Putting qualified candidates in class

The recent midcareer and second-career teachers studies released by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation substantiate much of what the Georgia Association of Educators has been advocating for decades.

Since our inception, GAE has stood firm for working tirelessly for those who nurture, guide, and teach our children. Throughout the decades, we have steadfastly maintained that among the requirements to meet the growing need for teachers was making salaries competitive with the general marketplace, maintaining decent working and learning conditions and providing ongoing, relevant professional development. These always have been part of our legislative priorities for which our organization often has been vilified and reprimanded as being self-serving.

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Jeff Hubbard is president of the Georgia Association of Educators.

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As an organization of dedicated professionals who work on the front line of public education, we always have had our ear to the ground. We hear about when the hard work is worth it —and when it isn’t. We take this firsthand knowledge to the Capitol every January and speak to whoever will listen for the direct betterment of the profession and Georgia’s children. They are the reason we do this.

While we will never be in favor of any compensation package based solely on performance, we are very much open to the discussion and study of compensation models where performance could be a part of an overall package of educator pay.

As teachers, we understand the reluctance of would-be teachers to go to urban and rural areas and their concerns over whether teaching will pay in the long term, whether they can afford health care and whether fast-track programs are adequately preparing them for the realities of a classroom, and when they are in the classroom, having mentors and enough support to guard against burnout in the first three to five years.

Studies suggest that many of the alternative certification programs, especially ones that cater to career changers, may need re-engineering to implement recommended changes that will make them more effective in the classroom. Some of these changes include being more selective in identifying strong candidates, taking into account how adults learn, slanting pedagogy more for diverse learners and providing more real-life clinical experience.

GAE agrees and always has had concerns regarding the recent effort to “fast track” individuals into the classroom. Not, as some have said, to protect the status quo, but because for these individuals to be successful, no matter how well-versed they are in their real-life subject matter, they will be placed in front of children ranging from 5 to 18 years old.

In order for them to have their best chance to teach and the children to have the best chance to learn, these new teachers must be grounded in the preparation for the reality of our classrooms. Yes, there will be a few “naturals,” but it is our main goal to have every child succeed and that takes a highly qualified and fully prepared teacher.

Many people, both first career and mid- or second career, are either considering or have considered teaching. That is wonderful news. GAE members can tell you that it is very hard, but rewarding, work. While we work to make things better, we invite those who feel called to serve to join the 100,000-plus dedicated educators who do this good work for Georgia’s 1.6 million children in our public schools.