Limbo

About a thousand NYC teachers will be in limbo this year. They will be working as ATR's -- long term substitutes. Most of these individuals will have ten or more years of experience.

A good friend of mine used to say, whenever he graded his college students' papers, that we should "fire all the teachers". I would look at him and say, "Even me?" He would respond, "No, of course, not." Well, it finally is me.

Instead of just placing all of the blame on teachers in the merry-go-round of listless underachievement that is our educational system, they are now actually placing the teachers in a kind of vegetative state. Our union contract prevents us from being fired. So, instead, we are being humiliated. We will substitute for younger, less experienced teachers. If we are feeling generous, we will coach them.

Some of the teachers will be Teaching Fellows. On average, these bright young people who are recruited and then trained to become teachers, last about TWO YEARS. This is anecdotal -- it may be possible that the Teaching Fellows last even less time. Overall, whether recruited or not, most teachers quit in their first five years. That's been born out by study after study.

Indeed, many of the most famous stories -- the woman who taught the class of "Dangerous Minds" for example -- are about teachers WHO ONLY LASTED A YEAR. The thing about a miracle is that it is often momentary.

Maybe we don't care about sustaining teachers. Maybe teaching is a job for young people to do for two years or so until they go on to their REAL PROFESSION. The system can just leach onto their energies and suffer from their lack of experience. Maybe the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages.

Is that what most people want for their kids: attendance at schools supplied by young teachers who are constantly changing? Maybe that's a good idea. I really don't know.

What I do know is that now I am a scapegoat. And I don't like it.

What saddens me is that I think, my friend's opinion is still the same, regardless, and that I have many friends who feel this way.