Letter to the editor:

Teachers need all of our support

Wed, Jan 16, 2019 (2 a.m.)

In response to the Jan. 13 letter “Parents, teachers must be a team,” with regard to parents supporting their children’s teachers: Amen.

But let’s take it a step further and remind administrators that they too must support teachers, because they are the classroom experts in subject matter and classroom procedures.

I recently interacted with teachers from various schools and grade levels at a social event. Without exception, they were disheartened and frustrated, and many felt the sting of administrators when there should have been support. Parent conferences are arenas where teachers have become gladiators defending how and what they teach.

Recently, the Clark County School District distributed a survey for students to complete on each of their teachers. The teacher must “reflect” on any low scores on the survey and meet with an administrator to explain a plan of remediation for their student-perceived “weaknesses.”

The principal becomes the enforcer, a position that is embraced by leadership as it puts teachers in a subservient, defensive position.

We as parents, teachers and members of this community must begin to realize there is a problem in education, and it does not rest solely on the shoulders of classroom teachers.

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