Education Week – Maddie Fennell
“In 2007 I was honored to be named the Nebraska Teacher of the Year. Like many of my fellow state Teachers of the Year, after the congratulations, the first question was, “When are you leaving the classroom?” The sad reality is that while the public emotionally values great teachers, the American education system puts teachers on the lowest rungs of the professional ladder. The hallmarks of value in our society – professional autonomy, greater responsibility, and increased compensation – are given to those teachers who leave the classroom. The problem isn’t individual teachers, it’s the system. We have limited space here, so for today I want to talk about two components of the system that need to be completely overhauled in tandem – evaluation and compensation.”(more)