It is the ultimate irony, in this #TeacherAppreciationWeek2020, on the very day that America’s teachers, persisting through the worst educational and global crisis in their careers, are supposed to be honored—that a piece like this would be posted.
Titled How to Make the Coming Teacher Layoffs Hurt Schools and Students Less, with the equally cheery subhead School district leaders may be able to protect their most effective classroom teachers, the piece, in essence, says this: Layoffs are coming. The law now lets you skip over seniority and job protection agreements. So take this opportunity to dump off ‘less-effective’ (and also more expensive) veteran teachers and keep the ones who raise test scores.
But wait! There’s more.
Most states have given up on evaluating teachers in the 2019-2020 school year, either just skipping over this year, because there’s no ‘data’–or using last year’s evaluation. Built into that assumption is that the only true evaluation of teacher efficacy is the test score, but it’s worth the evaluator’s time to ‘pop into’ a virtual classroom. (If there is one, of course.) Where they just might see a veteran teacher, struggling.
On Monday, Larry Ferlazzo pointed out, in an excellent blog, that the American Enterprise Institute’s brand new white paper is suggesting that teachers 55 and older be offered retirement or on-line teaching only, as students return to school. Larry deftly pointed out that 29% of teachers are 50 or older, meaning some 800,000 of us might be put out to pasture. For our own good.
Larry also noted that keeping older teachers in the classroom might become a liability issue for health insurance corporations, who can’t be in the greatest financial shape these days. I would also add: What a great opportunity to skim off veteran teachers, those most likely to be union leaders, articulate critics of ‘accountability’-based education, those winning recognition for outstanding pedagogy, even building an audience for their own ideas about what works in the classroom, using social media.
Gone! Like magic!
Any white paper report is driven, ultimately, by its funders. And seeing John Bailey, currently advisor to the Walton Foundation, as co-author, is not reassuring. What are Walton’s underlying goals? Get folks back to work, let the younger (cheaper) teachers take the risk? Stop all this social safety net-building?
Of course, Andrew Cuomo (and Bill Gates, I’m assuming) chose #TeacherAppreciationWeek2020 to announce that Gates would have a hand in ‘rethinking’ schooling in New York. This set off a chain of alarm among educators across the country, and especially New York.
Cuomo’s remarks were a little blurry but seemed to center on the idea that we don’t need no stinkin’ classrooms, now that teachers had proved that technology could sub in for expensive physical spaces and face to face relationships. Thanks, teachers, for your service! Now—get outta here.
Not a good week to be a teacher. If this is appreciation, no thanks. Also, if this is high-quality research and innovation, it’s worth asking—again and again—where is the teacher voice in all this upbeat Rethinking the Future? Because teachers, who have bailed out the system to the best of their abilities, would have plenty to say. Especially the ones who have been around long enough to not be afraid of speaking their minds.
There’s even alternative research that challenges the idea that our kids are ‘falling behind’ and if so, it’s all the teachers’ fault. But who cares about alternative research or out-of-the-box thinking about how we might permanently change our approach to school? Or our approach to the so-called American Way of Life?
Dear Skilled and Talented Veteran Teachers,
This is supposed to be YOUR week.
Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum*
*If there are any Latin teachers reading—I know, I know. Took four years of Latin myself.
(Edited) Cuomo slide by Peter Rawitsch
Teacher in a strange land 
All these will have long term consequences, low performance on education and unqualified people to perform jobs , more poverty, more food stamps needed
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In sixth grade social studies I saw a picture depicting Aztec human sacrifice. That was fifty+ years ago. Oddly enough, that picture popped into my head as I read your blog.
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Just because education was reworked by the teachers and high quality distance learning was provided, it does not mean that all of the students learned. Many still did not have internet access, or sufficient equipment. The paper and pencil activities sent to those without access did not provide equality in education. Some students who had internet access, did not take advantage of the opportunities. Many parents were ill-equipped to answer their children’s questions or to help students schedule “class-time” to be successful. Yes, we did the best possible for the immediate need. But nothing compares to in-person learning.
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Not all children are e learners. I have some students who had As in the classroom failing now. And vise versa. My own child really struggled for a year and a half doing on line school. It’s not the same. Most students need the one to one and face to face and structure! I am old but only my first year teaching and I can fall back on my nursing. But don’t pull this on teachers. The older more experienced teachers are the mentors for the younger inexperienced. It’s like the hospitals letting go of a 30 year veteran cardiac nurse because she doesn’t have a Bachelors degree for the brand new nurse who had a bachelors or higher. Who do you want taking care of your relative? Experience trumps book learning.
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