- 01 Apr 2023 07:38
#15270140
There have been a huge number of teachers leaving the profession, and it's so bad it has even led to teacher shortages at many schools (in the U.S.).
The media has turned out many news stories and articles about the problem, but for the most part the media seems to be clueless about the actual reason it is happening, instead focusing on a list of possible factors that don't really sound tooconvincing.
So why is the media not telling the public what the problem is? Why are they not focusing on the real issue? Because they know that to do so what be embarrassing to the people running public schools, and doesn't fit with their ideological agenda that's in favor of top-down control over the schools. They're against giving schools more local control, or giving teachers more decision over how they teach their classrooms.
If the media actually focused on the real issue, it would reveal the big problem going on in schools and shine light on an area they don't want the public to see.
video link to speech
"My name is Amanda Coffman, and I resign my position as the teacher for the Shawnee Mission school district, effective immediately. Several years ago a good friend decided to leave education, and she said to me, 'Amanda, teaching is like a bad marriage; you never get your needs met, but you stay in it for the kids.' I didn't fully understand what she meant until this past month. Just like a bad relationship, our communication has broken down. You aren't listening. I thought like a troubled relationship, we could go to counseling, get an outside perspective to work out our differences. But when you failed to show up to the conversation but sent your lawyer instead, I finally understood that this just isn't going to work. The kids and I deserve better. Despite the accusation that we as teachers have not focused on students, I've been thinking most about what the students are taking away, from watching the way you treat your teachers.
Talking to the board of administrators in this building is like shouting into the wind, and I won't waste my breath.
I could accept this contract, smile and stay silent about the lies this district perpetuates about its teachers, but that doesn't mean I should."
She had taught for 22 years; 5 as a gifted teacher for the Shawnee Mission schools. During her time at SMSD, she admitted she never paid much attention to contract negotiations. But the past year has been very different.
She started to feel the district was being less than reasonable in negotiations.
"It's not about the money," Coffman said.
She said the three-year deal SMSD recently brought to the table was the final straw. Teachers wanted promises of more than a pay bump.
"They wouldn't negotiate control over our own professional learning communities. They wouldn't negotiate having some say in the building leadership teams. They wouldn't negotiate some consistent reporting for discipline so we could target where kids were struggling and help them."
Other teachers have expressed concern about workload amounts and class sizes. The district's leadership insist that those things don't belong in the deal.
Coffman said she knows she's fortunate to be able to take this break (not every teacher has the luxury to be able to quit) and that she'll probably end up teaching again someday.
‘The kids and I deserve better’: After resignation, Kansas teacher says was final straw - KAKE
https://www.kake.com/story/41700103/the ... inal-straw
Those on the Left should totally support the reasons why these teachers are leaving and should support the change that these teachers want.
But powerful school administrators, as well as certain ideologues (mainly happen to be on the Left, but not all) who support centralised school curriculum and control, are against this change; it threatens their schemes.
The media has turned out many news stories and articles about the problem, but for the most part the media seems to be clueless about the actual reason it is happening, instead focusing on a list of possible factors that don't really sound tooconvincing.
So why is the media not telling the public what the problem is? Why are they not focusing on the real issue? Because they know that to do so what be embarrassing to the people running public schools, and doesn't fit with their ideological agenda that's in favor of top-down control over the schools. They're against giving schools more local control, or giving teachers more decision over how they teach their classrooms.
If the media actually focused on the real issue, it would reveal the big problem going on in schools and shine light on an area they don't want the public to see.
video link to speech
"My name is Amanda Coffman, and I resign my position as the teacher for the Shawnee Mission school district, effective immediately. Several years ago a good friend decided to leave education, and she said to me, 'Amanda, teaching is like a bad marriage; you never get your needs met, but you stay in it for the kids.' I didn't fully understand what she meant until this past month. Just like a bad relationship, our communication has broken down. You aren't listening. I thought like a troubled relationship, we could go to counseling, get an outside perspective to work out our differences. But when you failed to show up to the conversation but sent your lawyer instead, I finally understood that this just isn't going to work. The kids and I deserve better. Despite the accusation that we as teachers have not focused on students, I've been thinking most about what the students are taking away, from watching the way you treat your teachers.
Talking to the board of administrators in this building is like shouting into the wind, and I won't waste my breath.
I could accept this contract, smile and stay silent about the lies this district perpetuates about its teachers, but that doesn't mean I should."
She had taught for 22 years; 5 as a gifted teacher for the Shawnee Mission schools. During her time at SMSD, she admitted she never paid much attention to contract negotiations. But the past year has been very different.
She started to feel the district was being less than reasonable in negotiations.
"It's not about the money," Coffman said.
She said the three-year deal SMSD recently brought to the table was the final straw. Teachers wanted promises of more than a pay bump.
"They wouldn't negotiate control over our own professional learning communities. They wouldn't negotiate having some say in the building leadership teams. They wouldn't negotiate some consistent reporting for discipline so we could target where kids were struggling and help them."
Other teachers have expressed concern about workload amounts and class sizes. The district's leadership insist that those things don't belong in the deal.
Coffman said she knows she's fortunate to be able to take this break (not every teacher has the luxury to be able to quit) and that she'll probably end up teaching again someday.
‘The kids and I deserve better’: After resignation, Kansas teacher says was final straw - KAKE
https://www.kake.com/story/41700103/the ... inal-straw
Those on the Left should totally support the reasons why these teachers are leaving and should support the change that these teachers want.
But powerful school administrators, as well as certain ideologues (mainly happen to be on the Left, but not all) who support centralised school curriculum and control, are against this change; it threatens their schemes.
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