For my Brownell Middle School graduate, it ends tonight. There
is one more day to go in elementary school and then summer is upon
us. Like most parents, I suffered a case of temporary amnesia this
past year.
For my Brownell Middle School graduate, it ends tonight. There is one more day to go in elementary school and then summer is upon us. Like most parents, I suffered a case of temporary amnesia this past year.
I had forgotten just how hectic the month between mid-May to mid-June is for kids as they wind down after nine months of hard work. I just found an invitation to the Parent Appreciation Tea in my daughter’s backpack. The Tea was held on June 3, so I won’t be able to attend. This year held many challenges for my children. There were overcrowded classrooms, juggling of schedules, playground bullies, parties and sleepovers every week, lots of homework and projects to be completed, as well as an endless battery of tests.
I sat and thought about how hard it is to be a good student.
It takes a real team effort to keep children actively participating in school. As I marveled at the pluckiness of my kids, who seem relatively well adjusted and eager to learn despite the pitfalls of public education, I got to thinking about the teachers in our schools.
I am guessing that it has never been more difficult to be a good teacher than right about now. And I am partially to blame for that.
I am one of those pushy parents who demand better for my kids (and your kids too). When I make those demands for better books, higher academic standards, healthy food, more discipline, physical education or arts in education, I do not mean to put the burden on the classroom teacher – though this may be where it ultimately lands.
I have sat through endless GUSD meetings where people brainstorm. We come up with some great ideas for positive change. Unfortunately, those ideas usually wind up in one of two places.
They either become the subject of endless discussion that never goes anywhere, or they become a district policy whose implementation more than likely adds an additional hour or more of work for the classroom teacher.
The good classroom teacher who is engaging her students and getting them actively involved in learning is then expected to take on another role. Ask the teacher who has 30 students who are fluent in English how well those ELD strategies play into her day. Ask the teacher who has 30 ELD students how he is going to differentiate the curriculum for his two GATE students, one of whom has limited English skills.
Ask both of those teachers to provide 30 minutes of exercise each day and a weekly art project. Ask the teachers how they are going to find time to hold a parent conference with their own 30 students, plus 10 students who come to them for reading.
Encourage them to attend professional development seminars, which may teach them best practices, but realize those practices exist in a bubble. Some of those best practices are hindered when students arrive at school sporadically, or come to class too tired, too hungry or too lazy to engage in actual learning. The truth is, I am surprised that anyone can sell a career in classroom teaching.
The sad trend in education is that too many people are getting into the business of education but not in the business of educating our children.
There are too many administrators and consultants calling the shots. These are the people who can crunch numbers and look at data, but don’t actually spend any time in the classroom.
They do an outstanding job of pointing out the obvious; “Your school has low test scores” and “Your school is at 150 percent capacity” and “Half of your students come to school unable to read on grade level.”
The good classroom teacher can connect those dots, see that they are all related, and work hard to change things for the better. The educational talking heads provide a valuable service insofar as they employ a bunch of people who I wouldn’t want teaching my children anyway.
For the suspicious among you, I do not include the superintendent or assistant superintendents or the Trustees of GUSD among the worthless. They are all working diligently, even if they are under strict orders to employ some of those useless consultants.
While I don’t promise to be any less pushy once the summer is over, I do promise to think about the consequences of my actions. I am not in favor of implementing changes that put additional burdens on our already overburdened classroom teachers. Maybe we could get one of the consultants to teach aerobics on the side.
Denise Baer Apuzzo has lived in Gilroy for 5 years. She is married and is a parent of three children who attend Gilroy public schools. You can reach her at: [email protected].
