Ms. Moore continues: "By every means we currently have for measuring teacher performance, I am considered an excellent teacher; yet, when it comes time to decide what should be taught and how my students' learning should be measured, I have little or no say. This is also true for teachers as a group."
True. My school just went through a voting for our administration. Teachers know good administrators and good administrators know good teachers. So why is it that our vote does not count, yet a team of non-educational adults carry all the weight? Teachers requested the Local School Council meet before or after school hours, allowing teachers to attend (they had been meeting during school hours). The request was denied. When teachers did voice their opinions on their choice for a new administrator, they were accused of harassment. Fortunate, the staff was resilient. The staff continued to push for their input to be taken into account. Teachers are are in fact on the front lines. A change in administration means at least 1-2 years of transition while the new administrator gets to know his/her staff and community. By then, opportunity for growth could have occurred. But the LSC did not see this. They were blinded by power. After 8 months they finally offered teachers 2 minutes each to say their piece. Over 25 teachers spoke. Afterward, they were told the vote would be postponed once again.
The ideal that educators' professional experience and knowledge is undermined has moved from the local setting to the national. Changes, such as No Child Left Behind, included little educator input the first time around. The revamping of NCLB holds more weight in the opinions of politicians rather than the educational professionals. Politicians fill the the water with muddy information. Society will benefit from listening to educator input; those who are on the front lines and experience NCLB daily. Do not place us in a box, but allow the flexibility to do our job, without constant hovering. With current NCLB, as stated in the article, innovation has been brushed under the rug. Teachers are being forced to teach strategically, some even with scripts. The children are suffering.
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