trying it on for size

When you find the time, please read Nicholas Kristof's op-ed article in the New York Times about the state of the U.S. educational system, entitled Our Greatest National Shame. It really hit home and I wrote this comment after reading it. The article brings back all the memories of teaching in New York, hitting the nail square on the head.

Take a look.

Finally seeing growing and genuine understanding and consideration for our job as educators certainly lifted my spirits as a former inner-city elementary school teacher in Harlem, NYC. Teaching 20+ of the neediest children in the country everyday requires much more than just planning lessons; it requires raising your students as if they were your own children. That is the secret, in fact. This job infiltrates your heart and soul, and you have to be willing to sacrifice, to donate, much of that to be a quality teacher. It is a job not for the faint-hearted.

As mentioned, “the latest Department of Education study, published this month, showed again that there is no correlation between teacher certification and teacher effectiveness. Particularly in lower grades, it also doesn’t seem to matter if a teacher has a graduate degree or went to a better college or had higher SATs.” I was elated to read that, as the admirable talent, dedication, and creativity that I saw in my coworkers came strictly from within - not from years of studying textbooks and theory. They are the strongest people of spirit and soul that I know. I myself started teaching through the Teaching Fellows, a program that throws you headfirst into the deep end, armed with only some tutoring experience and a desire to really make a difference. I jumped in, without any degree in education, and toughed it out in Harlem for three years. I never regretted a single day of my journey.

As many who share my woes know, a single teacher can do very little without the help of an emotionally and intellectually supportive staff and administration. There is a lot wrong with the system that constantly urges good teachers out, especially in NYC, and it is really a shame.

It's more than apparent that not enough attention is being paid to the system’s drastic need of improvement and reform. Some are simply made for this job — and we need to find, train, encourage, and support those people in a much more effective and efficient way. Only those who share our passion can ever understand the extent to which this cripples and plagues our nation, and the future of this nation: its children. We are doing them an incredible disservice continuing in this way. It is my hope that more and more people begin to share our views and our desire for quality educational practices at last.