As a trained educator, I sometimes become disgusted by the profession that should allow teachers to mold and shape young minds to become Productive Citizens in Society.  I bold this word, because it is the underlining reason why we have a free educational system through secondary school. Elementary and High school is not meant to mold students into doctors or lawyers or even teachers (that is the job of a University). High School is meant to ensure that all citizens have a basic education so that they can help contribute to the growth of the economy. These students could be construction workers, office assistants, or the guy or gal that cleans the septic tank.  Each job is important, each job contributes, and none should be treated with anything but respect.

However, schools have steered away from this principle. They are now forcing teachers to analyse countless sheets of data, write comprehensive reports on standardized tests.  They have forced teachers to fill in forms, to show the principals and directors that they are doing their job.  Teachers need to spend their own time and resources to ensure that they are meeting every learning objective.  Students are asked to write cognitive tests to show them how they think and what their chosen profession should be (don’t forget the role of schools). How teachers teach and what they teach are dictated by these tests. This may sound like a scary movie, but it’s our current education system. The suits and powers to be that run the system, don’t have a clue, but the teachers understand the dangers of teaching to a test.

Everyone needs to show accountability, therefore, micro managing has taken over the educational system. But what is happening, is that teachers are spending too much time showing they are doing the right thing, and not nearly enough time doing what they are paid for, ‘TEACH.’

Think like a  Corporation

I know this sounds like a strange concept. A corporation has to manage a budget and grow their business, so does a school.  The concepts between corporations and schools are not very different.  However, corporations pay their employees better, higher the right people who can do an outstanding job, therefore, the need to micro manage is eliminated. 

Microsoft would not dream of paying their software designers a teachers salary and expect the same results. I was discussing with a local man in Zambia once, about the education system.  I explained that teachers in Zambia are grossly underpaid, and many have two or three jobs to support their family. If someone paid me the same salary, they would get their monies worth, which wouldn’t be much. If you want to get productive teachers, you need to do a few things; pay them more, provide more staff for support, that can complete some of the administrative work, and treat them like professionals.

Too often, teachers feel undervalued, because electronic tests are taking over, and telling them what to do, and how to do it.  Teachers feel that the system is broken, and can’t change.  Many teachers are getting out of the profession, and rightfully so.  If they have to sit and complete administrative work, they may as well go work at a bank, or large corporation.  Their skills would be valued, they would make more money, have reasonable hours, but more importantly they would be treated with respect.

If you have a comment please leave one.  If you work at a school that acts differently, please share, as I would love to hear some positive news/ideas from a broken system.