Former US President George W. Bush tried to stop these two major problems with the No Child Left Behind Act. The law has been widely unpopular in the educational system due to the added stress and work for the teachers and students. I do not completely agree with the law, but it’s intentions sheds light on the problems. Teachers need to be held more accountable for the learning and comprehension of their students. Therefore, the position of tenure might have to be eliminated or used sparingly to ensure that each teacher understands the importance of results and accountability. This does not mean that teachers will be fired every year, but rewarded for their performance. Merit based or performance based salary will ensure that our students get the best education possible. Salaries should not be based on quantity of years. A great teacher should not be let go in the district because they don’t have the “experience”. This new pay method goes against traditional methods used by teachers unions. The longer a teacher teaches in the district, the more dues or fees a union collects from that teacher. The teachers need more control not the unions. Teachers who truly want to teach and help students learn must be rewarded.
This is Part 1 of The Turc Report’s editorial on the educational system. As a product of the system, I have seen the positives and negatives and have some suggestions to make our education system better. My analysis will not be accepted by all of my readers. However, our goal is the same. The discussions and debates about the problems in our education system will help our society transform into a better society.
Thank You,
Joseph Turcotte
Founder, The Turc Report
