Brian Cohen
  • Making the Grade Blog
  • About Me
  • Tutoring
  • Press
  • Resources to Share

How to retain good teachers

7/12/2012

0 Comments

 
When talking to my colleagues about issues related to teaching I inevitably stumble across a large number of them who are fed up, frantic, stressed, and/or overwhelmed. Just yesterday I met a teacher from a New York City charter school who said she was thinking of leaving the profession after her first year of teaching. I do not mean to single out charter schools by any means as I know my own stress level will increase next year: my school has been rated as "high performing," meaning we will get an influx of new students, more than our building can likely handle. Oftentimes, however, the teacher voice is left out of the conversation when it comes to improving schools and learning outcomes for children.
Picture
It is for this reason that I am happy for one aspect of what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has done in the realm of education. In 2009, 2011, and 2012, they have released a report called Primary Sources that surveys teachers from across the country to get their perspective on the profession. This document illuminates a number of factors that teachers feel would keep us where we are.

A simple analysis of the graph shown here points out a few things:

• Even though Joel Klein, former Chancellor of NYC schools, supported merit pay as a method of teacher retention, we don't really care about it.

• We want more autonomy (and less proscriptive methodology).

• We need access to each other to form personal learning networks.

• We need help from outside the classroom (counselors, parents, and administrators) to make sure we can do the best job possible.

Teaching is tough - and the first few years are the roughest. That is one major reason why I get so upset when I read about how programs like Teach For American are able to "prepare" their teachers for classes they are not going to teach.

What I am trying to explore here is the idea that the teaching profession is going through a profound change because of the politics in which we live and work today. If our students are to achieve anything we as a country need to ensure the best for them. I sincerely doubt the "best" is going to be pushing our new teachers beyond their limit so that attrition rates skyrocket. Perhaps the solution is in something like the RESPECT project coming out of the US Department of Education. 

Whatever the solution is, I just hope those in charge are able to listen and take heed of those being directly affected by policy change: our students. For whatever happens to us teachers, you can damn well be certain it is going to affect them.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I am a math teacher in the New York Department of Education. I infuse technology and real-world problems into my curriculum in order to prepare my students for the future. I would love for people across the country to recognize we teachers can't do it alone. If you don't believe me, come visit my classroom!

    Picture

    Contact Me

    Picture

    Email Updates

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    March 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.