Having been raised by two public school educators, I learned early on the value of a good education and have also gained some insight into the complexities of this system. My profession as a social worker has also provided me with insider knowledge about the failings or gains within the system. And thankfully, I have been the beneficiary of a positive school experience and higher education.
That being said, this film was scary, depressing, and a bit overwhelming. Clearly, it was slanted in favor of the privatization of schools. It highlighted the blockage of progress through bureaucracy, lack of resources, unions, and "bad" teachers. It made public education out to be the devil and worse yet, it inferred that public school educators were lazy, uncaring, sub-par in relation to performance, and unwilling to do what is best for their students. Granted, there are those in the field who have legitimately checked out, those that are tired, those that are lazy, and those that are just plain bad. But I would argue that they didn't start out that way. I would assert that most people who go into education start with a passion for learning and have a sincere desire to make a difference in the life of a student. How those few bad teachers get from point A to point B is another story.
I guess my frustration with the system is that it really isn't about education anymore. It is about which political party can come up with the most ridiculous legislation and get it passed as law. Teachers are being asked to do more with less. They are being forced to teach to a test in order to keep their jobs. They are being asked to take on more and more and are not being compensated nor respected. It drives me nuts. In other countries, educators are revered...in the US, for some reason, they are criticized. I know that there are bad teachers, but I think that we forget about the good ones...and that to me is quite tragic.
3 comments:
I am currently a part of the public school system. I'm with you. I don't believe it's the devil, but it is flawed. I am one of the lucky ones. I work with teachers who work miracles with the materials and students they've been given.
I teach classes of 40+ jr. high school students. I struggle every day to create whole human beings out of every single individual. I don't always succeed, but it's not for lack of effort on my part. The problem for me is that a normal work week for me averages between 60 and 70 hours. During school productions I've been known to work 80+. It's madness. I can't keep working that much and getting paid for 40. Thus, grad school and {hopefully} a job that will allow me more time with my own two kids.
I really like how this movie made me examine education. I'm all for the public school system, but again understand it is flawed. Perhaps if teachers were paid the amount that other professionals are paid, it would be helped. This really opened my eyes to how the system does fail many people/students. I feel pretty blessed that I had good teachers/schools and that my children have also.
Couldn't agree with you more. Of course, our upbringings were very similar in terms of our parents' professions. It truly is tragic the importance that the American society places on, say, professional athletes and the harsh criticism it saves for public educators...just sad.
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