Thursday, February 2, 2012

Rather than Criticize, Why Not DO Something for Teachers?

In 2009, I entered into a doctoral program at Gardner-Webb University.  Let me rephrase:  I foolishly entered a doctoral program at Gardner-Webb University.

I often wish that I had never started this program, never forked over the kind of money in a vain effort to have "Dr" attached to my name.  I hate to pull a George Costanza, but it's not the program.  It's me (not that there's anything wrong with that).  I'm just not sure that it's really worth the time/money/effort that I have put into it.

At the same time, there is no question that I have learned a lot, about Christian education and education in general.  One thing I have learned (as if my wife the teacher had not already told me) is that teachers get a bum rap.  They receive nothing close to the respect that they deserve.

This article in the LA Times is proof of that:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-bondy-rating-teachers-from-the-perspective-o-20120129,0,5547815.story

Accountability is good for all of us, and teachers need to be accountable.  But you can't have true accountability when the deck is "stacked" against you.  Teachers take on the weight of the world and the responsibility of parent/police officer/role model/disciplinarian/social worker/educator.  And yes, unfortunately, the "educator" part often comes last.  That's because they have to get through all the other mess just to make an attempt to teach something.

Some people want to base everything on these "impartial" evaluations and "unbiased" test scores.  We all know that there is no such thing.  We also need to take into account the intangibles that teachers face rather than glossing over them with a random number that says they did the job or they didn't.

Since this is a blog about Christianity and not about education, let me connect this issue to what we do as church.

There is a segment of Christianity that relishes criticism of public educators and public education.  One such believer happens to be sitting in the Governor's office in South Carolina, but let' leave that one alone for now.

How many of those Christians have ever done anything to help public education?  How many of them have volunteered to read to students or mentor a child in need?  Have we ever called the school to say, "How can we help?"  How many of us have volunteered our time in a classroom just so a teacher could take a bathroom break?  And believe me, with no money for assistants, bathroom breaks are often tough to get.

I see a very clear connection between education in the church and education in the school system.  Our work with children and young people does a little to lighten the load.  We can provide one more shoulder for a needy child to cry on, one more place to watch out for children who are neglected.  We can offer meals to those who are hungry (Common Ground Food Pantry; Backpack Ministry) so that maybe their stomachs are not growling when they go to class.

But I also suspect that we can do much more than that.  Perhaps we need to organize more volunteers or just encourage people to volunteer at the school, just as we encourage them to volunteer at church.  Both of our organizations are "centerpieces" of the community.  Why would we not work harder at working together?

Yes, we have to be a little careful about what we say and do when we partner with a public school.  But there are many ways to share Jesus without saying a word or quoting a Bible verse.  The demonstration of love and care speaks loudly without ever having to turn up the volume.

Teachers, staff, administrators and especially students need our help now more than ever.  Perhaps it's time for us as Christians to find a way to do that.  I'm betting that will make more of an impression than criticizing public schools and telling teachers that their value is only as high as a test score.

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