The Growing Anti-Teacher Sentiment

September 19, 1:21 PMNY Education ExaminerLorri Giovinco-Harte

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Americans are deeply concerned over the state of our public schools - and with good reason.  Our aging school system does not seem to be meeting the needs of all of our children.  There are those, however, who would argue that public schools never truly did meet every child’s needs – we either did not realize, did not care, or did not have the demands that are placed on us by such a complex society.   

In either case, most people agree that something is wrong with our educational system, and we seem to have found the guilty party – teachers.  The anti-teacher sentiment in this country is growing and one cannot open a newspaper without reading some kind of criticism against the existing teaching profession.

While it is true that some of the blame does lie with teachers, public schools are communal institutions and by their very nature rely on a variety of stakeholders – teachers, students, parents, administrators, community members -  for their successes or failures.  Yet it seems that we are all too eager to place the blame solely on our nation’s teachers - which must lead us to ask the question, why?

For decades, certain political and corporate interests have desired to see a market-based approach applied to our public school systems.  Schools are after all, one of the last, large “public” enterprises and millions of dollars are allocated towards them.  Although projects like the Edison schools have been deemed as failures by critics, the concept of “for profit” schools has been gaining momentum. 

Critics of privatization and market-based approaches cite such interests as fueling the anti-teacher sentiment through the creation of media campaigns and lobbying efforts.  Still, such interests would be unable to fuel such sentiment if it was not already there.  The reality is that there is an underlying anti-teacher sentiment in this country, and we need to think about why it exists and where it comes from.

Part of the anti-teacher sentiment is a result of teachers themselves; there are most certainly some very ill-equipped teachers and there always have been.  By the same token, there are also some wonderful ones, yet we don’t hear much about them at all. Instead, we are all too willing to feel negatively towards our educators.

Another part of the problem stems from the fact that teaching is one of the last, unionized professions.  Most Americans find themselves living without job security, pensions or even the right to take vacation time.  They naturally look to teachers, who have these securities in place, with a great deal of resentment.  Of course, most teachers wonder why Americans are not working to get back these securities, but this is the subject for another post.

The main reason, however, that we resent teachers, has to do with our own experiences with them.  Let’s face it; many people are nursing hurts, either real or imagined, that they suffered at the hands of their teachers.  Many Americans remember their school experiences in a negative manner; which is a sad testament on the way that we educate our children.

In some cases, people may have had incompetent or cruel teachers - which is more a reflection on human nature than it is on the profession as a whole. Still, teachers do have the power to influence a person in a very powerful way.  Teachers can, indeed, be seen as powerful figures in the life of a child, yet this power stems more from the way that our school system is organized than from the teachers themselves.

Under our current system, teachers are thrust into a position of authority.  Teachers give us grades and are responsible for evaluating us.  To many people, such evaluations can be threatening and naturally place them in a vulnerable position.  Teachers are responsible for disciplining and controlling us in the classroom, for without such control, learning cannot occur.  Many teachers are not even comfortable in such positions, yet the way that we educate our young demands that large groups of children be schooled at the same time.  Control is vital in a large group, and let’s face it; no one likes to be controlled.

Teachers also have the power to uplift us and at the same time destroy our self esteem with a mere word.  It is a frightening position to be in at times.  In addition, public schools are often like warehouses; large groups of children are thrown together who have little more in common than being born during the same year.  Children can be very cruel to each other and often look to their teachers to save them from the behavior of their peers.

I consider myself to be an attentive teacher, yet I have agonized over times that a hurting child may have been lost among the other 150 whom I serve per day.  Hard as I try, I cannot always see to the needs of everyone, and it is often the children who demand the most of my attention who receive it.  Quieter children can be neglected if I am not careful. This is not the best environment for any child to flourish in.

So, while the scrutiny with which we are currently viewing our public schools can provide us with a vital opportunity to rethink the way that we educate our children, we instead seem to be looking for someone to blame.  It would be far more productive to rethink our models of education and try to create environments in which all children can grow and learn.