Everything that follows is predicated on the fact that I am not a fan of Obama or his utopian rhetoric that comes at the expense of those of us who work hard for our money.  I would point out that his predecessor--President Bill Clinton--would have counted me among the "wealthy oppressors," since at my beginning salary of around $25,000 I didn't get any of the tax breaks promised the middle class.  In spite of that, I am disturbed by the persistent myths that plague educators, and Mr. Sowell has unwittingly perpetuated some of those.  So, as one who is in the trenches, let me clarify.

 

Myth 1:  Teachers get paid an awful lot in comparison to the hours they work.

 

Reality:  I started teaching almost thirteen years ago.  With a Master's degree, I earned a take home salary of $1700.  I was a single mother for sixteen years and received child support sporadically at best.  My bills were: $475 for rent, $485 for day care, $220 for a car payment.  I got paid once a month.  (An interesting aside--my rent went up the second year because my apartments were converted to subsidized housing and I made too much to continue living there.) Beginning teachers are generally required to get ongoing education which is more expensive because it must be paid for at the graduate rate.  Student loans are not available unless you are in a degree program, so continuing education must be covered in some other way.  All teachers are required to get continuing education.  Those of us who are passionate about our subjects and finding new ways to get students excited about learning do it anyway.  Many districts offer tuition reimbursement, but this generally does not cover all the expenses of going to school and often their are caps on the amount that each teacher can be reimbursed.  Additionally, tuition must be paid up front creating a cash flow issue for those who are just starting out.  Tax credits are available for continuing education, but, again, do not cover all of the costs, nor do they relieve the cash flow burden.  I would point out that the starting salary for teachers has not changed a lot over the years.  The statistic offered in the article is that the average pay for a Chicago teacher  is $83,000 with 25% of the teachers making over $100,000.  Are those 25% pulling up the average salary statistic?  Also, there is no mention relative to the cost of living in Chicago.  Another thing to consider--how are you going to attract good teachers to an inner city school where for their safety is insured with metal detectors?  My student teaching took place in a smaller town.  A student in one of my classes brought a loaded handgun to my class.  That night, as I looked at the toddler I was raising on my own, I had to question whether I was going into the right profession.  I am in the right spot for me, but truly, inner city teachers earn their hazard pay.  Also, teachers will routinely augment their "budgets" for supplies out of their expansive salaries because we either buy it, or we go without, and most of us aren't willing to let our students just go without.

 

Myth 2: Teachers only work 6 hours a day, 9 months a year.

 

Reality: We are contractually obligated to be at school half an hour before, half an hour after, and to teach the remaining hours.  We generally receive an hour of preparation time daily.  At the middle and high school levels class sizes can range from 20 - 40 students, and we can be teaching as many four or five different subjects or levels within a discipline.  Federal laws related to confidentiality mean that teacher's assistants cannot grade tests or even homework, so we get to do that ourselves.  If we teach special education, we get to test and track 20 - 40 students individually as well as prepare meaningful assignments for students who have difficulty learning in addition to hold meetings with parents, students, and staff.  I have routinely worked outside my contractual obligation which has included meeting parents when and where it was most convenient for them, calling a parent to discuss his/her child even when I was so sick I had chills and no voice, or correcting papers or creating assignments that will move my students towards meeting state standards.  And I am not alone.  Think of all the favorite teacher movies:  Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus, Freedom Writers.  Have you noticed the cost to the personal relationships or families of teachers?  This is the norm for those of us who are committed to our job.  We are competing with cell phones, iPods, attention spans dulled by three-minute music videos, and work ethics diminished by a sense of entitlement and a societal willingness to cheat--and this is so pervasive even the "good" kids are not immune.  Summers are spent going to school for the required "continuing education," attempting to augment starting incomes with second or temporary jobs, and participating in anything that will help us bring experience and relevance to what we teach.  Sometimes it's a time of recharging emotional batteries spent convincing reluctant learners not to give up on school, encouraging pregnant teens to believe that they can support their babies ONLY if they have an education and end the reliance on welfare and other people, and cheerleading for those students who get themselves and their siblings off to school while caring for parents whose personal demons are so overwhelming that they can't care for themselves much less their children.

 

Myth 3: College graduation rates are a good way to measure a school district's success.

 

Reality:  Not so much.  The statistic quoted in the article is that only 6% of the product of Chicago's public schools graduate from college.  If you look closely, most four year universities can only boast a 6% graduation rate for a cohort of incoming freshmen.  Most of today's jobs do NOT require a four-year degree, though they DO require post-secondary training.  Community Colleges, technical schools, and other vocational colleges are supplying good educations and living wages for about 60% of the population according to the last information I had heard.  While a degree is an impressive show of a person's capacity to jump through hoops, it's not particularly indicative of societal success.  Furthermore, college graduation can depend upon a number of things.  Any person educated at a university can remember those people who went away to school for one reason--to PARTY.  I tell my students that $40,000 per year is a pretty expensive party.  I believe students benefit in a number of ways from working and gaining some adult perspective outside of school before going away to a university. 

 

Myth 4:  Students aren't meeting standards.

 

Reality:  "Standards" an idea borne out of good intentions that hasn't been fully developed and there are a several things to consider.  First, the development of the standards.  Who is responsible for setting the standards? In my state, when the Washington Assessment of Student Learning was rolled out, even college graduates were unable to pass the seventh grade WASL.  That's right, the seventh grade test.  Is that an indictment of the students or the assessment tool?  Testing companies are getting paid millions of dollars to create tests that may or may not be indicative of student learning.  One could argue that standardized tests do NOT replicate the kind of learning that is needed in the "real" world.  How often do you, in your career, have to sit down and take a test?  Most people would argue that a portfolio would be a better way of assessing whether or not standards are being met.  A further example:  on the Writing WASL for persuasive writing, students are encouraged to "make up" evidence that would support a thesis statement.  How valuable is that?  I would rather see those students spend time researching and defending a REALsituation using REAL research to support their theses.  That can't be measured in a 90 minute segment, though.  Standardized testing also forces us to look at all students through the same lens--a dangerous position to take at best.  It does not take into account different developmental needs or the varying educational experiences of students.  As public institutions, we do not have the luxury of picking and choosing who will come to our school, what percentage of students with special needs we will have within our care (and the actual number is rarely the amount that is funded by federal or state tax dollars), or the level of support we will get from the home.  I will lump the idea of merit pay with standardized testing:  does anyone REALLY think that we teachers WANT our students to fail or be underachievers?  These are the children who will be running our society when we retire.  A final note on standardized testing.  It is a snapshot of a student's performance on a given day or week.  How many of us, outside of academia, have our knowledge and ability measured based on a 16 hour window? It's a great money maker for those who develop and implement the tests.  For those of us who get to proctor these nightmares with the fervor of one whose livlihood depends upon escorting students on potty breaks to insure there are no "irregularities" in either the test environment or results, it's an exercise in endurance. 

 

Myth 5:  All teachers agree with their union

 

Reality:  There are many of us who are disenchanted by our union's seeming disconnect with reality.  I will pay almost $1000 this year to an organization that is actively politicing for candidates who do not represent me or my beliefs.  My union has aggressively fought for COLAs (Cost of Living Allowance) that I appreciate and even want, but not at the expense of the custodians, paraeducators, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and bus drivers whose services we depend on.  I recognize there are people who teach who are burned out.  I realize the system isn't perfect.  But I also know that if the legislators spent a month in a real classroom--not the perfect ones from which the sound bytes come--but the ones like Brenda McKinney's and Audra Degg's and Charlyn Johnson's--they would come away with a whole new appreciation for the goodness that is happening in schools in SPITE of a society that marginalizes age and wisdom, throws away children, chases the American Dream while ignoring the drug addictions or paying attorneys to make the charges go away, and worships at the altar of self while blaming everyone else.