It's Time... To Take A Good, Hard Look At Education

Let me begin with a story. A couple of years ago, I wrote to a teacher whose classroom I subbed in a number of times after I retired from teaching and shared that I was thinking of subbing again. We know each other fairly well- she actually was a contributor to my first book, The Real Classroom. I thought we'd have a nice conversation regarding my availability, what the needs were in the district's schools, etc. I also thought she'd jump at the chance to welcome me back. The first word in her response was an emphatic NO, as in I should not consider subbing under any circumstances. This surprised me because I knew her to be a creative, enthusiastic teacher who loved her students and teaching. Unfortunately, this story doesn't seem to be unique. I don't remember the last time I spoke with a teacher who loved the job and encouraged others to pursue teaching as a career. Combine that with teacher shortages reported throughout the country. Sad.

Now, some believe that the "problem" with our schools is simple. Raise teacher salaries. Blame parents. Unfortunately, like with many issues, there's no one solution. This may be a good place to start, though.

• Who determines the curriculum? Who decides what should be taught at each grade level? Most teachers that I've known want to know what their students need to be able to do/know by the end of the school year. Other than that, let them teach.

• What's the best use of technology in schools? Although computers may be a useful tool in the classroom, they should not be relied on to replace teachers and teaching.

• What are the specific responsibilities of parents and other caregivers when it comes to children and their education? What are the specific responsibilities of educators?

• What should teachers be paid? Should there be added responsibilities and/or expectations if teachers are paid more?

• If possible and if truly desired, how do we ensure that every child, regardless of gender, color, neighborhood, etc. gets a quality education?

• Most important, is getting an education really so important? The answer may seem obvious, but I don't think it is.

Jim