If you’re dealing with a pandemic, you listen to scientists and doctors.
If you’re fighting a war, you listen to experienced military professionals.
Heck, if you’re fishing a new lake, you trust people who fish it.
If you’re strategizing how to re-open schools, YOU ENLIST AND TRUST THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE TO ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO WORK EVERYDAY!
Across the country right now are politicians and school administrators making their re-opening plans while educators, not seated at the decision-making table, await like the rest of us to hear “The Plan.” This appears to be more widespread than you could imagine.
Please note: there are many districts that ARE including teachers in their planning. There ARE districts doing this right.
What is utterly baffling is the notion that there are environments where teachers are NOT part of the planning. I get that administrators are under insane pressure. I get that decisions and plans need to be made. I get that administrators are getting bombarded with conflicting messages. I get that this is the suckiest period in our lifetimes to be an administrator. I get all of it.
But what I don’t get is that ANY system would try to move forward without the voices of classroom educators not only contributing to the planning but leading it. Months ago we held up teachers as heroes for the rapid pivot they did when schools shut down. Now too often we’re locking them out of the room as we explore opening up.
Please note: there are many districts that ARE including teachers in their planning. There ARE districts doing this right.
Every district needs a team with teachers on it. Every building needs a team with teachers on it. Every. Damn. One. Without exception. Educators in this process should not be used as “reviewers” or some sort of filter after The Plan is made; rather, educators have to be at the table influencing The Plan, pushing and prodding on it together. This holds true at the national, state, and local level. This period of time will either honor educators as the professionals they are or will do irreparable harm to the state of the profession. There is more at stake than what this fall looks like. This period will long establish the dynamics of teaching in America.
Teaching is already hemorrhaging educators at an unsustainable rate. We are losing teachers in America at a rate that shockingly outpaces the rate at which we’re bringing in new teachers. If we fail in this moment to let educators guide us through this period the long term risks to the state of teaching in America looks dire. We’re talking about the body, mind, and soul of the profession right now.
Those of you who know me or have worked with me know that I am not prone to alarm. I am pragmatic and optimistic to a fault. But I’m really scratching my head right now trying to figure out how any of what I’ve written here even needed to be written.
So now for the aforementioned pragmatic optimism: it’s not too late. If you are planning the re-opening without educators, change course and redesign your planning process. Today.
If you’re working in a district where your voice has been left out, demand to be heard.
If you are a district which is already designing WITH educators, tell your story loudly and proudly. Challenge districts around you to learn from you. Don’t be shy.