 'Temper
your frustration
with determination'
We are hearing it already. The 108th Congress has
just convened, and the Missouri legislature has been back in session
for only a few weeks, but the call for schools and teachers to be
accountable for student learning is again at a fevered pitch. I
know what you are thinking. You’re willing to be accountable
for the quality of your work, but for students to learn, you need
the help of everyone else involved in the child’s life.
As I have traveled around Missouri, members have talked with me
about the frustrations
of the job. Pressure to improve test scores has never been higher.
Criticism of the quality of your work continues. Too often, schools
are portrayed like factories. People assume teachers and support
professionals have total control on the quality of the finished
product. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, teachers and support employees work tirelessly to reach every
child who enters their public schools. At times, we are able to
overcome negative factors in a child’s life to spark the love
of learning. More often, we realize that it takes a concerted effort
to make a difference. It takes the community, school board members,
administrators, legislators, parents and the students themselves
to work at making learning the top priority.
The frustration I hear from members most often centers on the need
for parents to be involved in their children’s learning. We
know that we need parents who make it their business to ensure their
children are prepared to learn and who will work with teachers to
support student learning and insist on quality work. Yet, on many
occasions, I hear that you don’t receive parental support,
and at times you must deal with parents who seemingly don’t
care or who don’t respect you as a professional educator.
I can feel the frustration as I hear your stories. I have experienced
the same reactions in my own school. However, being frustrated without
working to find ways to get parents involved is counterproductive.
This frustration can affect the quality of your work and eventually
lead to burnout. Temper your frustration with determination to involve
parents with their children’s learning.
This task is further complicated in priority schools. These schools
must deal with numerous factors that get in the way of student learning,
but we must believe we can succeed. It may be harder to find parents
who are willing and able to help, but caring parents do exist. Some
may not have experienced success in school but want their children
to do better. Others want to help but don’t know how. Getting
parents involved starts with getting these folks on our side. Together,
we are better able to reach our goal of helping students learn.
We know that schools aren’t factories. We know that real
solutions are more than politically expedient answers. Making a
real difference requires hard work. Sometimes this hard work takes
place outside the classroom. Remind the critics that our job is
complicated. Invite them to get involved if they are serious about
helping children learn.
By Greg Jung
Missouri NEA President
Other Reflections
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'Having a pro-public education legislature
has never been more uncertain'
Missouri teachers missing benefits
of Social Security
Reflecting on our work
Every child deserves a great school
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