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On Monday, Sept. 25, the Anchorage School Board meeting room was filled to the brim with teachers who came to testify about what they experience at the ground level of education.
Teachers shared the challenges of an on-ramp of new programming where older programs never get phased out. They spoke of the limited training they had in the short window before school started, when they were to learn not only new curriculum but also the new communications and grading program Capturing Kids' Hearts, new scheduling and more. They cited the increasing testing requirements eating away at the time left dedicated to teaching.
After running through the numbers, two kindergarten teachers testified that they have 6,049 individual assessment requirements for the first quarter. In breaking down the time requirements for language arts, math, science and other components in the day, they totaled their obligations at 34 hours per week, excluding passing time, snacks, bathroom breaks and testing. There are but 32.5 hours in the school week.
[Frustrated over curriculum, training and contract issues, teachers pack school board meeting]
Still, as they spoke, I noticed again and again the passion teachers shared for their jobs and their commitment to and care for their students, regardless of the circumstances in which they work.
I think their frustration is compounded by the strain of 99 teacher positions being cut in February and 100 percent of their first-year colleagues being laid off last May. Even though those first-year teachers were offered their jobs back after the state passed a budget, imagine being a new graduate, fresh out of college and eager to make a difference, having taken a job in an unfamiliar and isolated town, only to be laid off and then rehired at the last minute.
At Monday’s meeting, middle school teachers testified about the struggle to switch to block scheduling. While there are terrific advantages for this type of scheduling (aside from its purpose in addressing the teacher position cuts), switching your lesson plans from one to two hours is really quite hard.
It takes a lot of work to adjust your teaching style and content delivery, shaking even seasoned teachers off their game. Can they adjust? Sure. And they will. But it doesn't mean it's not stressful. And when your job is already difficult, heaping on more challenges is discouraging.
Successful business leaders have already figured this out. Reviewing Forbes' and Fortune's lists of top companies to work for reveals a consistent theme — when it comes to employees, they treat them well. Not every employee makes a ton of money, but they are all valued for the work they do, which shows in their performance.
That's not to say our teachers aren't giving it their all every day. I believe they are. But the challenges they face in the classroom are nothing like what most other people face in their jobs.
They need the flexibility to administer the curriculum to meet the needs of their individual students.
They also need time — time to present, assess and adjust. It's what teachers do.
We all agree that standards matter, curriculum matters and student engagement matters. But all of those hinge on teachers being able to teach effectively.
There is no quick fix, no easy solution. Even the most elite private schools have challenges. But teachers are the ones in the classroom doing the hard work of preparing the next generation to compete, succeed and lead.
They believe in the transformative power of education. That in this country, you can succeed when you are given the opportunity to learn.
I started my career as a teacher, fresh out of college, eager to make a difference. Teaching is an incredible job. I know it firsthand.
Like most of our first-year teachers, I moved to an unfamiliar, isolated and diverse community where the children were as capable as in any other community. But the administrative component drove me away. I don't want to see that happen to Anchorage's valuable teachers.
I've spent the last decade and a half trying to figure out what went wrong where I taught. Thankfully my experiences were not the norm, but I understand the depth of challenges teachers face and how demoralizing top-heavy decision-making can be.
I often joke that I left teaching to become an attorney because I wanted to work fewer hours. But it’s no joke. Seated near me Monday night, a teacher hunched over in her chair, grading a stack of math homework — a striking image of the dedication our teachers bring to their profession every day. Our teachers are asking for respect — for their expertise, their time and their commitment and desire to do their job well. It’s time we listen.
Alisha Hilde is an Anchorage School Board candidate, an attorney and a former public school teacher.
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