What is the Experience that Teachers Need Most?
Ben Bernanke, the incoming head of the Federal Reserve, has a great academic background but some worry that he doesn't have the "street smarts" of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, who spent years in the real world of Wall Street before leading the Fed.
Everyone knows that there's a difference between learning something in a classroom and experiencing it in real life. Experience gained in the trenches is something that we all recognize, value, and reward.
Except in public schools. In public schools, the principle is that only one kind of experience for teachers is valuable, and that's standing in front of a class. The compensation system in place throughout Oregon rewards those who, on the first day after college graduation, get a job teaching and never spend another day in outside employment. The discrimination against those who get real world experience first is so great that after ten years, it's almost impossible for one of them to turn to teaching.
Consider the following scenarios. Six students graduate from an Oregon university the same year. Three of them go into public teaching: in business, English, and woodshop, respectively. The other three get outside jobs. One becomes a retail store manager. Another spends five years as a newspaper reporter before switching to copy writing at a PR firm. The last works as a carpenter, first working by the hour and then starting his small contracting business.
Let's suppose again that these three suddenly decide that they want to work with young people and share with them what they've learned. All three apply for jobs at the Middleville Oregon School District. Are they welcomed? Hardly! Despite having college degrees and ten years of experience in their fields, they will be considered unqualified unless they take some extra classes to get an Oregon teaching certificate.
Fair enough, it takes a little training to switch careers, so our three outsiders get the classes and come back. They are now "qualified." But how are they going to be compensated? As though their experience is worthless.
Meanwhile, their three fellow alumni are doing fine. Experience in the classroom moves them up the union scale automatically and a few courses each summer at some university will get them a masters degree. In teaching, mind you, not in the field they teach. A masters degree like that won't even qualify you teach Advanced Placement courses in high school. AP teachers need a real masters degree, in the field they are teaching. But the MA in teaching is good enough to put our first three teachers far up the pay scale.
How far up? Probably $15,000 a year. Enough that they are getting fairly comfortable, while our three outsiders face starting over at an entry level salary. If you've built any kind of life for yourself, you're not likely to accept that option.
In truth, there may not be a lot of people who want to bring their real world experience to a public school classroom, but we should welcome any who do. Instead, we make it nearly impossible for them to make the switch. It doesn't make sense.
Everyone knows that there's a difference between learning something in a classroom and experiencing it in real life. Experience gained in the trenches is something that we all recognize, value, and reward.
Except in public schools. In public schools, the principle is that only one kind of experience for teachers is valuable, and that's standing in front of a class. The compensation system in place throughout Oregon rewards those who, on the first day after college graduation, get a job teaching and never spend another day in outside employment. The discrimination against those who get real world experience first is so great that after ten years, it's almost impossible for one of them to turn to teaching.
Consider the following scenarios. Six students graduate from an Oregon university the same year. Three of them go into public teaching: in business, English, and woodshop, respectively. The other three get outside jobs. One becomes a retail store manager. Another spends five years as a newspaper reporter before switching to copy writing at a PR firm. The last works as a carpenter, first working by the hour and then starting his small contracting business.
Let's suppose again that these three suddenly decide that they want to work with young people and share with them what they've learned. All three apply for jobs at the Middleville Oregon School District. Are they welcomed? Hardly! Despite having college degrees and ten years of experience in their fields, they will be considered unqualified unless they take some extra classes to get an Oregon teaching certificate.
Fair enough, it takes a little training to switch careers, so our three outsiders get the classes and come back. They are now "qualified." But how are they going to be compensated? As though their experience is worthless.
Meanwhile, their three fellow alumni are doing fine. Experience in the classroom moves them up the union scale automatically and a few courses each summer at some university will get them a masters degree. In teaching, mind you, not in the field they teach. A masters degree like that won't even qualify you teach Advanced Placement courses in high school. AP teachers need a real masters degree, in the field they are teaching. But the MA in teaching is good enough to put our first three teachers far up the pay scale.
How far up? Probably $15,000 a year. Enough that they are getting fairly comfortable, while our three outsiders face starting over at an entry level salary. If you've built any kind of life for yourself, you're not likely to accept that option.
In truth, there may not be a lot of people who want to bring their real world experience to a public school classroom, but we should welcome any who do. Instead, we make it nearly impossible for them to make the switch. It doesn't make sense.
posted by Rob Spooner at 4:51 AM
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