The future of the whole country depends upon the education level of today’s youth. The level of present-day education leaves much to be desired; it makes the government and conscientious citizens anxious and induces them to look for the people responsible for this state of affairs and possible ways out. Though the question of whether the poor students’ results are exclusively their teachers’ fault, is disputable, cardinal measures are to be taken. Firing underperforming teachers means holding educators accountable and decreases student dropout rates.
Recent researches demonstrate that the situation in the sphere of education is critical: “only 7 percent of 11th-graders passed the state math tests, and 50 percent of the students at Central Falls failed to graduate in four years” (Woycicki). The results are unthinkable and striking, the question of where the allocated funds could go arises. It is impossible for the whole nation grows stupid, it is the educational system that needs to be carefully investigated and reformed. Firing teachers may seem to be cruel and unjust, but revolutionary changes are to be made. The teachers are to stop finding excuses and to feel responsible for their work; the educators must realize the importance of their role in society. Recruiting employees suitable for teaching is one of the most important steps of the reforms in the sphere of education.
As the most significant and costly resource in schools, teachers are central to school improvement efforts. Improving the efficiency and equity of schooling depends, in large measure, on ensuring that competent people want to work as teachers, that their teaching is of high quality, and that all students have access to high-quality teaching. (Jones 8)
At the present moment, the country is short of good teachers. “The subjects most susceptible to teacher shortages are math and science, fields in which salaries are relatively higher in occupations outside teaching” (“Excellence in the Classroom”). Shortages of teachers in certain fields and geographical areas result in mediocre teaching and lack of teachers’ enthusiasm, people working as teachers are sometimes not meant for it at all.
Low salaries are one of the most popular excuses among the teachers, but nobody induced them to choose the teaching career, it was a conscientious act of grown-up people. “The evidence also shows no clear relationship across countries between teacher salaries and student achievement” (“Excellence in the Classroom”). Teaching is more art than a profession, using modern teaching methods without putting one’s soul into it is senseless. It is necessary to get a broader view of the problem. “Higher salaries alone, for example, without attention to the nature of teacher certification, working conditions, the challenges facing new teachers, and the distribution of teachers across geographic areas, are unlikely to elicit the desired widespread improvements in student achievement” (“Excellence in the Classroom”). Thus, low salary is only an excuse for underperforming in the educational sphere, this problem is much more complicated.
The fact is that in many districts the educational system is bureaucratized and it may help teachers to escape the punishment. “Those school administrators who violate the culture are often transferred or given a relatively innocuous staff position in a central office (…) This is the typical pattern used in large bureaucratic school districts as an alternative to firing the administrator” (Lunenburg 73). At the present moment, there is a long-felt need to change the system itself. Even President Obama supports the idea of firing the underperforming teachers, saying that “If a school continues to fail its students year after year after year, if it doesn’t show signs of improvement, then there’s got to be a sense of accountability” (Woycicki). It means that the crucial importance of revolutionary changes in education is realized at all levels and the president’s formal statement is a good beginning.
The teachers argue in favor of parents and community roles in the education of a child. It is really difficult to control all the influences outside the classroom. “In an era when even the president of the United States has a Facebook page and spectators texted and tweeted about Inauguration Day, the power of online and digital social networking is clear” (Respers). The strong impact of popular culture and the digital world can hardly be denied, but it is up to teachers to influence the students’ attitude towards this or that fact or phenomenon. “Teachers are not magicians. Low test scores and the dropout rate cannot be blamed on the teachers alone. They need help from the parents, help from the community, help from the administrators, help from state and federal governments” (Woycicki). The problem of education is discussed at all levels and government is sure to provide support, but the realization of their accountability will motivate teachers for hard and fruitful work.
Only cardinal measures and revolutionary changes can solve the problem of the educational level of youth – one of the major national problems. Underperforming teachers are to be fired to decrease the student dropout rates and increase their colleagues’ work efficiency and the educational level of the nation consequently.
Bibliography
“Excellence in the Classroom: Teacher Labor Markets in Developed Countries”. n.p. Princeton-Brookings. Web.
Jones, Jeff, Jenkin, Mazda, and Lord, Sue. Developing Effective Teacher Performance. Sage Publications. 2006: 165.
Lunenburg, Fred, Ornstein, Allan. Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices. Thomson Learning Academic Resource Centre. 2007: 554.
Respers, Lisa. Social Networking Sites Share Breaking News. CNN, 2009. Web.
Woycicki, Esther. Work with teachers, don’t fire them. CNN, 2010. Web.