October 20, 2002

Insisting on Quality

Reg Weaver
President, NEA

America's teacher supply has been compared to a leaky bucket. Each fall, new recruits pour in, while each spring, teachers pour out either to retire or seek better pay and more congenial working conditions in other occupations.

Approximately a third of the nation's teachers now leave the profession during their first three years of teaching, and almost half leave within five years.

Teaching is tough, tough work. Don't take my word for it-go visit our schools and see for yourself! You will see why we are experiencing crisis-level teacher turnover, especially in our urban schools.

Poor and minority students are placed at a terrible disadvantage because they are two to three times more likely than students in wealthier suburban districts to be taught by unlicensed, inexperienced teachers. Why do we allow this to happen?

Research shows that students with professional teachers who are experienced and fully licensed achieve at higher levels. And yet, it is being seriously proposed that we address the teacher shortage by reducing the standards for entry into the profession. To reduce standards for teacher quality at the same time that we are raising standards for student achievement is nonsensical.

We must aggressively recruit the kind of people that we want working with our students, including more African-Americans and Hispanics, while ensuring that each individual is highly trained in the profession. Lowering standards will guarantee that too many of our poor and minority students will continue to be left behind.

Every student deserves a teacher who knows the subject matter to be taught and how to teach. Quality teachers are trained in how children learn and develop. They are mentored and prepared to make teaching their profession. The sooner we begin treating teachers as respected professionals, the sooner we will attract and retain quality teachers.

This means paying teachers a professional salary. It means reducing class size, enabling teachers to do what we do best-teach. We want teachers to be able to devote more individual attention to students.

Also, like other professionals, teachers need the opportunity to grow professionally to ensure that their skills, knowledge, and certifications remain current.

And before initiating major education policy changes, decision makers must consult with teachers to gain the benefit of our insight and wisdom as classroom practitioners-because we know what works!

The dream of providing every child in America with a quality education has been deferred for too long. It is time that we all turn our attention to the task of adequately funding the effort to recruit and retain fully qualified teachers. It's one thing to talk about every child having a qualified teacher and another to make it happen. Gimmicks, short cuts, and lowering standards are not the answer. Respect, funding, and support for the teaching profession will put a quality teacher in every classroom.

Reg Weaver

President, National Education Association

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