The Washington Post published this blog post in "The Answer Sheet" about whether or not Teach for America (TFA) corps members can be considered "highly-qualified" teachers. Under No Child Left Behind, every classroom in America must have a "highly-qualified" teacher, and there is some debate amongst politicians about who qualifies for that classification. I've read "The Answer Sheet" for some time now, and from what I've gathered, Valerie Strauss is not too fond of TFA. I, on the other hand, think TFA is wonderful. I started writing to explain why, but there's no way I can do it concisely (or coherently) enough for one blog post tonight. I did want to focus on one thing, though, and that's this idea of teaching as a public service.
When I arrived at the University of Florida my freshman year, I was a journalism major. For many reasons (far too many to go into here), during the summer before my sophomore year, I changed my major to Elementary Education K-6. This was a decision for which I received a lot of flack. Why--people scoffed--would I leave one of the nation's premier journalism programs? Why would I pick elementary ed when at a school with TONS of other options? In my experience, there is a perception among college students (and others) that teaching is what you do when you aren't smart enough to do anything else. During my internship, my mentor teacher explained how during college, her husband's friends joked that she was majoring in "Bulletin Board Making 101."
Who can blame them, though, really? In America, teaching has become a discredited and devalued profession. Low-salaries is certainly the most obvious (and most frequently cited) indicator of this. I think it's demonstrated even in the climate of the education reform movement right now. Teachers are blamed almost entirely for the problem. Does it really make sense to fire every teacher in a school when test scores are low? No, no, no, no, no. But in America, we blame our teachers. (Aside: Please hear me when I say that teachers deserve some of the blame. As a teacher, if one of my students fail, I am going to blame myself because I have a role to play. However, I also must recognize that there are many factors beyond my control. More on that another time.)
When I became an education major, I was met with cries of "What are you thinking?" TFA, however, is widely respected by college students, their professors, graduate schools, and corporations around the country. At UF, it is considered an honor to be a TFA corps members. Acceptance into the program is met with congratulations and accolades, and deservedly so. It is a highly-competitive program, and I know several people (amazing people who would have made wonderful teachers!) who did not make the cut. When you become a TFA corps members, it is a big deal.
I think that's wonderful. TFA is helping college students (and in turn, their friends and families) recognize teaching as an honor, a responsibility, and a civic duty. TFA recognizes teaching as a challenge and as an opportunity for public service. If college students don't see teaching that way, what else will attract them to the job? When will the rest of our country begin to see it this way? When will teaching become a career for only the best and the brightest? When will our school districts have more applicants than open positions? When will teaching become a coveted and respected career in our country?
I don't have the answers here.
But we need to start asking the questions.
I consider teaching an honor, a challenge, and a responsibility. I consider it a calling. The Florida legislature could lower teachers' salaries even further, and I would still be there every morning. By spending my days with children, I get to spend my days with the future. I get to spend my days with the children who will answer these (and other) tough questions in America. I wouldn't trade that opportunity for anything.
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