Phi Delta Kappa International
recently completed a poll with the Gallup organization trying to find out that
information. There were some
consistencies in the responses and some very interesting differences depending
on demographic grouping.
All demographics- public
school parents, non-public school parents, Democrats, Republicans,
African-Americans, Hispanics and whites all agreed teachers should be paid
more. Democrats more than Republicans,
but all groups agree. On the question
of tenure there was lots more diversity.
All demographic groups, other than African-Americans, are opposed to
tenure for teachers. It is projected
that African-Americans have a long history of being teachers and saw those jobs
be lost when schools integrated. Most
respondents think it is too hard to fire a teacher; but they still support some
sort of due process rather than allowing a school system to release a teacher
at will.
Results of this poll were a
lot like surveys on members of Congress.
Generally voters do not trust members of Congress, but think the member
who represents them is just fine. So it
is with teachers. Parents trust their
children’s teachers and feel communication is good. They do, however, want what they see a more
professionalism from the profession.
Respondents across demographics support some sort of professional test
beyond the entry-level degree. Maryland
already requires both a basic academic skills test and a subject specific test.
Money is always the elephant
in the room. Would administrators fire
higher-paid, experienced teachers because budgets would go further with
entry-level professionals? Or are principals
just trying to get rid of dead wood in the system? Who pays for retirement benefits? Thirty years of teaching and retirement
leaves a lot of lifetime for governments to be paying retirement pensions. Money for education is finite so value
decisions need to be made. And in spite
of how people responded, teacher pay for a 190-day year isn’t really all that
bad.
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