This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2018/sep/05/guardian-teacher-takeover-share-stories-challenges-live
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 17 | Version 18 |
|---|---|
| Voices from the classroom: teachers share their stories – as it happened | Voices from the classroom: teachers share their stories – as it happened |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| That’s all for today, folks. But our coverage lasts through the week. Stay tuned. | That’s all for today, folks. But our coverage lasts through the week. Stay tuned. |
| Keep sharing your experiences with us via our call out form. We’ll want to keep hearing them through the week. | Keep sharing your experiences with us via our call out form. We’ll want to keep hearing them through the week. |
| One in five American teachers now works a second job on top of full-time teaching. We had photographer Peter Rad travel the country to show us what happens when they leave the classroom – | One in five American teachers now works a second job on top of full-time teaching. We had photographer Peter Rad travel the country to show us what happens when they leave the classroom – |
| On Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Tracey Deegan, earns $15 as an oyster farmer. | On Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Tracey Deegan, earns $15 as an oyster farmer. |
| “When I say my salary it sounds like a lot of money, but I live on Cape Cod. Someone has to be here to teach the kids.” | “When I say my salary it sounds like a lot of money, but I live on Cape Cod. Someone has to be here to teach the kids.” |
| Courtney Haney, in Houston, teaches science in the classroom, and later ballet and hip-hop at a private studio. | Courtney Haney, in Houston, teaches science in the classroom, and later ballet and hip-hop at a private studio. |
| “I use my lunch breaks often times to make choreography or to make lessons for that evening. Sometimes that’s what my weekends are devoted to also. Social life? What’s that?” | “I use my lunch breaks often times to make choreography or to make lessons for that evening. Sometimes that’s what my weekends are devoted to also. Social life? What’s that?” |
| See the rest of the series - | See the rest of the series - |
| A lack of autonomy and funding are some of the biggest challenges, said DJ from New Mexico – | A lack of autonomy and funding are some of the biggest challenges, said DJ from New Mexico – |
| “When teachers have to standardize everything we cannot do what’s best for students because we have to teach to the test. This isn’t fair, as no classroom is the same, no student is the same, and different teachers have different teaching styles and strengths. This keeps teachers from having any creativity or say in how their own classrooms run, and in turn it hurts kids from learning, being creative, developing their own interests in various topics and issues, and from enjoying school.” | “When teachers have to standardize everything we cannot do what’s best for students because we have to teach to the test. This isn’t fair, as no classroom is the same, no student is the same, and different teachers have different teaching styles and strengths. This keeps teachers from having any creativity or say in how their own classrooms run, and in turn it hurts kids from learning, being creative, developing their own interests in various topics and issues, and from enjoying school.” |
| ... and he had some words of praise. Thank you, DJ. | ... and he had some words of praise. Thank you, DJ. |
| “I also want to thank the Guardian for asking teachers for their voices. Thank you for seeing that American educators need a voice and need support. I love my students and I want to keep teaching; I just worry that some of us won’t be able to continue in the profession long-term ... Thank you for supporting us. America’s kids need America’s teachers.” | “I also want to thank the Guardian for asking teachers for their voices. Thank you for seeing that American educators need a voice and need support. I love my students and I want to keep teaching; I just worry that some of us won’t be able to continue in the profession long-term ... Thank you for supporting us. America’s kids need America’s teachers.” |
| From Oregon, Tina said she’s incredibly frustrated with the physical facilities she’s expected to work in – | From Oregon, Tina said she’s incredibly frustrated with the physical facilities she’s expected to work in – |
| “My district finally has potable tap water after being on bottled for more than two years following a lead crisis. However, they only certified two water fountains safe to drink in a building that serves 450 students and 60+ adults every day. I have no idea what’s going to happen when they take away the water coolers we’ve been using. | “My district finally has potable tap water after being on bottled for more than two years following a lead crisis. However, they only certified two water fountains safe to drink in a building that serves 450 students and 60+ adults every day. I have no idea what’s going to happen when they take away the water coolers we’ve been using. |
| “Our superintendent says he’s trying to cut the budget in ways that don’t affect the classroom, but when he cuts maintenance (or printing, or textbooks, or won’t buy basic things like folders or copy paper etc.), it just means that teachers have to pick up the slack on their own time and/or money. | “Our superintendent says he’s trying to cut the budget in ways that don’t affect the classroom, but when he cuts maintenance (or printing, or textbooks, or won’t buy basic things like folders or copy paper etc.), it just means that teachers have to pick up the slack on their own time and/or money. |
| N from the rural US south wishes to stay anonymous and said teachers just lack support and is dismayed with the Common Core standards. | N from the rural US south wishes to stay anonymous and said teachers just lack support and is dismayed with the Common Core standards. |
| “I was inventing, from scratch, 20 hours of lecture each week, creating worksheets/notes/homework for every lesson, and grading 130 students’ work 2 times each week (2 grades per student per week, minimum). | “I was inventing, from scratch, 20 hours of lecture each week, creating worksheets/notes/homework for every lesson, and grading 130 students’ work 2 times each week (2 grades per student per week, minimum). |
| The pay was $31,000/year. I didn’t become a teacher to get rich, though since I was also doing grad school to get my teacher licensure finalized, I had no time for cooking or laundry, etc. I had to eat out or not eat, I had to dry clean work clothes or they wouldn’t be clean. I was nervous every month about making all the bills, student loan payments, car and gas payments happen. I wasn’t worried about budgeting for going out or social activities, I typically spent 30 hours on the weekends working on my lessons, so I never went out anyways. Finances were still tight. Our school had 80% of the student body qualify for reduced/free lunches because of their socioeconomic status. We’re confident that 10% ate breakfast and lunch at school and nothing at home.” | The pay was $31,000/year. I didn’t become a teacher to get rich, though since I was also doing grad school to get my teacher licensure finalized, I had no time for cooking or laundry, etc. I had to eat out or not eat, I had to dry clean work clothes or they wouldn’t be clean. I was nervous every month about making all the bills, student loan payments, car and gas payments happen. I wasn’t worried about budgeting for going out or social activities, I typically spent 30 hours on the weekends working on my lessons, so I never went out anyways. Finances were still tight. Our school had 80% of the student body qualify for reduced/free lunches because of their socioeconomic status. We’re confident that 10% ate breakfast and lunch at school and nothing at home.” |
| What teachers want | What teachers want |
| As part of our teacher takeover, we’re inviting all teachers and educators to add personal stories and ideas to this manifesto for change. Submit ideas, anecdotes and thoughts via our form here. | As part of our teacher takeover, we’re inviting all teachers and educators to add personal stories and ideas to this manifesto for change. Submit ideas, anecdotes and thoughts via our form here. |
| We’ll compile your comments into a final manifesto next week – and the Guardian will hand-deliver it to Betsy DeVos, the education secretary. | We’ll compile your comments into a final manifesto next week – and the Guardian will hand-deliver it to Betsy DeVos, the education secretary. |
| Marie (not her real name) in California, said she struggles to get supplies for her Title I students | Marie (not her real name) in California, said she struggles to get supplies for her Title I students |
| “So many of my students are homeless, struggle financially, or are struggling with severe difficulties in other forms. For the last two years, we have received only one box of pencils, a 24-pack of crayons, and a pack of folders. I have had to spend over $1500 both years in preparation for gathering supplies for my students. While this includes basic classroom decorations the majority of the cost is actually for pencil, glue sticks, individual whiteboards, dry erase markers, folders, composition notebooks, erasers, scissors, rulers, and more. Almost every single teacher at my school buys their own supplies for their students, or use Donor’sChoose to get books and decorations for their students. | “So many of my students are homeless, struggle financially, or are struggling with severe difficulties in other forms. For the last two years, we have received only one box of pencils, a 24-pack of crayons, and a pack of folders. I have had to spend over $1500 both years in preparation for gathering supplies for my students. While this includes basic classroom decorations the majority of the cost is actually for pencil, glue sticks, individual whiteboards, dry erase markers, folders, composition notebooks, erasers, scissors, rulers, and more. Almost every single teacher at my school buys their own supplies for their students, or use Donor’sChoose to get books and decorations for their students. |
| “I have always been dedicated to teaching at a high-needs school, but so many people are under the impression that schools of diversity are full of kids who ‘can’t be saved’. In terms of pay, our district does a decent job but I absolutely cannot afford to live locally. Not a single teacher I know has enough to afford rent, and most are living paycheck to paycheck. I know many teachers who live with a group of people, and no one I know owns a home. We have no maternity leave, and are encouraged to have kids in the summertime. We finally got a stipend for a masters degree, but even with this it is barely enough to cover our slight increase in pay. | “I have always been dedicated to teaching at a high-needs school, but so many people are under the impression that schools of diversity are full of kids who ‘can’t be saved’. In terms of pay, our district does a decent job but I absolutely cannot afford to live locally. Not a single teacher I know has enough to afford rent, and most are living paycheck to paycheck. I know many teachers who live with a group of people, and no one I know owns a home. We have no maternity leave, and are encouraged to have kids in the summertime. We finally got a stipend for a masters degree, but even with this it is barely enough to cover our slight increase in pay. |
| “I led my students on the school shooting walkout last year and read them books about gender equality and LGBTQ rights. I am very vocal about my students needing to develop their own opinions and encourage them to listen to each other and respect other people’s opinions. I firmly believe teaching would attract the strongest of candidates if it became more competitive with higher pay. So many teachers at our school are highly educated (with MAs and PhDs) but are paid so very little. This causes burnout and so many leave the profession before five years. If teachers were paid higher, based on the eight hour days we actually work rather than six for school hours alone, it would encourage the public to take the profession more seriously. The incredible educators I know deserve this, and I believe the reason we do not receive pay raises is due to the underlying belief that teaching requires very little knowledge or pedagogical skill.” | “I led my students on the school shooting walkout last year and read them books about gender equality and LGBTQ rights. I am very vocal about my students needing to develop their own opinions and encourage them to listen to each other and respect other people’s opinions. I firmly believe teaching would attract the strongest of candidates if it became more competitive with higher pay. So many teachers at our school are highly educated (with MAs and PhDs) but are paid so very little. This causes burnout and so many leave the profession before five years. If teachers were paid higher, based on the eight hour days we actually work rather than six for school hours alone, it would encourage the public to take the profession more seriously. The incredible educators I know deserve this, and I believe the reason we do not receive pay raises is due to the underlying belief that teaching requires very little knowledge or pedagogical skill.” |
| A new report shows teacher pay is declining, even as more educators have master’s degrees and doctorates. | A new report shows teacher pay is declining, even as more educators have master’s degrees and doctorates. |
| Teacher salaries are down by nearly 5% compared with before the Great Recession – and it’s not because teachers are younger or less educated, according to the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. | Teacher salaries are down by nearly 5% compared with before the Great Recession – and it’s not because teachers are younger or less educated, according to the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. |
| In fact, the opposite is true. Read more about the wage crisis in education. | In fact, the opposite is true. Read more about the wage crisis in education. |
| In California, Patrick (not his real name) has over 15 years of teaching experience. He calls, California’s education funding is “deplorable”. | In California, Patrick (not his real name) has over 15 years of teaching experience. He calls, California’s education funding is “deplorable”. |
| “It makes sense that California schools are one of the lowest performing states in the USA (35th according to data from Education Week). Students don’t have an opportunity for success when California’s priorities is to lock up its population rather than provide it with an opportunity out of poverty. For a state as rich as California, their schools should be state of the art. The system is set up for the 1% to flourish and keep the 99% uneducated and blind. | “It makes sense that California schools are one of the lowest performing states in the USA (35th according to data from Education Week). Students don’t have an opportunity for success when California’s priorities is to lock up its population rather than provide it with an opportunity out of poverty. For a state as rich as California, their schools should be state of the art. The system is set up for the 1% to flourish and keep the 99% uneducated and blind. |
| “It’s no surprise then that the school I work at has rodents, asbestos, ants, no air conditioning, desks and lighting from the 1980s, outdated textbooks, and an extremely high teacher turnover. Public schools in California are more like haunted houses than schools. Teachers have to plead for a simple cost-of-living increase, often portrayed as being greedy when they do. Teachers can’t even afford to go to lunch in the area they work, let alone live there. Who in their right mind would go into teaching?” | “It’s no surprise then that the school I work at has rodents, asbestos, ants, no air conditioning, desks and lighting from the 1980s, outdated textbooks, and an extremely high teacher turnover. Public schools in California are more like haunted houses than schools. Teachers have to plead for a simple cost-of-living increase, often portrayed as being greedy when they do. Teachers can’t even afford to go to lunch in the area they work, let alone live there. Who in their right mind would go into teaching?” |
| Push back against remediation, and not investing in school facilities are a challenge for teachers, said David Chin, 57, in AZ who has 29 years teaching experience. | Push back against remediation, and not investing in school facilities are a challenge for teachers, said David Chin, 57, in AZ who has 29 years teaching experience. |
| “In one school I taught at in Texas, I set up a remediation program but was told by my supervising administrator that I was in violation of district policy because 4th grade level students had to learn 4th grade level instructional objectives. I thought this reprimand was ludicrous because the assistant principal expected me to teach compound multiplication to students who did not know their multiplication facts let alone their basic addition facts. | |
| “In another school in Nevada where I worked as a culinary arts instructor which had a lack of facilities, I ended up with 56 students in the kitchen which was built to only accommodate 28. On top of this we had a roach infestation. I was ordered to teach hands-on production in a roach infested kitchen in violation of the law. I was told to ‘do your job’ which I did by reporting the incident to the county health inspector. The kitchen was subsequently closed, the infestation dealt with but I had become a persona non grata and transferred to another school.” | |
| Arne Duncan, former education secretary under Barack Obama, asks: What do Trump’s authoritarian dreams have to do with education policy? Everything, he says. Authoritarian regimes benefits from an educated citizenry. | Arne Duncan, former education secretary under Barack Obama, asks: What do Trump’s authoritarian dreams have to do with education policy? Everything, he says. Authoritarian regimes benefits from an educated citizenry. |
| Shannon Ergun in Tacoma, who we featured earlier in the blog, has written back to us to say her district has voted to go on strike: | Shannon Ergun in Tacoma, who we featured earlier in the blog, has written back to us to say her district has voted to go on strike: |
| Our admin refuses to provide competitive professional compensation commensurate with local area districts even in the face of significant funding increases from the state. I’m on the bargaining team and we go back to the table today. If the district will shift, we’ll start school tomorrow. If not, we’ll be on the picket lines on Thursday morning. | Our admin refuses to provide competitive professional compensation commensurate with local area districts even in the face of significant funding increases from the state. I’m on the bargaining team and we go back to the table today. If the district will shift, we’ll start school tomorrow. If not, we’ll be on the picket lines on Thursday morning. |