Feed the Teachers!

The title of this blog post was taken from a popular educational text, If you don’t feed the teachers, they eat the students! by Neila Connors.  The book doesn’t suggest that teachers need actual food or anything akin to the $148,000 gift bag recently given to all 25 acting and directing Oscar nominees to do their jobs.  Instead, the book focuses on the need to nurture a strong culture among school staff through respect, collaboration, a fair income, and, yes, maybe some cookies now and again.

There’s a sense of pride in working for Smithfield Schools.  Teachers here generally find their jobs rewarding, the parents appreciative, and the students respectful.  This, however, is nothing to be taken for granted.  Recognizing individual teachers for exceptional work and recognizing entire schools for progress on improvement efforts not only is right to do but also fuels a strong school culture.

We are thankful to our parent groups who make Teacher Appreciation Week special for all those who serve our students.  We, as a district, are not able to provide for the refreshments and other treats showered on teachers during that week.  When we do organize special events, such as the end-of-year celebration, we use donations, rather than taxpayer funds, due to the negative perceptions that may ensue. Expressions of appreciation are also made, though maybe not often enough.

Recognizing exceptional work and providing blueberry muffins and coffee is not sufficient; when issues bubble up, they should be both noticed and addressed.  We regularly meet with union leadership and strive to respond to concecrns in a timely manner.  Also important, during any change process we know that good communication is essential and teachers must be equipped to handle the change through effective professional development and ensuring conditions for their success.

All of this isn’t to say that income is not a factor in any employee’s feelings of being appreciated and respected.  Most teachers enter the profession with a solid connection to academic subjects and a passion for developing the minds of students.  The public may incorrectly equate the seemingly altruistic nature of the profession with the self-denial of any forms of extrinsic rewards – both monetary and nonmonitary.  Most teachers, however, like most everyone else, work to live, rather than live to work. The income of teachers in the New England states, unlike in many parts of the country, allow a teacher’s family to live a middle class life, providing for a moderate home and a relatively comfortable lifestyle.  Letting this slip is not an option, as addressing insufficient pay takes monumental effort and resources, as other parts of the country are proving.

The Johns Hopkins study of Providence Schools shows a school culture that is broken.  Plans for turning that school culture around will require significant changes at all levels.  While it’s more complicated than just “feeding the teachers,” we know that appreciation and support is essential for all types of employees.  We, in Smithfield, have a strong teacher culture.  Let’s start the new school year off with an effort to appreciate the positive school culture for both students and teachers and vow to nurture that culture through variety of means.

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