Teach Them Well (Published to Plymouth Patch on March 22, 2011)

And let them lead the way

If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job.  ~ Donald D. Quinn

That there sums up exactly why I am not a teacher. Me, I’d be the lady on the news; the one who duct tapes kids to chairs. Yeah, not so good with the patience. I envy those that have the skill and desire to teach children. The people that can look into young faces and see the potential; the ones that can coax creativity and passion from our kids.

My experience in school was defined by strife and budget cuts, massive teacher layoffs and over-crowding. I went to public school in Boston during busing and the passage of Prop 2-1/2. Yeah, not a fun time to be trying to get an education.

Contrast that with the experience my children are having in Plymouth. It is worlds apart. By pure chance, we bought a house in the Cold Spring Elementary School district. An amazing school that housed about 200 students. Ideal. Half way through Dylan’s first year we knew the principal by name and almost all the teachers as well. I had the honor of serving on the school council and the PTO. I volunteered in the school and raised money for extras. It was really a tremendous place and my children benefited by being a part of it. I believe that the teachers at Cold Spring prepared both of my children for middle school and beyond.

The majority of teachers work hard. Really they do. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. I’ve had it benefit both of my kids. More than once. What I don’t understand is the constant attack on the profession of teaching and the near constant character attacks on those who teach. Seriously. I’d be duct taping some grown-ups to chairs if I were a teacher. Keep calling me lazy and unproductive. Yeah, that’s going be a problem.

Spend some time in a class room. Reading, volunteering, observing. Call your  local school and ask for a tour. Actually read the curriculum and see how much has to be taught because of our obsession with measurability. How do you measure knowledge? How do you measure creative thinking? How do you measure self-esteem?

What has happened to us, as a nation, that we find it acceptable to blame the middle-class for all our problems? How come every time I turn on the news, teachers are under attack? These are our neighbors, our friends, our families. The ones we entrust our children too. Are all our budget and fiscal problems really caused by teachers and other public employees? I find that hard to believe. No, wait, I refuse to believe that. Not with what I’ve seen and experienced.

Know what I think? I think we should give them more leeway and creativity in the classroom. I think they should teach children to think critically. Know what else I think? I think we should pay teachers more not less.

Anyone out there that believes that their taxes will be permanently reduced by dismantling the collective bargaining power of teachers and other unionized public employees – call me. I have a bridge for sale, cheap!