Listening to the President speak about education last night, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences as a secondary teacher. While it’s true a good education is one effective deterrent to poverty, below the surface of the profession, the waters in the trenches are murky.

In an earlier post I believe, I mentioned the fact while working at a middle school I was confronted by two foster parents about the behavior of their daughter who repeatedly skipped class and started hanging out with a gangbanger. The Vice-Principal with I sitting in her office listened to their concerns. I assured everyone there that I wanted no ill will towards the girl as I had lowered her grade. It was just a matter I felt the amount of work she put in wasn’t satisfactory for the potential I believed she had, so I had to grade her accordingly. Of course, the parents were not happy with that, and even some pressuring from the Vice-Principal towards me convinced the parents their daughter’s grade in my class would be up so she could graduate on time. The girl was an eighth grader.

It seems for educators who faced moments like the one I went through, we’re seen as the guilty party rather than the ones who try to offer a solution. The way English classes were taught in a state-controlled district back then would appear to be boring, but later in life those comprehensive and reading skills are very much needed in the world we’re in today. Not only must we deal with changing physical bodies of our students but we’re also dealing with the growing awareness they’re starting to come into. Puberty is like that. It offers challenges not only for our kids, but instructors as well. However, when decisions like the one I made regarding this student were made, I would hope it’s done for the long-term benefit of the student and not as a form of punishment.

What frustrated me the most is that a good percentage of my students, not all, cared about things that were important to them but in the longer picture, not as important. When I taught class, I made it a priority to do the best job I could in passing on my knowledge to them. Outside of an unsupportive administration, an out of touch culture within the district and the very self-defeating, dog-eat-dog environment these children were subjected to on a daily basis, made the fight that much harder to win.

We can look at our community public schools as places to drop the kids off while parents deal with the stresses of the adult world. Teachers are treated nothing more than babysitters and their annual pay reflects the commitment society places upon them, which is very telling. I remember the revolving door of teachers who either thought their profession was worthwhile only to become frustrated and seek employment elsewhere. I have to admit, after I was laid off, my next job paid me much better than the previous one and I was a temp. I’ve also heard from teachers of a different ethnicity who were brainwashed from watching movies like “Dangerous Minds” and “Lean on Me” that somehow they were going to change the hearts and minds of children with a suburban attitude. They didn’t succeed in that endeavor.

Educators who teach in public schools in the community are like the soldiers we cheer for fighting in wars. We salute them for their service, then forget them after the last bomb is dropped, the last shot fired. We want them to teach our children, but fail to show up for open houses to check on their progress. Did you know the same parents who were on me for giving their child a bad (but deserved) grade didn’t even show up for open house? Did you know the parents of our children who are well educated and upon discovering their son or daughter won’t walk during graduation causing the biggest drama are the same people who won’t place a call to you or – also not show up to open house? If you’re educator and this has happened to you, believe me when I say it’s not fair. It’s more of an insult, I know.

Instead of either political party or corporations weeding out the ‘bad teachers’ by adding more useless standardized tests, why don’t they do the same for administrators who are only interested in self, not for the children they’re hired to watch over? Parents have a stake in their child’s education, and should work together with the teacher instead of barging inside a classroom grilling that instructor on why their child is failing. I’ve witnessed too many hard-working dedicated instructors dealing with the self-righteous whining attitudes of parents who should know better.

The problem is multi-fold, and a teacher in a community public school cannot do it alone. They operate without proper materials that as I had to do, come out of pocket. Here in the state of California, they’ll have to do with a slashed budget further showing the hypocritical commitment to education. They’ll also have to meet the demands of administrators who require much of their employees yet give nothing back in return. Plus those in high statewide offices are closing schools, which increases the burden of overcrowding on other campuses and places an added pressure on class size.

So the teaching profession is a noble cause, but it comes with a cost. It’s time we treated our educators for the job they’re doing rather than what they are not. It’s time we gave them help.

Just think how much better society would be if teachers were the highest paid instead if the ones having to volunteer time and supplies?