Today's Weather

Click for Sierra Vista, Arizona Forecast

Raising K-12 expectations starts with valuing teachers

Published/Last Modified on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 05:29:59 am MST

Font Size

Susan Carlson

Members of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition recently joined other Arizonans for the 92nd Arizona Town Hall focused on the teaching profession. We also conducted our own “Crash Course on Teacher Quality” for members of the business and education communities. Four recommendations are of particular interest.

• Raising the status of the profession. Defining and promoting teaching as a distinguished profession is a primary recommendation. Top-performing systems worldwide attract more able people into teaching because of the elevated status of the profession. These systems recruit from the top 10 percent in their university systems. Promoting teaching as a profession is a task for all of us and starts with the language we use every day when discussing teachers. How do we attract the top 10 percent if we don’t demonstrate by word and deed that we value the profession?

A top demonstration of the value we place on that profession is compensation. The recommendation is to provide teachers with professional pay linked with systemic education reform. Arizona should establish a statewide competitive pay structure. ABEC agrees this should be accompanied by a performance pay system that includes student achievement as a component. Base pay should provide a professional, competitive wage for all teachers. Performance pay should be significant, focus on teaching conditions, individual student growth and provide accountability measures at the teacher level. And non-performing teachers should be removed from the classroom.

• Improving the outcomes. As the top performers know, the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction. The Town Hall recommends the implementation of a statewide data-driven professional development system with a strong mentoring component. Professional development should be required over a career span and either made affordable or subsidized by the state.

We also must provide alternative pathways into teaching that enable content area experts to be effective with students. Teachers need be certified in multiple disciplines and should be able to be qualified in high-need areas including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), English language learners, and middle school.

• Systemic reform and restructuring. Two recommendations reference “systemic education reform” and restructuring the system for school funding. But the bigger questions are: Are we ready? Are key leaders ready to design a system of funding schools that is transparent, equitable, and fully funds the needs of public schools, including, salaries, transportation, utilities, English Language Learners, special education, and other specific specialized needs? Do we have the political will to cast aside old models and create a new future? We believe it’s possible.

• Businesses play several vital roles: Advocacy in policy change and developing, recruiting and supporting those drawn to teaching — at whatever point in their careers. For example, they can validate teaching as a profession by increasing awareness of the importance of the link between teacher quality and 21st century competitiveness; draw the link between education and economic development; take a leadership role in developing tax policy to ensure that resources are not subject to political whim over time; provide incentives to current and retired employees to share their experience by getting involved in schools and collaborate with teachers to help convey real-life relevance of the topics taught. Go to aztownhall.org to read the Town Hall recommendations.

ABEC will lead the charge on school finance redesign, high school reform and closing the achievement gap with our “World Class — What Will it Take?” conference next week. For more, visit www.azbec.org.

SUSAN CARLSON is the executive director of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition, a statewide non-profit fostering collaboration between business and education leaders to improve, invest and assure a superior K-12 public education system for Arizona. She can be reached at susan@azbec.org.

Print this story Email this story

Font Size

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.
Comments appear once they are approved. Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.

Old Teacher wrote on Jun 4, 2008 7:50 AM:

" Observer is absolutely spot on. The problem can be reduced to teachers, not more money for new gymnasiums, football fields, computers, band instruments, and so on. Education starts and ends with the teacher. A teacher gains the respect of their charges by their ability to lead, inspire, challenge, and interact with them--said performance having the end goal of inculcating the capability of confronting life, and understanding its rewards and its challenges. Teachers who are unable or unwilling to perform at this level will resort to subtle, defensive mental bullying which is in effect indoctrination, pure and simple. "

Brian wrote on Jun 2, 2008 2:38 PM:

" I agree, a total overhaul is required to riase the academic standards. The current system couldn't make homeschooling more appealing if they tried. "

Observer wrote on May 31, 2008 1:54 PM:

" As a long-time reform advocate (and a former high school teacher), I long for the outcome this organization purports to seek. Unfortunately, after almost 50 years of analyzing, I've concluded the path to the laudable goals outlined by Ms. Carlson, is utterly fundamental, revolutionary reform. By that I mean we must suspend virtually every aspect of the present, corrupt system and mandate, by tough laws and sanctions, a total overhaul. The first step is to fire 100% of the administrators and 95% of teachers. In other words, total revolutionary reform. Anyone interested? Nope--look at the response to this article! "