Teachers want to be heard

Michigan’s final state plan for implementing the country’s new federal education law will be on its way to Washington next month. That makes the next few days a critical time for Michigan to engage with and hear from teachers about the education policy decisions that will affect their classrooms and the overall teaching profession for years to come. Teaching is one of the strongest influences on student learning, so our voices must be heard in matters concerning school performance and professional development opportunities.

When I was 12 years old, my parents became foster parents to two young boys with disabilities. Growing up with two brothers who lived with the reality of coping with disabilities every day drove me to become a special education teacher – which I have proudly been for 23 years – and an advocate for other students with disabilities.

I’ve also had experience with policy fellowships that have afforded me the opportunity to learn about the potential for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to positively impact Michigan schools and special education students, and to weigh in on education policy.

In the beginning, I didn’t fully understand what ESSA was, but I was able to learn more about the legislation and provide input to the Department of Education, which most Michigan teachers aren’t afforded an opportunity to do. This negatively affects morale. A report released this week, which surveyed over 800 classroom teachers across the country, indicates that over half of teachers believe that the country’s education system is headed in the wrong direction.

Many teachers are skeptical that ESSA can positively affect their classrooms or their professional development, and they haven’t had a chance to effectively provide input on relevant education policy. Even out of the teachers who were able to provide input, few actually felt that it was valuable or solicited to the extent that it should have been, according to the Educators for High Standards report.

Teachers are experts at what we need to be successful in our careers and what is best for our students – it is common sense that our input should help shape the professional development opportunities, and the policies that impact student learning and teacher growth. Stronger state efforts to include teacher input could also aid in the recruitment of high-quality teachers as well as higher retention and satisfaction within the profession.  

ESSA requires states to “meaningfully engage” teachers throughout the process of developing state accountability plans and I have been lucky enough to have my voice included in Michigan’s plan. However, it’s clear that many teachers feel like their voices aren’t being fully heard. In order to realize the promise that ESSA holds to drive substantive and lasting changes in Michigan schools, I encourage our state’s policymakers to do more to engage and learn from Michigan teachers as we partner to implement the law.

Heather Gauck, a special education teacher who has been with Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than two decades, also works as a #TeachStrong Ambassador to elevate and modernize the teaching profession. Additionally, she is the founder of innovationclassroom.com, which supports teachers worldwide to integrate technology in the classroom.