For me, Teacher Appreciation Week was a nonevent growing up.
This speaks to the nature of the profession — men and women who educate youth seldom do it for recognition.
In retrospect, however, I’ve realized the impact teachers have had on my life, for better or for worse.
Teachers possess an incredible amount of influence on society, guiding children through the ins and outs of their formative youth.
It’s just a shame they’re not treated accordingly.
On April 16, the possibility of the second teacher’s strike in Chicago Public Schools since 2012 became frighteningly real.
An assessment of the recommendations of an independent fact finder by the Chicago Teachers Union concluded in a stalemate, and it seems that the march toward another work stoppage has begun.
The point of contention in the negotiation centers around CPS’ stipulation that it no longer contribute seven percent to employee pensions due to fiscal pressures from the state.
Whether or not the school board’s hand has been forced, this standoff points to a larger issue.
If teachers are being paid to spend eight hours a day teaching our children the ways of the world, we should be doing everything we can to keep them happy.
The United States’ public school system has such crippling inefficiencies, sometimes it is simply impossible to compensate teachers according to their true value.
Illinois public schools alone are $20 billion in debt, or $10,000 per student.
It’s difficult to fairly compensate these teachers if the state is not doing its duty to allocate the requisite funds, and the school board is wasting copious amounts of money on burdensome turnover rates. Richard Ingersoll of the University of Pennsylvania found that between 40 and 50 percent of teachers have left the profession within their first five years.
With education school enrollment plummeting across American colleges, the best and brightest are becoming less and less likely to choose education as a profession.
Between contentious federal testing standards and the constant threat of severe repercussions if standards are not met, the prospects of a teaching career might not be particularly appealing to the average college student.
The biggest contributing factor here lies in the fact that the issue perpetuates and compounds itself.
As we devalue the teaching profession by overworking and undercompensating, the costs begin to outweigh the benefits of becoming a teacher, especially for those who lack a true passion.
As a result, admittance standards to education schools will be compromised as colleges struggle to fill classrooms, and the quality of graduates will suffer.
Filling teaching positions with less qualified individuals will further contribute to the intense scrutiny that teachers feel from parents, which further disincentivizes people to enter the field.
It’s a vicious cycle.
Education is not worth compromising on. When the week of May 2 rolls around, let your child’s teachers know they’re appreciated.
dkilcull@indiana.edu
@daniel_kilc
