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Bailey
Student
Peyton, Colorado
4
Questions
Asked
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I am also very interested in education policy. Does low income for teachers and sometimes poor education standards/curriculums ever ruin teaching for you? Have you ever tried to change education policy?
I've always been a critic of current education policy, standardized testing, and the ways public schools have been teaching students. Has this ever affected your teaching?
#education #teaching
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2 answers
Ted Curran, M.Ed.
Learning Experience Designer
22
Answers
San Rafael, California
Updated
Ted’s Answer
Hi Bailey, I was a charter high school teacher for 8 years in California in the mid-2000s. While I loved my time teaching, there are several challenges inherent in the life of a teacher that make it a hard lifestyle to sustain long-term.
The focus on standardized testing does little to impact students' progress day-to-day. In fact, it plays into a deeply unequal system that punishes poorer schools and rewards affluent schools. Standardized testing scores are most correlated with a student's *zip code* than any other factor. In other words, they are a measure of poverty or affluence, not of successful teaching and learning.
The average teacher's career duration has plummeted from over 7 years to ONE year -- this means many teachers are washing out before even completing their first year. Commonly cited are the long hours, high stress, low pay, lack of support, and lack of respect. There's also an increasing sense that teachers' freedom to share their love of learning is pushed aside in favor of "teaching to the test", and teachers are treated much more like a cog in a machine than a trusted professional.
Schools are being asked to do much more than they ever have historically, while having the budgets continually slashed. Holding students accountable to learning standards is a fairly new invention -- our generation and before were "socially promoted" and allowed to slide into the next grade with Ds. Today's students have to demonstrate mastery of skills and knowledge, and many fail to do so, get held back, and drop out. Schools also have to meet students' needs that aren't being met at home, providing meals school supplies, after-school care, social/emotional counseling, tech training, physical exercise, and discipline in addition to education.
I was laid off in 2009, along with 10% of California's teachers, to help offset a state budget shortfall. It was at this time that I moved into the world of online learning, working as an instructional designer at a private university. Since then the world of online learning has only grown and I've been able to grow a high-paying, low-stress career doing what I love.
I no longer encourage people to pursue a career in K-12 teaching because I don't have confidence that they will have a sustainable career path, sad to say. As much as I loved my time as a teacher, I paid a significant price to my physical, mental, and financial health during those years that's hard to recommend for others. I hope schools figure out how to make profession more sustainable for teachers but I don't see many encouraging signs.
The focus on standardized testing does little to impact students' progress day-to-day. In fact, it plays into a deeply unequal system that punishes poorer schools and rewards affluent schools. Standardized testing scores are most correlated with a student's *zip code* than any other factor. In other words, they are a measure of poverty or affluence, not of successful teaching and learning.
The average teacher's career duration has plummeted from over 7 years to ONE year -- this means many teachers are washing out before even completing their first year. Commonly cited are the long hours, high stress, low pay, lack of support, and lack of respect. There's also an increasing sense that teachers' freedom to share their love of learning is pushed aside in favor of "teaching to the test", and teachers are treated much more like a cog in a machine than a trusted professional.
Schools are being asked to do much more than they ever have historically, while having the budgets continually slashed. Holding students accountable to learning standards is a fairly new invention -- our generation and before were "socially promoted" and allowed to slide into the next grade with Ds. Today's students have to demonstrate mastery of skills and knowledge, and many fail to do so, get held back, and drop out. Schools also have to meet students' needs that aren't being met at home, providing meals school supplies, after-school care, social/emotional counseling, tech training, physical exercise, and discipline in addition to education.
I was laid off in 2009, along with 10% of California's teachers, to help offset a state budget shortfall. It was at this time that I moved into the world of online learning, working as an instructional designer at a private university. Since then the world of online learning has only grown and I've been able to grow a high-paying, low-stress career doing what I love.
I no longer encourage people to pursue a career in K-12 teaching because I don't have confidence that they will have a sustainable career path, sad to say. As much as I loved my time as a teacher, I paid a significant price to my physical, mental, and financial health during those years that's hard to recommend for others. I hope schools figure out how to make profession more sustainable for teachers but I don't see many encouraging signs.
Igal Levy
Professional writer, math teacher
21
Answers
California, California
Updated
Igal’s Answer
I can't disagree with Ted's assessment of the teaching situation, but I will say that it really depends what school district and what school teachers and students are in as to what kind of experience they have. I also live in California. I did not teach as long as Ted, but my wife taught for over 20 years at all levels. I also did a lot of observations at different high schools and some lower-grade schools.
Bottom line is that if it's a wealthy district--meaning lots of families with high incomes--then that directly translates to a better experience in the schools. There are many reasons for this, including the private money that flows into the schools from the support organizations that parents set up and having more stable neighborhoods and family lives.
In some urban (sometimes called "impacted") schools I observed or taught in, teachers were expected to also be like parents to kids who had terrible experiences growing up and suffered from multiple traumas. And with little support for the teachers themselves. That is not a sustainable system, and as Ted pointed out, leads to quick burnout.
I wish I had better news about his important career--and like I said, some schools are doing well--but it will take much reform and some wisdom to improve the general situation.
Bottom line is that if it's a wealthy district--meaning lots of families with high incomes--then that directly translates to a better experience in the schools. There are many reasons for this, including the private money that flows into the schools from the support organizations that parents set up and having more stable neighborhoods and family lives.
In some urban (sometimes called "impacted") schools I observed or taught in, teachers were expected to also be like parents to kids who had terrible experiences growing up and suffered from multiple traumas. And with little support for the teachers themselves. That is not a sustainable system, and as Ted pointed out, leads to quick burnout.
I wish I had better news about his important career--and like I said, some schools are doing well--but it will take much reform and some wisdom to improve the general situation.