Teacher survey bad news for school boards and administrators

Except for circumstances beyond their control, to the extent that public education is failing, the failure is someone's fault.

Someone somewhere has not done what they were elected or appointed or hired to do.

If you are inclined to blame teachers, I need point out that,
if there are bad teachers, it is because of administrators
who failed to improve or remove them.

Some factors are truly beyond the control of school boards and superintendents.  They cannot for example, control the socioeconomic status of their students.  The SES of students is not their fault.  Socioeconomic status is a commonly accepted indicator of likely student success. 

Consider then, only the variables that are within the control of school boards, superintendents and teachers.  If they are not provided or met, it is because someone somewhere failed to provide or meet them because they could not do it, or because they would not do it.  It makes a difference who "they" are.

A number of variables that are within the influence and control of school boards and superintendents can be found among survey questions on the Tell New Mexico Survey of teachers, link.

Take for example, this survey question;

Q11.1. As a beginning teacher, I have received the following kinds of supports. Yes No

a. Formally assigned mentor
b. Seminars specifically designed for new teachers
c. Reduced workload
d. Common planning time with other teachers
e. Release time to observe other teachers
f. Formal time to meet with mentor during school hours
g. Orientation for new teachers
h. Access to professional learning communities where I could discuss concerns with
other teacher(s)
i. Regular communication with principals, other administrator or department chair
j. Other
k. I received no additional support as a new teacher.

How many of those variables are the responsibility of school boards and superintendents?  For which of them should the teachers be held accountable?

This survey will gather data from teachers about whether they have been given the support they need to succeed.  If their opinion is that they have not, then it is somebody's fault.

Is it a failure to write policy, or a failure to implement policy, or a failure to follow policy?  Is it the school board's fault, the superintendent's fault or the teachers' fault?

Teachers are a convenient scapegoat, wikilink; powerlessness lends itself being scapegoated.

The truth is that the failure is largely the failure of the school boards to establish adequate policies and or the failure of superintendents to enforce them.  Is it fair to hold superintendents accountable for inability or unwillingness to enforce school board policies?  Isn't that precisely what they are hired to do?  Superintendent's are billed as "able" to enforce policies; if policies are not being enforced, it is an administrative failure.

Except under circumstances beyond control, failure flows from either or both of two springs; incompetence and corruption.

Either school boards cannot or will not establish necessary policies, or superintendents cannot or will not enforce them.  Either they are unable (incompetent) or they are unwilling to enforce them (corrupt).

Are all school board members and superintendents incompetent or corrupt?  Of course not.

But every one of them has guilty knowledge of executive and administrative incompetence and corruption, and that is corrupt.

Guilty knowledge; knowing that incompetence and corruption exists but choosing to ignore it.  Tolerating incompetence is malfeasance.

In truth, NM school board members and superintendents don't really haven't much to worry about.  The survey ends Friday and so far the response rate is abysmally small, link.  The poor showing will cast legitimate doubt on the validity of the results however accurate they might otherwise be.

A real opportunity for teachers voices to be counted, will apparently come and go without a peep.

This would is a perfect opportunity for a Journal editorial; not about how the poor the turnout on the survey was, but rather, on how important it is for teachers before it's too late, to take advantage of an opportunity that will not come again for a very long time.

Likely they will not, which suits the interests of school board members and superintendents who have failed to do what it was they were elected and appointed to do.