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| A sign at The Arizona Republic has good advice for all. |
I try to imagine what a group from The Arizona Republic touring my work environment would see. My classroom is a windowless cinder block institution packed with 40 students and their desks in a room most likely designed to max out at 25. As our group of 35 teachers moved around on the tour, I heard several comments from news staff members about the massive size of our group, a group so large that the editors' meeting had to take place in a massive conference room to accommodate all of us. For most teachers, 35 is 1/4 to 1/5 of the students we see in a day.
It is all a matter of numbers. Maybe my district is one of the few represented by this group that has had a huge budget shortfall for each of the last few years, this coming year being the worst year yet. Cutting teachers and programs as well as school days has become the yearly norm. Last year we had five furlough (layoff) days. This coming year we will have nine. Cutting teachers and days saves the district money but does nothing to improve the education of students.
By contrast, because of diversifying to different types of media, The Arizona Republic seems to be thriving. This is refreshing to see and provides for a hopeful message to take back to students.
Greg Cantwell
Sheldon High School
Eugene, Oregon
Greg Cantwell
Sheldon High School
Eugene, Oregon
I love the way you localized our news of the day to your local school system. Isn't that one of the lessons we've been learning?
ReplyDeleteI think many business people would be overwhelmed with what most teachers deal with on a normal day. Maybe schools should host more tours for business leaders in the community. Bring a business man to work day might do wonders for the local school districts.
Karen L. Swortzel
Alleghany High School
Covington, Va.
I agree with Karen that most business people would be overwhelmed with what teachers deal with on a normal day. It is hard to explain my job to my friends because there is so much that goes into it. People do not understand what goes on every day in a classroom. I think that a lot of time when we are covered by the news or in documentaries people focus on the negative impact of teachers and never the positive. The fact of the matter is, we are the people that will impact our student's lives and we need to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteEspecially after seeing The Arizona Republic today, I feel that I can empower my journalism students to become journalists. It is a thriving career and you learn so many skills that are useful in life.
Katie Kroeze
Lincoln High School
Sioux Falls S.D.
Looks can be deceiving. The reason the newsroom staff we saw today seems so large is because of massive consolidation among publications and the local television station under the Gannett umbrella. The staff will likely dwindle over time as managers seek greater economies of scale. Newspapers aren't dead yet, but I believe the new reality requires the media to continue to become leaners and meaner.
ReplyDeleteAs my old radio DJ friend, Jess Smith, used to say:
"We are doing more with less and Les is getting tired."
The same thing is true in teaching. The only way to save money is to cram more kids in the classroom, which is not good for teachers or kids. New taxes are very unpopular so the funding problem will not fix itself anytime soon.
Scott Davis
Westville OK High School