A Public School Teacher's Job Description
Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with
all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for
learning. Not only that, I'm to instill a sense of pride in their
ethnicity, behaviorally modify disruptive behavior, and observe them for
signs of abuse, drugs, and T-shirt messages.
I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check
their backpacks for guns and raise their self-esteem. I'm to teach them
patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, how and where
to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and how to apply for a
job, but I am never to ask if they are in this country illegally.
I am to check their heads occasionally for lice, maintain a safe
environment, recognize signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer
advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and
scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others,
and oh yeah, teach, always making sure that I give the girls in my class
fifty percent of my attention.
I'm required by my contract to be working, on my own time, summer and
evenings and at my own expense towards additional certification, advance
certification and a master's degree, to sponsor the cheerleaders or the
sophomore class and after school I am to attend committee and faculty
meetings and participate in staff development training to maintain my
current certification and employment status.
I am to collect data and maintain all records to support and document
our building's progress in the selected state mandated program to
"assess and upgrade educational excellence in the public schools." I am
to be a paragon of virtue larger than life, such that my very presence
will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. I
am to pledge allegiance to supporting family values, a return to the
basics, and my current administration.
I am to incorporate technology into the learning, but monitor all web
sites for appropriateness while providing a personal one-on-one
relationship with each student. I am to decide who might be potentially
dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in school or who is possibly
being abused and I can be sent to jail for not mentioning these
suspicions to those in authority.
I am to make sure ALL students pass the state and federally mandated
testing and all classes, whether or not they attend school on a regular
basis or complete any of the work assigned. I am to communicate
frequently with each student's parent by letter, phone, newsletter, and
grade card. I'm to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a
computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a 45 minute or less plan time,
and a big smile on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food
stamps in many states.
Is that all?
And you want me to do all of this and expect me to do it without
praying?
