On teachers and teaching

From the bagel store to the beauty parlor, from the beach club to the bus stop, what is the number one topic of conversation among parents? Hands down, the survey says-teachers and teaching. And well it should be. Moms and dads are concerned about who is going to spend 180 days with their children for the school year.

Unfortunately, the talk has turned negative these past few years, owing largely to the economy. No, it's not about any particular teacher; rather, the profession tends to get scapegoated when families are feeling an economic pinch. Teaching seems to take the first hit. Just take a look at letters to the editor and editorials in some newspapers.

Yes, there are bad teachers- as there are bad doctors, lawyers, engineers and architects. But society fails to value one of its most influential members. While the bashing is hurtful to those in the classroom, I am just as concerned about an unintentional byproduct of this negative buzz: deterring future superstars from becoming the next generation of educators.

Several years ago, I wrote a column about teachers and teaching, and concluded that when asked what I deemed to be my most important task as principal (apart from health and safety), there was no doubt about it: recruiting, selecting and training the best crop of teachers I could find. When I retired, I felt the faculty I had put together was my legacy. I've said to principals who've inherited "tough" schools: Be patient! With each hire, you will put your own imprint on your building. As the years go by, it can become a faculty you'll be proud of.

While cleaning out the closet, I came across a cartoon worth sharing. It shows an angry mother accosting a downtrodden principal. No caption for mother; the expression on her face is worth a thousand words. The bubble for the principal tells it all: "Suppose we promote your child, send you a letter of apology from the superintendent, close the school and shoot the teacher who recommended retention, would that be satisfactory?"

Funny- but sadly true. How times have changed. When I was a kid, my parents would never think of questioning the principal or teacher -- and they were teachers.