Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

The Wrong Picture

April 14, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Presumably, a magazine titled Teacher would represent the views of teachers rather than some conservative think tank. Two articles [“Picket Fencing” and “The Big Picture,” January/February] looked like thinly veiled attempts to get professional educators to accept the notion that we can improve education without spending. “Picket Fencing” [Current Events] blames teacher advocacy for a living wage on a decline in public opinion, and “The Big Picture” [Comment] draws a false line between the need for smaller class sizes and teacher compensation.

It is true that attracting quality teachers requires activism at the state, rather than local, level. We’re frequently told in my district, “Our salaries are competitive.” I would ask, “With what? Other underpaid teachers?” When are politicians going to figure out that we’re not going to attract the best and the brightest without salaries that compete with those of other professionals? Merit pay is a cute idea, but what if we offered salaries that allowed districts to be selective in hiring? Consider this: Does any district give the slightest thought as to where their teaching candidates completed their education? Of course not—they can’t afford to. Ivy League students, for some reason, just aren’t applying.

Likewise, “The Big Picture” supports the idea that class size competes against fair compensation. Teaching in a class-size-reduction classroom, I’ve seen the difference firsthand. I also see the consequences in my daughter’s overcrowded high school classes. No teacher in their right mind is going to assign the amount of writing and authentic work students really need when it means trading every spare minute grading it. My daughter may complete enough worksheets to pass the next standardized test, but how will she do in the real world, which is not multiple choice?

“Teacher” magazine? Sounds more like “Naïve Politicians and Demagogues Quarterly” to me.

Mike Chivers

Louis Bohn Elementary

Tracy, California

Related Tags:
Opinion

Events

School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Promoting Integrity and AI Readiness in High Schools
Learn how to update school academic integrity guidelines and prepare students for the age of AI.
Content provided by Turnitin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: January 15, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Jan. 10, 2025
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington, Jan. 20, 1977.
President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington, Jan. 20, 1977.
Suzanne Vlamis/AP
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Dec. 19, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
TIghtly cropped photograph showing a cafeteria worker helping elementary students select food in lunch line. Food shown include pizza, apples, and broccoli.
iStock/Getty
Education The Education Word of 2024 Is ...
Educators, policymakers, and parents all zeroed in on students' tech use in 2024, which prompted this year's winner.
5 min read
Image of a cellphone ban, disruption, and symbol of AI.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva