So, here I am, no longer working full- time in the public schools having made a side stepping career move to work part-time in a public library. After a 20+ year long dream of becoming a school librarian and being "under-appreciated" by 3 different administrators in 3 different school districts, I decided to call it quits. After 7 years in public education in VA and 3 years in MD, I had enough of the favoritism, abuse of resource teachers and general status of working in a public school system. No, I chose not to wear "the golden handcuffs". And luckily I didn't have to.
There are many positives for being a teacher and yet there are also many comprimises of philosophy to be made. New grads come out of college very idealistic and energetic. The reality is not what most are prepared for.
In the K-12 world I do not believe in merit pay based on test scores nor do I believe in teacher tenure after 3 years of service. Being a teacher is a calling. Not everyone has the patience for all of the challenges a teacher must face on a daily basis.
I began teaching in 1977 as a new graduate of a state university in Maryland. I was 21 years old. OMG- what a naive baby I was, but didn't know it. I had lots of energy, enthusiasm and empathy for the kindergarteners I taught", but no office politics saavy.
The world of education has changed dramatically in the past 33 years. I thought I was high-tech when I bought a red plastic Sony tape recorder and used it in my car and classroom. Considering i-pods, youtube, 3D video games, TIVO, cell phones, I-phones, wifi and other technology advances, maybe I should be laughing at myself. Except, I am not laughing.
Overly high expectations and the extreme testing atmosphere has made the educational world a place I can't quite stomach. Maybe it started when Ronald Reagan tried to label catsup as a vegetable in school cafeterias. Things are not what they seem, are they?
As a society, it is important to have public schools available to all. I NEVER thought I would come to this conclusion, but homeschooling doesn't seem so bad to me anymore. It has become more mainstream and is not so "weird". The public schools are not babysitters for your children. Parents need to participate and be partners in education. There is no free lunch.
In regards to office politics, it never occured to me that I would be faced with difficult colleagues or people who weren't honest and caring. Manipulative, self-serving adults were not a part of my awareness. But, they are now!
I have met some dedicated marvelously talented teachers along they way. I have met a few excellent administrators in my time, but they seem to be far and few between. Being the one to "put out fires" is no piece of cake.
I created Lavender Chalk to express my feelings and concerns about current events in public education; from my perspective as a trained professional with two license endorsements and a parent of 3 young adults who went through one particular school system in Virginia.
There is a book called White Chalk Crime describing Karen Horowitz's very negative experience with initiating reform in a public school system in Chicago. I decided to call this blog Lavender Chalk, because I am not a whiner nor malcontent, just disenchanted with many aspects of how public schools are currently being run.
http://www.whitechalkcrime.com/
I plan to see Waiting for Superman soon and have commentary to follow.
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/action/?gclid=CPn-x-DlkaUCFeh25QodlzZlPw
I will point out that Davis Guggenheim, creator of Waiting for Superman is sending his own children to private school.
Remembering that there are often more than 2 sides to every story, I will explore some of the main points made in Waiting for Superman and explore the ramifications of NBC's Education Nation,
http://www.educationnation.com/
As one of my favorite angry comedians Lewis Black says... (Listen to this)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/06/lewis-black-education-daily-show_n_752234.html
More later~~~~~
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