Obama's Remarks to the American Federation of Teachers - July 13, 2008
Senator Obama and I are on the same page regarding the many problems that our nation is facing; one of these includes Educational issues . Of all the educational issues, I strongly agree with Sen. Obama's plan to reform the NCLB policy. He will “reform NCLB by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them." Sen. Obama and I both agree that the NCLB policy needs to be reformed.
According to an AP Press Poll released on 6/27/08, "A majority of Americans think schools are placing too much emphasis on the wrong subjects, and more than half think they're doing just a fair job in preparing children for the work force or giving them the practical skills they need to survive as adults."
Click Here for an AP article about the effects of NCLB.
As a teacher, I do not agree with "teaching to the test." Children don't care to do well on the test just to impress the "powers that be" so that their statistics look impressive on paper! This is what the current administration wants to happen, so that they can say, “See, it works!” Educating children should NOT be about an end-of-year standardized test. It should be about giving them the the practical skills they need to survive in the real world. For those students who are skilled in math and science, more emphasis should be placed on providing the education in these fields to prepare them for the math-science-technology-oriented jobs. Is there any wonder we are falling behind other countries in the education of our children?
You know, as a teacher with almost 20 years teaching experience, my salary is nothing to write home about. Teachers’ salaries rank the lowest among most professionals. In WV, according to the 2008-2009 Salary Schedule, if a teacher works 35 years with a PhD, the maximum yearly salary earned is $62,781. This salary is miniscule compared to the salary of many of our top executives, athletes and other professionals who make hundreds of thousands of $$ a year.
O.K., some people say, well, teachers get the whole summer off and the holidays; we should be happy. Yes, having the summer off is truly a well-needed respite, but the salary we are paid over the summer is our salary that we elect to receive in 12 equal payments. Believe me, it is well earned. Summer is the time we take courses or attend workshops to earn grad credits or to earn professional development credit.
Parents and the public must know that teaching children these days is no easy task! Not only are we expected to teach, but we assume numerous roles for our students on any given day – parent, psychologist, social worker, counselor, nurse, peace-keeper, and listener, among others. My point in discussing these issues is that I would like to see the day when teachers earn the salary they so richly deserve. Obama will address these issues. Coincidently, what other profession so aptly teaches and trains students who go on to graduate, pursue other professions and make 3 - 4x the salary teachers make?