Butts

Brigham Young University - Idaho

Teaching: No Greater Call

Andrew Butts

ENG252:03

Julia Spilker

2 June 2018
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Andrew Butts

Julia Spilker

ENG252:03

25 May 2018

Teaching: No Greater Call

There is no doubt that teachers make a lifelong impact on children’s lives. Books like The

Freedom Writers, artwork showcasing educators, and films like Mr. Holland’s Opus have all

been dedicated to the lifelong influence of a selfless instructor. However, fewer teachers are

remaining in the education field, and even fewer are applying. It is no secret that the average

income of $31,000 annually is low for American households, but that is not the main reason that

teachers are quitting. Professional educators are leaving their jobs because of standardized

instruction and administrator instigated pressure. These constrictions place too much stress on

the teachers, requiring them to meet certain quotas while restricting their creativity in the

classroom.

In 2014, The Common Core was instigated to standardize child education across the

United States. Previously, public school curriculums were determined by the state governments

and varied from state to state. The goal of the Common Core is to “[integrate] multiple skills and

requires analytic and critical thinking. Students are expected to drill down into the deep structure

of documents and problems and to identify connections among facts and idea” (March 64). The

concept behind the Common Core is to develop comprehension, not repetition. For the teachers,

the Common Core Standards “are thought to be more demanding of teachers than most existing

sets of state academic standards” (Saavedra 6). The Common Core curriculum is designed as an

improvement on the public education system. However, its implementation proved disastrous for
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most school systems: “By 2014, California was the top state in the nation in eighth-grade algebra

enrollment. That was the year Common Core went into place. It erased all those gains almost

immediately” (Pullman 1). In 2014, Algebra I enrollment in the 8th grade dropped from 58% to

28%. 2014 saw a similar drop in Calculus enrollment in high schools in California. New York

suffered from similar performances: “In New York, the number of students who scored

“proficient” plummeted by about 30 percentage points in 2013, the first year of testing. Some 70

percent scored below the cutoff level in math and English; the 2014 results in math were

modestly better, but the English language scores didn’t budge” (Kirp). Before the

implementation of the Common Core Standards, the Golden State was praised for its math

instruction.

If any state has math standards right, it’s California. The Golden State’s standards avoid

almost all the pitfalls of other states: they call for the use of calculators at the right time

and in the right way (the standards do not “allow the use of calculators all through

Kindergarten to grade eleven”) and build students’ skills in a logical progression that

emphasizes computation, problem-solving, and mathematical reasoning all the way

through (Finn 52).

Given that the Common Core Standards were designed to improve students’

proficiencies, what caused scores to fall? For one, tests changed. “Shifting the instructional focus

away from the development of students’ lower-level skills and toward the development of

higher-level skills may require changing formative and summative assessments so that they

measure outcomes aligned to instructional goals” (Saavedra 7). While the transition between the

older testing systems and the newer testing systems does not make the data incompatible, it does

alter how the data is read, and makes plotting trends difficult for researchers.
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In fairness, there are signs these institutions are beginning to at least acknowledge the

problem on their hands. To much fanfare, the College Board unveiled a revamped SAT in

2015, proclaiming a more equitable exam. It is too soon to judge whether the new test has

achieved that goal, but early reports are skeptical (Shapiro, N.).

Another cause for the failure of Common Core standards could be that teachers did not

consult on its implementation. “many parents and teachers don't think they had a seat at the table

when standards were developed” (Jackson). In 2007, the Common Core standards were

introduced during a policy forum in Ohio. For the next six years, the standards were discussed

and revised. The state chiefs, rather than ask public school teachers for feedback, hired

consultations out to “independent groups.” When the Common Core standards were then ratified

by state leaders in 2013, most public-school educators had not seen the new curriculum. No

trainings were given, and no question and answer forums were offered to the state educators who

would need to carry out the new system. “I think the biggest misconception is that this can

happen overnight” said Sharon Look, when she was interviewed by Slate magazine. Like other

teachers, she was handed the new curriculum without any formal training or instruction. To meet

the demands of the Common Core, teachers have had to look to outside sources to better perform

their work: “It’s important that we, as teachers, don’t beat ourselves up if the students don’t meet

the standards immediately... I see teachers working on weekends…I see teachers going outside

and using different forms of information to find ways to meet the needs of their students”

(Look). Overall, Common Core demands more of both the students and the teachers. While

dedicated educators are “catching up” to the new program, many educators have left the field out

of frustration. "Teachers who are well prepared leave at more than two times lower rates than

teachers who are not fully prepared"(Westervelt).

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Teacher enrollment and retention plummeted while the Common Core standards were

introduced and developed from 2007 to 2013. As has been previously stated, a part of this has

been the lack of direction when the Common Core standards were implemented. While studies

have not yet solidified the link between the two statistics, there is plenty of evidence to show that

both factors are indeed related. The Common Core requires more work from already over

worked educators, reduces classroom creativity, and places unrealistic expectations on teachers

and students alike. The following chart demonstrates the decline in teacher enrollment over the

last decade nationwide.

The Education Commission of the States, an organization hired by the U.S. Department

of Education, was tasked to investigate the causes of teacher turnover. Their findings returned

the following summary: “Of those who do enter the profession, many go on to report overall job

dissatisfaction, a loss of autonomy, and limitations in feedback, recognition, advancement and

reward” (Aragon, 3). Common Core eliminates a lot of the autonomy public school teachers used

to enjoy. “Teachers are also more likely to stay in schools where they have the opportunity to

contribute to schoolwide decision making such as decisions about scheduling, selection of

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materials, and selection of professional development experiences” (Boyd 306). Unfortunately,

most school systems are removing decision making from the hands of the teachers and placing it

in the hands of inexperienced individuals.

In March of 2017, students working for the Kansas City Star (Pittsburgh High School)

interviewed their newly hired principal, Amy Robertson. After the interview, the students

attempted to perform deeper research on their new administrator and found several

inconsistencies in her history. The investigators of the Kansas City Star found several falsified

documents, namely Robertson’s accreditations and degrees. Robertson resigned in April of 2017.

While Robertson’s case is not an example of an overbearing administration, it is a prime

example of an unqualified one. School administrators are often chosen for their “paper”

credentials, not for their classroom experience. Principals for public schools need to hold a

master’s degree in education administration, and only need to complete a teaching internship to

qualify for the position. Compared to the five years’ work experience required in other fields for

management, the three to six-month internship is limited relevant experience. The unfortunate

side effect of an unqualified administration is unfair pressure on the teachers. “Teachers all over

the country are being systematically intimidated by top-down, authoritarian rule designed to

ensure compliance” (The Education of the World). Returning to the findings by the Education

Commission of the States, teachers are leaving because of “limitations in feedback, recognition,

advancement and reward.” These limitations are replaced with an overabundance of criticism,

disciplinary actions, and degradation. What teachers want, they are not getting: “educators want

a bigger voice in school policies and plans. Many feel left out of key discussions” (Westervelt).

Most school administrations are not providing teachers with an opportunity to influence policy.

In fact, many administrations are holding their influence over the heads of teachers. In an
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interview with nprED, Robert Lutjens, a former middle school science teacher in Houston,

Texas, shared the following experience: “I was not allowed to fail students," he says. "There was

a phrase that kept going around that I heard from administrators: 'We need to make sure they

succeed, we need to guarantee their success.' Which was code for: 'They need to pass.' " He had

no say in how his classroom was run. The Facebook page “The Education of the World” shares

an anonymous educator’s experience:

At least once per week, the principal would sit in the back of the room, writing urgently

and mysteriously. A checklist of Marzano’s elements of effective lessons would appear

on my desk the same day, noting elements that were present and those that were not…

The principal informed me I was not to disparage the test out loud – certainly not to

parents. I vowed to behave better, though I didn’t really want to keep quiet. Being

silenced has the curious effect of making one want to speak even louder.

School administrations were meant to help teachers, not hinder them. During a series of

keynote lectures to school administrators and teachers alike, Jordan Shapiro discovered that:

The trouble is, each one seems to identify the other as an obstacle. Administrators want

teachers to adopt new trendy methods, but they feel that teachers are resistant to change.

Teachers yearn to be more creative, but feel it is impossible to do so within a rigid

bureaucracy. Both blame the other, creating a gridlock that seems to obstruct innovation.

Observing this problem, Shapiro determined that the most effective solution for teachers

and administrators was to develop a “shared language.” Administrators need to prove that their

school are improving. Teachers need to prove that they are instructing children. Both members of

the school system want children to be prepared for college and careers. The problem is that they

do not “share the language.” “While the landscape of educational innovation is big on trendy
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concepts and buzzwords, it is short on specifics. The same term may mean different things to

different ears” (Shapiro, J). There is no greater example of this than the implementation of the

Common Core standards in public schools. Educators were thrilled with a curriculum whose

mission was to “[integrate] multiple skills and requires analytic and critical thinking” (March,

64). However, standardized testing arrived with the Common Core standards, and teachers found

themselves pressured to improve test scores rather than encouraging the “analytic and critical

thinking” they thought they would be teaching. The Education of the World’s story, presented

earlier, demonstrates how administrators are pressured to improve test scores in their schools,

and how the pressure trickles down to the educators. If administrators and teachers

communicated on how to educate the child, rather than focus on the standardized testing.

"It really all boils down to the level of support that you get," said Ross Roberts in his

interview with Slate Magazine, "To have that support coming from the top, it just makes your

job easier." No teacher ever wants to leave their career as an educator. Many of them come to

love the children they teach as their own. Another interviewee for Slate Magazine, Dianelle

Painton, shared her experience as a teacher:

Painton remembers a fourth-grade girl who, in the middle of a weeklong bout of testing,

put her head down on her desk. "I said, 'Are you OK?' " Painton recalls. "And she said,

'Mrs. Painton, this just isn't fun anymore.' " That stuck. "It was haunting me," she says. "I

just kept hearing: This isn't fun anymore, this isn't fun anymore. And these are kids."

Teachers simply cannot handle the pressures placed upon them by the Common Core

standards and their own administrations. They do not make a high enough income to justify the

extra hours they have to put in past the standard forty-hour work week. Educators feel like they

are failing the children, because they cannot spend the time to pay attention to the individual’s
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needs. Even as policies like the Common Core standards are being implemented to encourage

individuality, teachers are being forced to “teach to the test.” If there were better communication

from the top down, then educators might feel greater satisfaction in their work. Unfortunately,

those open channels do not yet exist, and U.S. public school systems will continue to experience

teacher shortages while the problem continues.

There is hope for future educators. Even as the problem with communication persists,

some states are beginning to repeal the Common Core standards in lieu of teacher led instruction.

Forty-five of the United States ratified the Common Core standards in 2013, but three have since

repealed, and are leading their own reform in child education. Teacher salaries are being raised,

and instructors are being given greater authority in their own classrooms as the push for better

test scores decreases. Because of the drop in student enrollment in higher courses after the

implementation of the Common Core standards, many states are allowing teachers to craft their

work once more, and prepare the children for their individual futures.
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Works Cited

Aragon, Stephanie. “Teacher Shortages: What We Know”. Education Commission of the States.

May 2016. https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher-Shortages-What-We-

Know.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2018

Boyd, Donald, et al. “The Influence of School Administrators on Teacher Retention Decisions.”

American Educational Research Journal, vol. 48, no. 2, 2011, pp. 303–333. JSTOR,

JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27975291.

Common Core State Standards Initiative. “Common Core Development Process.” 2018.

http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/development-process/. Accessed 31

May 2018.

Finn, Chester E.; Julian, Liam; Petrilli, Michael. “2006 The State of State Standards”. Thomas B.

Fordham Foundation. August 2006. http://edex.s3-us-west

2.amazonaws.com/publication/pdfs/State%20of%20State%20Standards2006FINAL_9.pd

f. Accessed 25 May 2018.

Hall, Miriam. “At First We Felt Angry: Four Teachers Explain How Common Core Changed

Their Jobs.” Slate. 9 September 2015.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/schooled/2015/09/09/common_core_standards_what_four_te

achers_actually_think_about_them.html. Accessed 31 May 2018.

Jackson, Abby. “Here’s Why So Many People Hate the Common Core.” Business Insider. 5

March 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-so-many-people-hate-the-

common-core-2015-3. Accessed 31 May 2018.

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Kirp, David. L. “Rage Against the Common Core”. The New York Times. 27 December, 2014.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/opinion/sunday/rage-against-the-common-

core.html. Accessed 28 May 2018.

March, Judith K., and Karen H. Peters. “Telling the Truth about the Common Core.” The Phi

Delta Kappan, vol. 96, no. 8, 2015, pp. 63–65. JSTOR, JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/24375891.

McDonnell, Lorraine M., and M. Stephen Weatherford. “Organized Interests and the Common

Core.” Educational Researcher, vol. 42, no. 9, 2013, pp. 488–497. JSTOR, JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/24571298.

Pullmann, Joy. “New Data Show California Kids’ Math Achievement Took a Nosedive after

Common Core.” The Federalist. 16 May 2018. http://thefederalist.com/2018/05/16/new-

data-show-california-kids-math-achievement-took-nosedive-common-core/. Accessed 25

May 2018.

Saavedra, Anna Rosefsky, and Jennifer L. Steele. “Gaps Between Current Systems and Common

Core State Standards Implementation.” Implementation of the Common Core State

Standards: Recommendations for the Department of Defense Education Activity Schools,

RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Arlington, VA; Pittsburgh, PA, 2012, pp. 5–8.

JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt1q60f0.8.

Shapiro, Jordan. “Teachers or Administrators, Who’s the Real Problem.” The Hechinger Report.

24 December 2014. http://hechingerreport.org/teachers-administrators-whos-real-

problem/. Accessed 31 May 2018.

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Shapiro, Nicky. “Has the SAT Changed Enough To Be Worth Using in College Admissions?”

The Daily Californian. 29 April 2018. http://www.dailycal.org/2018/04/29/sat-act-

college-admissions-uc-berkeley/. Accessed 25 May 2018.

Westervelt, Eric. “What Are the Main Reasons Teachers Call It Quits.” nprED. 24 October 2016.

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/10/24/495186021/what-are-the-main-reasons-

teachers-call-it-quits. Accessed 31 May 2018.