacy group founded by public school advocates, parents, educators, and university professors, including education historian Diane Ravitch. NPE recently released the survey findings in a report titled “Teachers Talk Back: Educators on the Impact of Teacher Evaluation” at its national conference in Raleigh, N.C.

The survey findings add strong anecdotal weight to previous statistical surveys of teachers that have found their work dissatisfaction is at an all time high. A survey from 2012, found teacher job satisfaction has plummeted to 39 percent, its lowest level in 25 years, according to one review of the findings.

Findings from a more recent survey, published in 2015, revealed only 15 percent of teachers feel enthusiastic about the profession, and about three in four “often” feel stressed by their jobs.

One likely outcome of this high work dissatisfaction rate among teachers is that many states and school districts are now reporting acute teacher shortages. One major school system, Philadelphia, still struggles to fill teacher vacancies, even as the current school year nears end.

Meanwhile, other reports reveal record low numbers of college students enrolling into teacher preparation programs, foretelling even worse teacher shortages in the future.

Certainly, it doesn’t help that teacher salaries are stagnant. As an op-ed writer in a recentU.S. News and World Report noted, “Teachers haven’t gotten a raise in 15 years.” But poor teacher pay is a chronic problem that doesn’t by itself explain the shortages.

[elleng]

1. True.

My daughter, who studied Child Development & Family Studies-Preschool & Special Education in college, told me recently she doesn't want to go back to the classroom, teachers never win vs administration/management, are always on the losing end. She's teaching her 1.5 year old son and 2 other toddlers, at home.

[bbgrunt]

2. I don't blame them. A 40 year attack on teachers

as the root cause of all our society's failures, diminishing their authority and respect, and stagnating wages have worked their magic. Now the whole system seems to be ripe for privatization and profit-taking. Just one more sign that we've reached the point where we no longer can--and many people don't even want--to hold on to a democratic republic. Oligarchy for all who are fit to survive!

[Freddie]

3. I work for a school district

The president of the teachers union is a Republican. Not all teachers are intelligent.

[Igel]

4. Of course.

http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2013/10/27/the_boss_not_the_work_causes_job_depression_106737.html


As a teacher, you only have bosses, all of whom are getting bossier. Administrators say 'no, you're wrong' to teachers almost never, and just the idea of saying that parents of students aren't customers, and the customer's always right, is outrageous.

Duncan was right: The reason a lot of suburban parents balked at the CC-based tests was because it showed their brilliant children with 4.0 to 6.0 averages were pretty much average.

We can't even name the reasons for American education's problems so we can't fix them.

[roody]

5. I recently retired from teaching in CA.

It helps to be in a union state with a negotiated contract.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. The goal is not to improve education...

it is to destroy it (except for those that can afford it).