Public School Teachers: A Vanishing Breed
Nobody would presume to tell an engineer how to design a bridge or a surgeon how to wield a scalpel. Why do people who respect professionals sometimes disrespect the expertise and professional judgment of teachers?
Phillip (2019) described the emergence of a “discourse of control” practiced by powerful outsiders who have little faith in teachers and believe teaching is not “rocket science.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Teaching is a multifaceted profession now with National Board Certification available.
Teaching has traditionally been seen as an extension of parenting or community responsibility, rather than a specialized profession with a knowledge base and an ethical code.
Nearly everyone has been a student, leading many to believe they understand teaching. This faulty assumption puts teachers in the middle of public debate and policy changes with each election cycle. Everyone has an opinion whether they know what they are saying or not.
Teachers are often portrayed in media as generalists rather than specialists, reinforcing the idea that teaching is accessible to anyone. Spend some time with a university catalog. Take a look at some current top level education research journals.
Standardized testing has positioned education as something that should be externally controlled and measured. To boot, measurement tools reflect evaluation instruments designed according to prototypes a century old. The best assessment of student learning and development is the insight from a practitioner who has worked with the learner. Free that practitioner to do their job. Resource them. Respect them.
Unlike other professions, teaching is largely publicly funded, leading to a sense of public ownership over educational practices. The argument that people who have no children should not have to pay taxes for schools still pops up. Many people of this view have no sense of the significance of public education for society as a whole. They understand the need for highways, but not for transportation experts.
The historical feminization of teaching may contribute to its devaluation as a profession requiring specialized expertise. Even today when someone says “Dr. Smith” many assume “male.” In this era of taking back rights women won decades ago, this issue is once again salient.
Education policies often treat teachers as implementers rather than experts, reinforcing the idea that expertise lies elsewhere. Naturally, teacher improvement efforts would mean bringing in experts to tell teachers the “best practices.”
It’s an indicator of how deeply ingrained these attitudes are that even when pointed out, the professional status of teachers isn't automatically accorded the same respect as other fields.
A society preparing for a future with AI would do well to begin putting in the policy and institutional infrastructure to require four years of advanced education for teachers who are paid to well use their expert professional judgment to design curriculum and learning activities specifically for the unique groups they teach without armchair quarterbacking or political coercion. They should be remunerated with salaries commensurate with other highly expert professionals whom lay people trust with their lives.
At some point the United States will come to understand the vital relationship among public schools, public infrastructure, and democratic governance. AI could be a catalyst.
I appreciate your comments here Terry, especially when you said "The best assessment of student learning and development is the insight from a practitioner who has worked with the learner. Free that practitioner to do their job. Resource them. Respect them."
Yes on a deep level. Terry, you almost make me believe the advent of AI could push more resources to teachers, elevating them to expert status. But I’m very skeptical of those in charge who control educational resources and insist on “practical” outcomes. I’m worried about the way writing instruction could be even more undercut in the schools than it already is. You’re right that the work of U.S. teachers is seriously undervalued. I’d also say the same of professional writers and journalists. Far too many influencers and podcasters call themselves journalists these days, doing their own “research” or “fact checking.” The Fourth Estate no longer plays its broad institutional role; public schools could also soon be gutted - well, it’s already happening, for the reasons you note here.