an education

I would like to begin by saying that my intent in writing this is not to bash any person, any school, or any system. I am writing to shed light on the harsh realities of my career, which has now included 8 years in 3 schools in both the private and public sector. The realities are the same for each.

48 hours ago, I was arriving at school for my last day with students. My plan for the day was to give my final exam to one last class, make a few parent contacts, collect some signatures on my sign-off sheet, and then kill time with some adult coloring since I had completed all I could at that point. About an hour and a half later, that all changed. 

In the high-stakes world of education, a teacher without tenure can easily be non-renewed without explanation. I was the victim of that this week. And before you say, "Well that's what's wrong with tenure; it keeps good teachers out of a job," please know that I have seen and worked with just as many fantastic tenured teachers as excellent non-tenured ones. That's simply the nature of the beast in the world in which I work. I have witnessed teachers who earn their tenure thrive just as much as I have seen others receive their tenure and begin phoning it in. Also know that tenure is not job security. There are teachers who receive tenure that get mistreated to the point of packing it up just as often.

It would be one thing if I were frequently called into the front office for meetings about my job performance not meeting expectations, but that did not happen. I was under the impression that I was doing the job well enough to return next year. In fact, others in supervisory roles over me were under the same impression and were just as shocked as I was that I received that infamous letter of non-renewal. (Side bar: Why do we call it a pink slip when I've never gotten one that's pink?) In fact, parents of students often praised me to my supervisors and one had even gone so far as telling me she was going to try to request me for her next child who would be coming through the high school next year. 

To summarize what followed: shock, phone calls to my moving team (shout out to my wonderful wife & fabulous fil for all of their help), packing, and saying goodbye to what I thought was home. Several tears were shed, both out of anger and sorrow. But I packed my toys and headed home. I can hang my hat on the fact that countless colleagues stopped me and told me that I would be missed, that I am a great teacher, and that I always did my job the right way - with integrity. Sometimes it really is the small things. 

As a colleague and dear friend asked earlier in the week, "We are told to give feedback, provide strugglers extra help and communicate if in danger of failing. Shouldn't we offer the same to teachers?" One would think that if we expect our students to get this courtesy, our teachers should get the same. So why do we invite teachers to teach 3 different courses in their first year in a building - which means preparing countless lessons, materials, assessments, interventions, and the like - and never intervene if they are in danger of failure? Y'all, I have had colleagues in my building observe me for my techniques. I am halfway to be a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. I am really really good at my job. Why do we send administrators into the classroom to observe and offer feedback that is overall very positive and then non-renew these teachers without the knowledge of the observers? Why are we expected to share our hard work and lessons with other teachers in our subject-area-PLC without their having to work for it? How are some of these same people still around? Who do they know that I don't? Why do we pit teachers against each other into the "in club" and everyone else? These are the questions I have been pondering for the last 2 days.

So here I am, involuntarily searching for a job for the second time in thirteen months. Sometimes this adulting thing is entirely overrated. Here's how you can pray specifically for me and my family: (1) that doors would be opened for interviews with principals, (2) for favor on those interviews, and (3) for discernment for me as I sift through job offers. I want to be in the center of God's will, but I selfishly also want to earn my tenure so I don't have to do this song and dance annually. And guys, let's pray for the state of education. If we want to reform things and be on the forefront of things globally, perhaps we should change the way we value and treat our educators.