Teacher Rant

There seems to be one prevailing attitude regarding teachers. While a few people think we are saints, most people think we are morons who sit around and do nothing but collect a paycheck, and that is why our schools are so bad. We are the welfare moms of the 2010s. It's annoying and I'm tired of it.

Unfortunately, just when I am ready to stand up and proclaim that enough is enough and people need to stop blaming teachers for everything, I find out more about the people I work with. There are some bad teachers in my school. (There are bad people everywhere, in every profession. Bad teachers just have more impact than the average bad employee in an office, for example.)

Last Thursday was extremely snowy in Chicago. It took me almost two hours to drive to work in the snow. Chicago Public Schools never takes a snow day, so I had to go to work. I didn't have many students, so my students and I had discussions in my senior classes.

Often our discussions center around school, and the students complain about their teachers. I don't encourage my students discussing their teachers, and I don't let them discuss teachers by name. But I love gossip as much as the next person, so I do find their conversations entertaining, usually.

But I got mad at a revelation made to me that afternoon. Apparently I have a coworker who will pass students in exchange for Red Lobster gift cards. Another coworker will give extra credit points in exchange for food. Students have brought that teacher Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chinese food upon occasion.

Infuriating! Inappropriate! Illegal!

Then yesterday I brought a bunch of books from home to put in my classroom library. My students always complain on Silent Reading Fridays about my book selection. I don't think they will like many of the books I brought from home, but at least they are new.

At any rate, my bag was heavy. I ran into one of my seniors in the hallway, and he agreed to carry the bag for me. I asked where he was supposed to be, and he told me that he had class, but that that teacher didn't come to work until 8:45. Even though he has an 8:00 class. The students just sign in and get their grade. As long as the students sign in before 8:45, everything is ok. I find this absolutely ridiculous. And unfair. And wrong. How do you just not show up for your class each morning? This is your job!

I should mention in the interest of full disclosure that I did offer the student extra credit points for helping me.

I don't know what to do about this problem. I don't know if this is what the teacher union envisioned when it worked so hard to strengthen teacher rights. I do not think tenure is a very good idea.

Bob Herbert, my favorite columnist, wrote a fine column in the New York Times this morning. It is all about the American Federation of Teachers deciding to finally take a stand on improving teacher evaluation, and linking evaluations to student performance. As long as student performance is not the only factor, I am all for it. Furthermore, the AFT is working to make it easier to remove bad teachers from the classroom. I am definitely all for that.

I love teaching. I get incredibly frustrated with my job and my students sometimes. A lot of times. But I can't imagine doing anything else. I get tired of the idea that teachers aren't qualified for their jobs. CPS loves to create the impression that every teacher in Chicago was somehow hired for these jobs despite our not being qualified.

That is inaccurate. Every teacher is supposed to be fully certified. We have to take a basic skills test and a content test for our license. There are teachers who get alternative certification, but it's supposed to be for teachers in high need areas like math and science and special ed. Don't get me started on Teach for America -- that is a post for another day.

So when I read an article like this one, I get really fired up. Yes, there are some bad teachers. As previously mentioned, I work with some of them. But that doesn't mean we are all bad.

I love that Bucior has written a book about subbing. And that her experience has shown her all she needs to know about saving our schools and our students.

But I should just get over it, and accept the fact that conventional wisdom is not on my side. Nor is reality, as my coworkers have illustrated.

I will just say this. If you don't want to be a teacher, get out of the classroom. We know who you are and you are doing no one any favors. If you want to be a teacher, work hard, do your job, act like a professional, and we will get along just fine.

The rumor at my school is that we are going to be restructured for next year. That usually means that every teacher gets fired and an outside operator comes in and takes over. Maybe that is not such a bad thing, although I don't really want to lose my job. But perhaps some housecleaning is in order.