From the President
Frustrated Veteran Teachers Are Leaving the Profession Stephanie Davis Howard
R
ecently, we’ve heard reports of frustrated veteran teachers leaving education. In one case, a Teacher of the Year resigned over a dispute regarding her qualifications to teach at a grade level assigned by the district. In another, a teacher cited the increasing unrealistic expectations of special needs students, leading to frustration and failure. At the same time, we’ve seen a marked decline in the number of students enrolled in teacher education programs in colleges and universities throughout Georgia. Throughout the past few years, there appears to be a systematic dismantling of public education. Districts have been forced to struggle with furlough days, larger class sizes and salary freezes, and administrators and teachers alike are subject to an evolving evaluation system. Perceived effectiveness, and therefore salary, may soon be tied to student learning objectives, student/parent surveys, inconsistent or incomplete student growth data and inequitable funding models in high-poverty districts. Teachers who have invested years in this calling may soon face a dramatically different compensation plan. For many,
I submit that Georgia’s improved graduation rate is due in large part to the thousands of teachers who work with students who are pursuing multiple paths to graduation. Teachers understand that students are also struggling with changes in the curriculum, extensive testing, larger class sizes and a myriad of personal and social issues that affect their performance and well-being.
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changing policies in funding, compensation and evaluation translate to a lack of respect for the profession. A teacher’s top concern is student success. We’ve recently received good news both here in Georgia and throughout the country regarding graduation rates. According to State School Superintendent Richard Woods, Georgia’s significant jump in its graduation rate — from 72.2 percent in 2014 to 78.8 percent in 2015 — is a result of “personalized graduation plans with multiple paths to graduation.” These paths include tutoring and mentor programs; CTAE and career-readiness programs; flexiblelearning programs; social interventions; online education; and a variety of credit-recovery opportunities. I submit that Georgia’s improved graduation rate is due in large part to the thousands of teachers who work with students who are pursuing multiple paths to graduation. Teachers understand that students are also struggling with changes in the curriculum, extensive testing, larger class sizes and a myriad of personal and social issues that affect their performance and well-being. It saddens me to hear of teachers who choose to leave the field prematurely. I respect their decision, as their level of frustration may take a toll on their families and health. It is unfortunate to lose talented and effective teachers. However, I truly admire those who, despite the “distractors,” have chosen to stay and make a difference, expending their time, resources and energy to find more effective, innovative and successful strategies to increase n student achievement.
January/February 2016
