In discussing education reform, I have discussed a wide variety of potential problems that need to be addressed, including socioeconomic inequality, competition and rankings, faulty school curricula, and more. Although I briefly discussed teachers in a previous post, I believe they deserve a fully fleshed out consideration.
No one can deny that teachers are the most directly related resource in educating students. However, the public education system treats them as just “resources” when they are so much more than that. While teachers are responsible for providing information for students to ponder and digest, they hold an incredible amount of autonomy and directly influence a child’s eventual passions and intellectual curiosities.
I think we can all remember the magnitude of a teacher’s influence on us, whether for better or for worse. For example, I had never taken a philosophy course before college when my mother forced it upon me. I didn’t know what to expect, but I gained so much from that class, not just in terms of intellectual development, but also in terms of personal growth. Now, I plan on making philosophy my second major. My professor taught philosophy in a very open way in that she didn’t take her interpretation as “law.” She was always eager to consider what the students thought about a given passage or idea, and this made for a very discussion-based environment. This class eventually led me to choose to major in philosophy.
On the other hand, students dismiss a subject as boring or uninspiring based solely on a teacher. Here lies a terrible problem. Perhaps a student had the mental capabilities to become a great mathematician, but somewhere along the way, the student suffered through a class with a horrible teacher. This has probably happened to all of us to some extent, but we don’t really like to think about it. For example, I was once extremely interested in pursuing math as a career, but after one bad teacher along the way, I decided against it. Granted, I now realize that advanced mathematics is really difficult for me and ultimately beyond the scope of my intellectual curiosity; however, that one teacher influenced me so strongly without me even realizing it.
The point is that teachers have a huge influence on their students. Thus, the true value of teaching is reflected neither by the value we as a society place on it, nor by the financial value that comes in the form of a teacher’s paycheck.
I don’t think I need to convince you of the importance of teachers in the public education system, but the stigma that goes along with the career, as well as teachers’ relatively low incomes both require some further discussion.
I have posted something like this before, and I’ll post it again: “Those who can’t do teach.” This sentiment essentially describes how many people feel about the profession as a whole, and before casting this off as mere bigotry, let’s consider the trends. There is much controversy over the true statistics regarding the class standing of future teachers in college, and while the idea that teachers frequently make up the “bottom-third” of their college graduating classes is not necessarily proven, we can say as a generalization that teachers as a whole do not perform as well in college as do students in many other majors. Why is this? In general, the requirements for graduation are perceived as “easier” than requirements for majors such as engineering or mathematics. Whether or not this is true, engineering has the highest dropout rate of any major. Interpret that how you will.
So far, I have been careful not to step on any toes here, but it’s time to get real. How can we attract higher achieving students to the field of education? Some assert that a higher income for teachers is the answer, and that makes logical sense. However, the prevalent idea in our society that effort yields reward cannot be entirely dismissed. While teachers serve an important role in society, the education needed to get a teaching certificate in most states is a Bachelor’s degree. The range in income for teachers is generally between $35,000-$80,000, and the median starting salary for undergraduates with a bachelors degree is $45,000. Based on these numbers, the teacher’s salary is about the same as the salary of the average person with a bachelors degree. Therefore, we could logically say that the teacher is being paid accordingly based upon level of education (“effort”).
But do we think that the important role of teachers in society entitles them to more money? Also, since a greater income would logically draw potentially more “high-achieving” students to majoring in education, is it permissible to increase the income of teachers throughout the nation? I would argue that the answer is yes for both questions, but it is important to consider both sides of the arguments. What do you think?
That’s all for now! Stay fly, and goodbye!
-Dan