Blogs:

The rules in the education system of America are changing real fast. And in the beginning of the year, one witnessed the state of Massachusetts passing the law which stated that districts in the state were allowed to terminate half the teachers and the principals in the schools that were performing very low.

The schools were then competing in the Race to the Top initiative started by President Obama which stated that schools that were selected would receive a grant of $3.4 billion. Such a piece of news sounds very good. In fact it is very good. But if one sees this from the schools’ point of view then it gets problematic.

It is a tricky situation because with such a law a lot of good teachers have been asked to leave. They are the ones who have contributed greatly to the schools and now they have been terminated. And it comes as no surprise that most of the teaching staff members think of this law as unjust and unfair.

Many decisions made for teachers in the school are made by the higher authorities, i.e. the principal. They might be good, the principals. But it may so happen that these rules change as the principals in schools change. This means when a new principal comes in, they will change the rules according to what they think is right.

But unfortunately they are not aware about the contributions made by the older teachers. One of the teachers from the district stated that while she was fortunate to keep her job her sister was asked to leave. Her sister was a special education teacher and has been teaching for the past 22 years.

Such an initiative has triggered a lot of problems. The administration of certain schools stated that the teachers were now nervous and not confident as they should be. It is all very unsettling. Many agree that they had to let go of good teachers in this process.

The problem is not the teachers. It is the frequent changes in the rules. Before a teacher can settle in with the new rules, and if the principal or the ruling authorities change or the government decides to introduce a new rule, then the teachers have to follow them.

This means they have to drop their previous ways mid way and make way for the changes. And how many times can one adapt to changes in the best possible way? Not always. Changes are tough and they take a toll on the teachers. If the teachers cannot cope with so many changes, how can the students? They are kids after all. No wonder the quality of education goes down then!

Instead of introducing changes constantly, the schools should come up with a fool proof plan to retain the best practices and change only what is required. Or rather rectify the wrongs. But that has not happened so far.

Changes are good but they should be adapted with time and not instantly. If teachers are bogged with issues, the students are bound to suffer. The government should work towards making the schools a teacher-friendly zone.