Teacher resignation letters paint a bleak picture of US education
As teachers’s resignation letters become public it has become evident that teachers are not leaving solely due to low pay and retirement but also due to a broken education system. In a group of studies, by Michigan State University education expert Alyssa Hadley Dunn and other colleagues examined the new phenomenon of teachers posting their resignation letters online. Their findings suggest that educators at all grade levels are frustrated and disheartened by a nationwide effort of standardized testing and scripted curriculum.
The reasons teachers are leaving the profession aren’t because of dissatisfaction of the pay or student behavior, rather teachers are leaving due to oppressive policies and practices affecting their work conditions. Teaching, next to parenting, is one of the hardest jobs in the world. On paper teaching seems to be an ideal profession, such as summers off, an opportunity to work with kids, a work day that ends at 3 pm. What more can anyone want! but teachers have quickly come to the realization that what’s on paper is not quite the reality of the profession itself.
The first problem is that teachers have a “save the world” mentality. This is especially true for beginning teachers. They feel they want to be able to save every student but in reality not all students want to be saved. Students come from all backgrounds with varying abilities, they all need special attention and plans in order for them to succeed. With changes in curriculum, many teachers are studying the material way in advance in order to be able to present it in a more comprehensive way to the students. This becomes overwhelming for teachers to balance teaching, paperwork and a personal life.
Secondly, there is a lack of respect. The media slams teachers and parents, principals and central office workers put the blame on teachers and question their abilities. Teachers work hard for little pay. There are more and more expectations layered on every consecutive year and no pay raises. They also are under appreciated for all their efforts in putting into the instruction of children. They also feel left out when implementing any curriculum or in making any policies that would directly affect the education system overall.
These reasons and additional feelings of heedlessness towards teachers all contribute to frustration that teachers encounter while on the job on a daily basis. If this continues on the education system will remain in jeopardy.
