Jodi+Geyer

= = = Why Disregarding School Code Isn't Best for Pennsylvanians =

> =School code exists for school districts to negotiate with their unions, so= > =that employees are protected by established criteria, and so that students= > =get the best-trained teachers. Governor Corbett's proposed budget will= > =eliminate the rights, responsibilities, and obligations it owes to hundreds= > =of thousands taxpaying, contributing members of society and every child in= > =PA.= > =With the elimination of school code comes the elimination of seniority and= > =tenure, and allows school districts to impose merit pay and eliminate= > =positions for financial reasons. While those ideas might sound good during a= > =time of economic depression like the one we are in right now, upon closer= > =examination, this idea will destroy an educational system that works well= > =and will cripple the education of the children who need it the most. In= > =other professions, adults deal with adults all day and are evaluated by= > =adults who have already developed maturity and critical evaluation skills.= > =While student achievement on standards-based assessments is a critical= > =component in evaluating an educator, it cannot stand alone as a method of= > =performance evaluation for the student or the educator as a myriad of= > =factors and variables determine the student's success on one test.= > =Most workers recognize and appreciate the opportunities provided by a= > =seniority-based system. Most teachers don't enter the profession for the= > =salary but for the opportunity to build a career that is more than a job;= > =don¹t teachers who have worked well for years deserve the same seniority= > =that other employees in other career fields deserve? The teacher who has= > =wisdom, experience, and continuing education deserves protection for a job= > =well done. It is to the detriment of students that a veteran teacher may be= > =dismissed because of salary and experience; it is the veteran teacher who= > =understands pedagogy, discipline, and the nuances of teaching better than= > =the inexperienced teacher who works for a lower wage.= > =Tenure, a much-discussed topic in education, has its drawbacks, that is= > =for certain. However, what tenure provides for teachers that is rarely= > =discussed, is fair representation in a world that is often unfair. While= > =most students are good and loving and care about their education, even the= > =best students are not always mature enough to fully understand their own= > =motives. Tenure exists so that teachers are treated as adults, evaluated as= > =adults, and receive the same professional courtesies as other adults while= > =working in an environment that is filled with juveniles and adolescents.= > =Tenure is the one thread of protection and due process in a convoluted= > =system that is often limited in its perspective. To take that right away= > =from teachers adversely affects students because it creates an arena of= > =fear, where teachers will no longer offer encouraging words, provide a= > =much-needed hug, or go out of the way for a student for fear of unfair= > =reprisals.= > =Merit pay sounds like a good idea in theory and many teachers wouldn't be= > =opposed to it if an objective method of evaluation were created that= > =addresses the numerous concerns that teachers have about the system.= > =However, the system needs to take into account countless factors that keep= > =an adult¹s salary and job performance fair in a world that is predominately= > =comprised of children. When adults create a fair and equal system for fair= > =and equal pay, teachers will not complain about merit pay.= > =Finally, education has to always come first, no matter the cost. Yes,= > =districts across the state are stretched financially, but on an almost daily= > =basis new data reveals the importance of all education. The connections= > =between music and math, the importance of art appreciation, the necessity of= > =learning a foreign language in a global society all emphasize the necessity= > =for valuing education and making it every state's number one priority.= > =Before any cuts are made to educational funding, we all need to look at how= > =invaluable an educated group of people will be to Pennsylvania, the United= > =States, and ultimately, the world. Let's find way to fund our future.= > =Sincerely,= > =Jodi Geyer and the Steel Valley High School English Department= = =

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