While I agree completely with state Rep. Alisha Morgan's premise that to improve education in our state we must adhere to high academic standards and that teachers should lead the way, I would like to further the discussion by adding that when we educate in the K-12 arena, we are working with an intertwined triad that includes not only teachers but also students and parents. To hold one component in that relationship responsible but not the other two creates a questionable pathway toward the state goal of improving education. Teachers are, indeed, the leaders of the teaching/learning triad, but without each of the three elements being held appropriately accountable, we place an impossible burden on teachers in this intertwined relationship.
When students can choose not to participate in their education, when parents can refuse to accept responsibility for motivating their students to learn, then expecting teachers to be singularly accountable for learning expects that excellence in schools can be achieved when only one-third of the triad is participating in the learning process.
As we work to make teachers more accountable, we must also find ways to hold students and parents responsible for the learning that takes place in our schools. Without all three elements in this teaching/learning triad working together, we are unlikely to find our education system advancing the way we would like.
Carol Harrell
Marietta
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I would like you to be a paid substitute for three straight days and then see how you feel. Teachers are the paid part of the three legged stool, however, teachers do much more more than teach curriculum. We teach manners, sharing, patience, independence, and conflict resolution. We remind students to wash their hands and cover their mouths. We check their heads for lice. We put bandaids on ringworm. We offer a snack of crackers or some of our own lunch when a student missed breakfast because their whole family overslept. We teach them to tie their shoes - a one on one task - because no one from home takes the time to do it. We listen to them read, tell knock knock jokes and ask questions because no one else listens. We try ALL DAY to get the students to be quiet and respectful while we are teaching the whole class or small groups. In addition to all these very important teaching behaviors that build rapport/trust and increase motivation, we teach state and county curriculum. Walk three days in our shoes and see how steady you want that stool.