Teacher's Turn: Speaking Out: Hoping Common Sense Prevails

By Katrina Johnson Leon

Frustrated with the state of education, a high school teacher challenges you to explore whats actually happening in schools across America. Why are our students failing? Its a combination of many factors. Teachers are supposed to be classroom instructors, counselors, parents, and disciplinarians. Administrators are often more concerned with upward mobility than the education of students. Unions are protective of everyone, including incompetent teachers. Politicians enact new legislation for posteritys sake. Parents and students are not being held accountable for non-performance.

Teachers Turn: Speaking Out poses questions based on real life situations and frustrations occurring in our nations classrooms, school sites, and district offices. The author answers questions to critical issues in our schools based on over 10 years of experience and knowledge. Included are "Questions to Consider," a challenge for readers to re-create our educational system.

America needs realistic options for our students, teachers, administrators, schools. Politicians should not be making decisions about our educational system. Its time teachers start speaking out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 7, 2010
• ISBN: 9781462807079

Katrina Johnson Leon

Katrina Leon has been a teacher for thirteen years. Most of those years have been spent at the high school level teaching business and early childhood education. She has implemented and coordinated several site programs. Katrina has also participated on numerous school site and district teams to enhance the opportunities of her students. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, a master’s in Cross-cultural Education and an Administrative Credential, she still continues to work as a classroom teacher. Many believe that getting a doctorate and leaving the classroom are the only way to affect change. With this book, Katrina hopes to show that, not only are the classrooms the "front lines" of education, but also to encourage administrators and legislators to remember (or learn) what it's like to be in front of students all day.

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Copyright © 2010 by Katrina Johnson Leon.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter 1

Organizational Management

Chapter 2

Government

Chapter 3

Teachers

Chapter 4

Curriculum and Classroom

Chapter 5

Testing

Chapter 6

Counselors

Chapter 7

Parents

Chapter 8

Students

Chapter 9

Just Sayin’ . . .

Chapter 10

More Questions to Consider

Bit of Background

Acknowledgements

Robert—You are my sunshine.

To the slightly unbalanced family who shaped the person I am today—thank you for always being supportive. I love you!

Miss Rachel—I am so blessed you are my friend. Thank you for being my editor and an amazing educator.

Kila—My sister, friend, and fellow educator, thank you for contributing and doing what you do on a daily basis.

Ms. Lindeman—You have no idea the impact you have made on me. Thank you. SP needs a statue of you by the front gate when you retire.

To the work family—ya’ll make it fun (or at least manageable on challenging days)

To my former, current, and future students—thank you for making me smile daily! Focus.

Prologue

My intent when beginning this book was to share with you the many frustrations teachers experience on a frequent basis. Whether or not these frustrations are with site administrators, lack of resources or even a new superintendent, I believe there is a deeper reason for these frustrations and failure in schools. As I started asking more questions, I kept coming back to rules, policies, and legislation which are really out of the control of anyone working in a school district. There is a valiant effort on the part of politicians and the media to place the blame of the state of education on the shoulders of those in the classrooms instructing.

While asking more questions, reading the newspaper, or watching various news stations, the one thing that kept coming up was the influence those outside of education actually have on the entire educational system. Whether it’s No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top, they are temporary bandages. They are not long-term fixes. It amazes me, those making decisions are more concerned about making a change during their administration than stopping, thinking, and acting intelligently.

I compare a new president, or district superintendent to driving a car. The politicians and district superintendents are the crazy drivers who speed up to get to the next red light and then have to slam on their breaks because they’re driving too fast. Doesn’t make sense, does it? But, it’s exactly the way they react regarding education.

I’ll give you an example. At one point our district had a superintendent who implemented a new program when he was hired. It was immediate. He did not evaluate what our district had; it was an instant program change. The district spent several millions of dollars to train the teachers and buy the necessary materials. The catch? The program wasn’t even approved by our state so teachers had to cease instruction. The materials? They’re packed in some boxes in a storeroom now. The money? Gone.

As a teacher, I want non-educators to understand there’s more to teaching than standing in front of a group of students and spouting all day. There are aspects of teaching that are completely out of our control. We are frustrated by it, but do the best we can to work within our boundaries. Most teachers I know act as teacher, counselor, coach, older brother, mother figure, and sometimes all of those rolled up into one. It seems many politicians forget our students encounter more challenges than those we faced growing up. Being a good teacher is as much human connection as it is intellect.

The other hope for this book is that teacher preparation programs use it to enlighten future teachers about the challenges of education. Walking into the classroom and standing in front of those smiling, or unsmiling, faces is the easy part. Dealing with the politics of education is difficult. Whether that means learning to work your new administrator, how to use the newest copy machine (if it’s working), or a difficult department chairperson, a new teacher needs to be ready for the challenge.

I want our children to have the best education possible. We’re not doing it currently, but we can. Our children are amazing individuals and deserve the best we have to offer. They shouldn’t have to settle for an education that is merely adequate.

Chapter 1

Organizational

Management

What’s wrong with our educational system?

As a country we have admitted there is a problem. Now we must come up with a solution or workable plan to fix the educational inequality across the United States. We have some of the best trained educators of all time. They are jumping through hoop after hoop to earn teaching credentials. Then they are told by the media, the state and federal government they are not doing enough. The educational system does have problems, but seldom is it the teachers.

We need to start taking a look at all the programs that have been developed, implemented, restructured, redesigned and replaced by new innovative curriculum. We also need to consider how fragmented our educational system has become. Anything that is too fragmented eventually breaks apart, leading to complete destruction.