Teacher Accountability and Teacher Control

Not many folks out there are going to argue with the idea that we (taxpayers, stakeholders) need to have some sort of accountability measures for schools and our educational system.  Not only do we have the right, but we also have an obligation, to be an active ingredient in educational maintenance, reform, and improvement.  However, there are those who have  different perspectives on what is to be measured, how it is to be measured, and how to effectively manipulate the forces within the school district for the benefit of our children.  Please read “Short on Power, Long on Responsibility” by Richard M. Ingersoll for a more indepth study of these questions.

I have personally spoken with people who claim that teaching is easy, anyone can do it, and that ANYONE can do it better than who is doing it now.  Obviously, those people are NOT teaching, would never attempt to teach, and could NOT teach (even if they had a degree….IN education.)  Others have told me that teachers lack committment, aren’t in teaching for the right reasons, don’t enjoy working with children, or shouldn’t be teaching because of some personal or educational deficit.  To be honest, I have met teachers who lack committment…who aren’t in it for the right reasons…who don’t enjoy working with children.  It is true.   Unfortunately, these FEW teachers (and I do mean FEW) go out into the public and talk.  They chatter.  They reveal to their friends, neighbors, mechanics, or  pastors their entire outlook.  These are the teachers that give the cynics their fodder.  However, I have met more teachers with passion, with love, with patience and with diligence.  These teachers rarely get noticed, and rarely make the news.  They’re too busy to get noticed.  That being said, we (taxpayers and stakeholders) want to know if the students are getting a good education…are the tax dollars being spent wisely?  So “Yes”…accountability is a must.  But what do we measure?  Who are we holding “accountable?”

Recent political emphasis has guided states to push for QUALIFIED teachers in the classroom.  I was shocked to find that when NCLB was made law, my qualifications had changed.  The six o’clock news teaser:  “Are your children going to school with ‘qualified’ teachers?”  Of course they were…but now teachers had to prove that they were “Highly Qualified”…a term created for the purpose of addressing accountability.  States would now be able to say that measuring teacher quality was a way of insuring accountability in the educational systems.  Thousands of educators like me then rushed out to take and pass a test that would FINALLY PROVE (cough, cough) that it was OK for us to be in the classroom.  What about the question of data collection?  Where is the data for our accountability?

Most people look at student performance, right?  Look to make sure teachers are QUALIFIED to be in the classroom, then look at the scores on students’ standardized tests as a measurement of teacher performance.  Unfortunately, there are some organizational concerns in the world of education that most non-educators fail to look at.  Teachers  get little control over may aspects that will have direct influence on their ability to perform the job of teaching:  classroom size (physical size and student enrollment),  textbook adoption,  course schedules, expenditure of funds, district and state policies.

Richard M. Ingersoll says it best…”If teachers have sufficient say over decisions surrounding those activities for which they are responsible, they will be more able to do the job properly.”  For example, if I’m a landscaper, and I’ve been told to plant some shrubs, I might be able to accomplish the job quicker, better, and more effectively if I am permitted to choose the tools and materials with which to work.  As a professional, I know that a shovel and a mattock would be best, and I will need some mushroom compost and soil conditioner to mix with the native soil where I’m planting the shrubs.  Additionally, I must plant the shrubs in a location where they will receive proper sunlight, make sure the soil is of the proper composition, and water the newly planted shrubs.  But, if someone tells me that I can only use a screwdriver and a crowbar as tools, I can only use sand and moss as additional materials, and tells me to plant the shrubs in deep shade in soggy soil, my task becomes more difficult.  After three weeks, the shrubs have died.  My evaluation comes in, and to no one’s surprise, I am termed “unfit” to be a landscaper.  Ingersoll goes on to say that “it makes no sense to hold people accountable for something they do not control or to give people control over something for which they are not held accountable.  Accountability without commensureate power is unfair and can be harmful.  Likewise, giving teachers more power alone is not the answer…changes in both accountability AND power are necessary to accomplish the larger systemic goal –ensuring that there are high-quality teachers in every classroom.”

Read more… “Short on Power, Long on Responsibility” by Richard M. Ingersoll, Educational Leadership, September 2007 Vol. 65 No. 1

Upstate Technology Conference at J.L. Mann in Greenville, SC

If you’re teaching in public schools currently, and you’re not hip to new technologies (or recently “old” technologies) available to educators, you may have missed your calling.  In Greenville, SC, the Technology department of Greenville County Schools hosts the annual “Upstate Technology Conference,” marketed to educators and school administrators.  This year, the conference was held at the newly constructed J.L. Mann High School just south of I-85 in Greenville.  Educators and Administrators from as far away as Charleston, SC attended the event to brush up on tech-related educational approaches to teaching.

Keynote speakers Ewan McIntosh and David Jakes drew in the big crowds as they spoke on the new emerging technologies and the “Global one-room school house”, but participants also explored a variety of additional sessions.  Personally, I thouroughly enjoyed Kevin Merritt’s preconference session on Geocaching.  I know, geocaching has been around for a few years, but have you ever actually participated in a geocache hunt?  I’m telling you this straight up….students are going to LOVE geocaching.  And, it is SO simple for teachers to incorporate into lesson plans.

Other sessions such as School News programs, blogging / vlogging, various levels of shooting and editing video,  photostory, digital storytelling, Promethean Board, iPods / MP3 players, and technologies for students with disabilities were offered.

My thoughts on the UTC…well, you should have been there if you weren’t.  I believe that more teachers, especially here in the upstate, should be cutting-edge when it comes to technology as a tool in the classroom.  Don’t get me wrong…we have some talented and hard-working teachers who go above and beyond when it comes to integrating the use of technology as instructional tools in their classrooms.  But we need MORE teachers who are willing to venture into this highly-motivational new age of instruction and learning.

I also presented, and was glad to do so.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that some former colleages of mine showed up and were willing to expand their techno-comfort zones.  My BASIC video sessions weren’t filled to capacity, but I was so excited to see folks with ZERO knowledge of video editing / video photography getting the basics, and eager to do so.  Yippee.  Again, if you missed it, you should have been there.  You’ll get a chance next year.  Until then…try something new.  Try something fun.  Try something techy!