Back to Common Sense: Putting Teachers First

I am but a simple teacher… with a simple thought that came to my mind this morning…

The current educational system is set up like a factory where teachers are expected to produce results on command, follow unrealistic mandates, and follow pre-made (and expensive) curricula “with fidelity.” Much like cogs in a machine, we drive the broken system down the road. But what if teachers became the central focus of education?

Imagine the amazing benefits that would be bestowed on society. Decision-making would flow from the classroom outward instead of from the district offices downward. Creativity, critical thinking, and innovation would have a chance to flourish because those closest to the students (the teachers) could gauge the situation and then adjust to meet the needs of the next generation.

No politics, no bureaucracy, no ridiculous state-mandated quotas… I mean, assessments. Yes, checks and balances would have to be put in place to make sure teachers were actually teaching what they signed a contract to teach (and not some senseless agenda that has no bearing on the classroom), but for the most part, we’d be allowed to return to common sense. We could teach, students could learn, and districts could support instead of control. Schools would no longer feel like factories driven by poorly equipped and seldom backed cogs (teachers).

Teachers must regain control of the classroom. Districts must resume the role of enforcing discipline. And courts must stop pandering to parents who only want to make a buck off of the broken system… or at the very least have their child get by with little to no effort. Don’t get me wrong, on very rare occasions there might be a teacher that gets out of line… but those instances are very few and far between.

At the end of the day, a single teacher who’s commissioned and then equipped to teach with wisdom, conviction, and a passion to see students succeed can do more for the next generation than a thousand district policies created by people who’ve forgotten what it’s like to be in the trenches, and a thousand laws passed by folks who’ve never stepped foot inside a classroom. But then again, what do I know? I am but a simple teacher… in a “simple” classroom.