It’s the Teacher’s Fault

There are good teachers and there are bad teachers. Some teachers may be very knowledgeable in their subject, but that doesn’t mean they are able to teach it effectively. I’m going to state the obvious: there is no such person as a teacher who lacks expertise in a subject but has the ability to teach it. That just does not happen. If a teacher doesn’t know how to write, that teacher can’t teach writing. Good teachers are knowledgeable about their subject, can teach it effectively, and can prove, objectively and tangibly, that their students are learning the material.

So, the question for teachers is: why not submit to an objective performance review? For example, the review would include a quarterly evaluation of student performance in the content, student workload, and the frequency and informativeness of communication with parents.

It’s the Parent’s Fault

Parents: Hopefully, you love your child. What you have to realize, if you are a loving parent, is that your pookie is only your pookie. Your pookie is not the teacher’s pookie.

Some teachers can manage different types of students, but unless they are behavior specialists, a teacher’s only job is to teach the academic content, not to discipline your child, dote on your child, or manage your child’s behavior. Having to deal with misbehavior and disrespect makes teaching very difficult, especially with a large group of students. Parents who don’t manage their children at home want to drop them off at school so that the teachers and staff can manage them. Then, parents are upset when the school calls home. This is problematic.

The blurred lines between a child’s teacher, the person who shapes a child academically, and a child’s parent, the person who shapes a child’s character and helps the child to set goals in life, have lead to too much emphasis on SEL (social emotional learning) in the classroom.

Parents: you are the reason why teachers are having to teach mindfulness instead of minding their own business and focusing on the academic material. I think the SEL portion of the report card should be called what it is: Parenting Evaluation Metric. This could be used to help teachers to know whether or not a student is a right fit for them and it would raise the level of parent accountability at the schools. Teachers and schools come and go. Parents are and will always remain the number one most impactful people in a child’s life.

It’s the Government’s Fault

California education involves the governor, a state superintendent and staff, county superintendents and staff, and school board superintendents and staff, before we even get to the school staff, which include the principals (who are required to have a state-issued credential), school staff, school workers and teachers (who also require a state-issued credential). The conclusion for the state of California and education: there are too many people on the payroll and still, no progress! Since equity is currently a government talking point: should state officials, county officials, and school officials have more attainable high quality education options for their children and families than the lowliest amongst us? Simply put, no.

If equity in education is such a state priority, then that priority aligns with everyone from immigrants who just arrived to low income, middle class, and high income families having access to high quality educators and facilities along with an education pathway that fits the needs of their children and uplifts their communities. Equity means there are truly no differences between preschool to high school education based on zip codes and street signs.

It’s the System

“The system” doesn’t exist.