LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Response to the Northshore Teacher’s Open Letter to Sen.Tom

Editor's Note: McCravey's letter is in response to a story posted Saturday on an open letter from a Northshore teacher to Sen. Rodney Tom, you can read that story by .

What did Rodney Tom do to deserve teachers’ wrath? I don't believe connecting the word wrath with Senator Tom makes sense. By whining, “he is attacking teachers and blaming them for all of education and government ills” a false assumption is stated as fact in the first swing. This is meant to be inflammatory, not civil discourse on improving outcome for students who desperately need a great education just like everyone else.

Why am I writing any kind of response?  I guess the continued rhetoric spewed at people trying to actually be public servants focusing on fiscal responsibility, while attempting to provide for those people truly in need and without a massively funded lobbying group to make sure they get what they want, an education that prepares them to be productive, gets a tad irritating to me. While I sympathize with both the author and target of this open letter, to continue saying that this one guy is wrathfully attacking and demoralizing all the teachers in Northshore, the state, or nation is just so counterproductive and not true. There's a part of me that just has to call out blatant trash.

I've seen Senator Tom tired and he usually is very composed. Wrathful doesn't fit. But I have seen wrathfully delivered illegal teacher strikes. I've been threatened by teachers for wanting to change curriculum and focus on students. Senator Tom has never threatened me or anyone else I know.

Northshore offers it's employees insurance that is a self-funded program.  Insurance coverage is at least comparable if not better than most of our state's teachers have available through the insurance program that may greatly profit WEA. There is an opt out part of the bill and Northshore typically takes advantage of things like that. Northshore is doing a good job at self-insuring.  I feel certain whatever gets passed into law can be worked with and amended as needs be.

Rodney Tom is working with the REST OF THE LEGISLATURE to find money where they can. If it comes in savings that affect WEA, you have to ask if it is the job of public employees and governance to make unions richer or ensure student outcomes.

Charter schools are an issue widely debated. Senator Tom didn't invent the idea, and wants (along with many others) more options for our students in WA State. What a surprise since he's a Democrat, that he is in alignment with President Obama, Arnie Duncan and apparently the national arm of this teacher's union.

The achievement gap, renamed "opportunity gap", is an excuse I hear all the time. Northshore's opportunity gap grows every year, along with most other districts in the state. After over twenty years of data about which schools work and don't work, WA law still doesn't allow districts the ability to take advantage of other states' successful charter school systems addressing this solvable issue.  Other states are actively pursuing closing the achievement gap. We renamed it as it widened in Washington. 

A recent study, How Teachers and Schools Contribute to Racial Differences in the Realization of Academic Potential, stated teachers' expectations are important to student achievement. The majority of people responded, 'yeah, no duh'. But when you hear the excuses of "student attendance, family life and poverty all impact a student's readiness to learn", this is the embodiment of teacher expectations. As long as we continue to hear how difficult the job is for teachers who cannot "easily control" the factors affecting their job, and we sympathetically nod in agreement we are guilty of promoting the mindset that children are limited in their achievement by virtue of birth. THAT (regardless of the truth of the statement itself) sets expectations. It provides an excuse that repeats itself for generations. When will "they" become people?

I absolutely believe that most teachers work well beyond the call of duty as this author states in the paragraph on teacher evaluations. To ignore statistics showing where a teacher's performance is excellent, or in need of adjustment keeps the focus on working hard without accepting the reality of outcomes. I am NOT a believer in high stakes testing. I think a snapshot shouldn't be allowed to wreck a child's chances in life. I do believe those snapshots should be used to improve education. In the system we have, kids are held accountable. Parents receive letters from school systems all the time saying things like, "oh it looks like little Tommy didn't pass the state test. Maybe if you read to him more at home, that will fix itself." As a parent who has attempted expensive tutoring, online courses, advocacy, volunteering in the classroom, and anything and everything else offered (usually at a cost), why is it kids are held accountable to a test and teachers are not? Why is it ok to say that it's our policy and procedure in our department to fail students and keep them from graduating because they don't write a paper the way we want it, turn in all of their assignments, pass required classes, tests, etc., yet educators can’t be held responsible for increased achievement of their students throughout the time they are in their classrooms? The answer is always, we can’t be held responsible for all of the disadvantages out there that may affect a student’s ability to learn. But the student gets held accountable for not having a computer at home, or a quiet place to work, or having no one believe in them. Another perfect example of how we can't be held responsible for society’s ills. Society includes people. Children are vulnerable members of what we call society.

As a teacher I held myself accountable to every student's improvement over the course of a year through an IEP (individual education plan). I had to face parents at the end of the cycle and say where we made progress and where we didn't. Understandably, it is difficult for high school teachers to do the same for 150-180 students and their parents. Test scores can provide a simple way to check your teaching practices. Are your students progressing? Are they succeeding? That, after all, is the point of the job. It is about the students. I firmly believe Northshore teachers are great and working above and beyond, but my belief in that statement isn’t quite the same as statistics proving it.

 It was never my understanding that being a teacher would make me wealthy, or even comfortable. I agree teachers should be honored and paid well. The pension attack is expressing oblivion about where everyone else's retirement plans are impacted. If you are fortunate enough to still have a job in the private sector, you can bet you have already had your health care and pension affected by the economy. I would be so much more open to considering this a valid complaint if it wasn't buttressed by the usual pointing to someone else (some other group) to take the fiscal hit instead of the group doing the whining. I’m sure the policemen and firemen don’t appreciate this redirection.

The wrath of Tom. OMGoodness

Dawn McCravey

McCravey is a parent of six, grandmother of four and former special education school teacher. She is currently serving the public on the Northshore School Board.