Interview with 5th Grade Teacher at IPS

This week’s teacher teaches 5th grade at a Marion county school and has many years of teaching experience. Below are just a few of their stories that demonstrate the need to #ElevateTeachers and foster a system wide reform movement.

LOSING TEACHERS TO DIFFICULT CLASSES

As many teachers probably know, from time to time a cohort of “really difficult to manage kids” can move through the school system. Teacher #1 shared stories from one “wrecking ball class.”  As this group moved up the educational ladder, K, 1, 2,3, 4, 5 it cost the school system dearly. At each grade level except 5th, teachers quit either during or directly after having that class. 

LACK OF NECESSARY RESOURCES

Teacher #1’s class had 29 kids, 16 of which were IEP (Individual Educational Plan) students each requiring an individualized learning program, sometimes called “special needs kids.”  In addition, the teacher had 5 LAP (Language Assistance Program) who did not know English.  A number of these students needed skills that were beyond the teachers level of training; in fact, they needed  a teacher of “special needs students”.  

LACK OF CONSEQUENCES

The teacher relates the story of a young girl who was on top of a boy pummeling him with her fists. The teacher warned her five times to stop and leave the boy alone, but she paid no attention. Finally, the teacher lifted her off the boy and took her to the principal’s office. Teacher #1 was the one who got into trouble – the principal criticized the teacher for touching the girl! The little girl was soon back in the classroom with no serious reprimand. 

STUDENTS LACK OF RESPECT

Teacher #1  says students often fight with the teachers, spit on them, and swear at them but nothing is done. There are no consequences!  The teacher says write-ups of misbehaving of black boys is off limits because they must all be reported to the district administration.  So, events with black boys must not be reported, as a result, they get away with all manner of offenses and get off scot free. As a result of these “off limits” reports being squelched, these boys do not receive the counseling they need so they get worse.

I ASKED TEACHER #1,  IF YOU HAD GREAT POWER, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

“Take the politics out of the schools.” The teacher is referring to all of the reports that must be submitted to the administration that are used to criticize the teacher and the school. At one-point IPS (Indianapolis Public Schools) had an administrator for every five teachers. This was necessary because of all the reports they were required to complete.

The kids have little to no respect nor fear of their teachers. There is little a teacher can do to create accountability with either the school administration or by withholding benefits, such as recess, from misbehaving children.  There is no accountability!  Another variant of this; if a child fails to turn in homework the teacher cannot give them an “F”; they simply leave a blank in their grade book.

MY BOOK TITLE IS:  THE KIDS ARE SMART ENOUGH, SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? DO YOU BELIEVE THE TITLE?

“Yes- The children have the intellectual capacity if they would choose to use it.