I wouldn't want to work for Michelle Rhee, superintendent of the D.C. schools, but I heard one quote from her that really got me thinking. After teaching in Baltimore City schools for a year she said that it couldn't be expected that a person could teach for a lifetime in some situations. At sixty hours+ a week and more hurdles than the Olympics, that sounds like a pretty true statement to me. On the other hand, it doesn't seem fair to put already at risk kids and families in a revolving door of new teachers.
Here's my crazy idea, that is sure to not catch on. What if a county decided to be innovative and convinced all the stakeholders to pool together into one school district including both urban and suburban schools? What if the purpose of this move was to share resources both of the human sort and the monetary? What if teachers could, or were even required to, take a turn of a year or two in the city school and then rotate out to a suburban district? What if that meant the teacher could keep her seniority, but have a chance to work in what is now a different district? What if at different sites with a large at risk population, teachers were expected to work longer hours in exchange for more pay than at other sites? What if it was all just more fluid?
I know, it's a fantasy, but a girl can dream can't she?
4 comments:
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And. Yes.
What if districts looked at what and who works
and made sure those things didn't change while
still holding high expectations and high standards....
so how can we also get parents involved. I really want to push "Parents in the Schools" this year...among other things. xxooxxoo Lovely to chat with you today. Thanks for your input and help.
What if some of these schools provided more than just learning--a place for clean clothes, for food, for those that need a safe place--a safe place. What if every person involved was passionate about providing a positive experience for every child . . . it's so nice to know that I have friends who do more than just teach, and truly care about their students! Adridebo! (another fun word).
Oh, I've often longed for the school to have a washer and dryer and for the library to be open for families in the summer. I want the computer lab to be available to families when kids are not in session. I'm concerned about the "tech gap."
Sadly, gwther (below) is not a word :-)
Lasinest! (I must get all the fun words that are really non-words!)
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