Concerned Teacher Sends Letter to D-26 Board of Education

The following unedited letter was sent by a concerned teacher to all members of the on September 25, 2011.

Dear Cary District #26 Board of Education,

My name is Janey Walters.  I am a second grade teacher at Three Oaks School and have taught in District #26 for 20 years.  I have kept this email as short as possible, but I have much to say about the impact that the imposed working conditions have on the students and teachers of the District.

First, I want to tell you that I love to teach. I take my job very seriously because I believe in the value of education and in the impact that effective teachers can have on the lives of their students. 

Our educational system has a direct impact on the future of our global and local society. I would like to believe that all members of the District #26 community have similar beliefs and values and that our primary concern is the education and welfare of our students.

That being said, I must tell you that I am more than frustrated about the lack of plan/prep time during the school day that you feel is adequate to be an effective teacher.  I will first highlight this issue by using the example of our hands-on science program.

Science lab investigations require a great deal of time for set up and clean up.  Due to my limited plan/prep time, it has been very challenging to accomplish these tasks. 

I need time during the school day, but have none.  I’m sure that there are individuals who believe this can be easily accomplished before and after school, but that is an incorrect assumption. Remember that there are math, reading, writing, spelling, social studies, art, music, P.E., and other lessons that must be ready, as well.

Thankfully, I have many parent volunteers who are willing to assist. This helps, but does not solve the problem. In addition, there is no time within the school day to call or meet with them. The National Science Teachers Association’s position statement on Principles of Professionalism for Science Educators (http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/professionalism.aspx) states that stakeholders in the learning community (Boards of Education and others) should be responsible to “ensure that all teachers receive a reasonable workload and adequate time for preparation.” 

I feel that this responsibility has not been met by our Board of Education.  These conditions present obstacles that hinder my ability to be an effective science teacher.  Furthermore, I would argue that the same hindered ability of effectiveness is present, not only in science, but in every area of the curriculum.

Another example is that there are many students in my classroom who have special needs and specific challenges.

I strongly believe in the importance of ongoing communication with parents, as it is vital in creating and maintaining a successful school experience. Again, there is absolutely no time during the school day to reach out to these parents.

I have heard the argument that “good teachers” will work beyond contractual hours to do their job and fulfill their contractual obligations. 

I already spend many extra hours per week creating lesson plans, differentiating instruction, and grading papers. Teachers are professionals, just like doctors, engineers, accountants and lawyers. 

I believe that my time should be compensated and that plan/prep time needs to be added during in school session hours in order to be an effective professional educator. 

The recent expansion of our students’ school day without adequate planning time for teachers, in my opinion, greatly diminishes the effectiveness of instruction.  Simply adding contact hours between students and teachers without allowing for adequate teacher planning and preparation presents diminishing returns for educational outcomes.

In closing, please understand that there is a major disconnect between the goals of educational excellence in District #26 and our current practices. 

If you, the Board of Education, believe in the importance of having effective teachers to maintain or improve our educational system, then you must add teacher preparation and planning time to the school day.  This issue affects the entire learning community.

I am a member of the Cary Education Association, and I support the efforts of the CEA Negotiating Team.

This letter represents my thoughts and is not written on behalf of the association. 

However, I believe that most, if not all professional educators would agree with the message that I am conveying in this letter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email.

A response to this letter would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Janey Walters

2nd Grade Teacher

Three Oaks School

jwalters@cary26.k12.il.us