What Happens When Teachers Are More "Effective" Than Their Bosses? America, We Have A Problem.

Teachers are evaluated on everything from how well they prepare lessons, to how well they keep students engaged in the curriculum, to how well they service and meet the needs of "all" students in their classroom, to how well students perform on local and standardized assessments. The problem lies in the fact that teachers are oftentimes required to be effective in an ineffective school and/or school district.

Everything about a school can be ineffective, including administrators and representatives from central office. Yet, teachers are expected to show up and act like the ship isn't sinking, and do their jobs without expecting their basic needs to be met. As a seasoned educator, who has served as a classroom teacher and school administrator, it is beyond disappointing to see firsthand, and hear stories of how schools are being run in my local community as well as across the country.

We are currently in our 5th week of the school year, and I still do not have the novels my students are required to read. Per the curriculum and district-mandated pacing charts, my students should be reading chapter 8 of their text. Key word "reading," as the curriculum materials ask specific questions related to sections/pages of the text. I have had 2 different Lead Teachers assist me with looking for the books in our building, only to discover that the books are not here. I emailed my Assistant Principal and Principal over a week ago about it. No response. I included an Assistant Superintendent in an email about it yesterday. No response.

Mind you, during last week's staff meeting we were given information about how it is expected that teachers start annotating their lesson plans (unnecessary, busy work) and we were told that "our students cannot afford instructional time that is not purposeful" (per the staff meeting agenda). Well, it sounds like the school and district leaders need to "pick a side." Either you're going to genuinely support teacher effectiveness, by providing the appropriate resources, or you're going to stop evaluating our effectiveness--when it is directly affected by your ineffectiveness, or lack of response to what matters most--student success.

Oh, and regading my current situation, I bought the movie version of the novel, and will intermittently have my students watch it and listen to the audiobook to facilitate learning, in spite of school and district leaders demonstrating a lack of concern. I will teach. My students will learn. By any means necessary. Let me know your thoughts.