GLORIA SHELLER
Staff Writer
Until recently, I didn’t know much about Proposition 74, which was good because it prevented me from having any bias before I started researching this issue. Had I heard about it, I might have been swayed by a T.V. add with “The Governator” giving the big thumbs up and “Prop 74” flashing on the bottom of the screen. Not this time, however.
Thanks to my dorm-room solitude, all I had from my newsroom buddies was “Prop 74. Go.” And so my adventure began. Here I could delve into the wonderful world of conflict in our state’s educational system.
My first task was to learn the basics of the mysterious Proposition 74. Essentially this proposition will do two things: increase the probation period California teachers must serve before they can get tenure and modify the dismissal process the school board must go through to get rid of unfit teachers.
Currently, the probation period is a two-year span when board members evaluate teachers’ performances. If a teacher is assessed and deemed “unfit,” at any point, the board then takes the appropriate measures to dismiss that teacher. With the passage of Proposition 74, the school board would not have to allow a 90-day period in which the unfit teacher could possibly improve his or her performance. The school board also would not have to provide the teacher with extra reasons for dismissal beyond the evidence found in annual assessment reports.
At first glance, I thought, why are they thinking of getting rid of teachers in a time when we need them more than ever? These people are nuts. But as I read on and began to think back to my public school days, my view changed.
Those in favor of Proposition 74 believe it will bring and keep quality teachers in our educational system. Quality over quantity. The opposition, however, thinks that Proposition 74 punishes teachers and does not help the real crisis at hand. What is this crisis they talk about?
To the anti-74er’s, new textbooks and safe campuses are of the utmost importance, and those needs are not being met. I’ll admit I was pretty torn. I agreed that feeling safe on campus is high on the priority list, but boldly, I’ll say that textbooks are overrated. Please let me explain before you cut out my picture and hunt down the girl with the face that matches.
I am a recent high school graduate, so the public school system is still fresh in my head. Most of the four years blend together, but one class will stand out in my mind forever. My 12th grade English class was a class of 40 or so students and no textbooks. Sounds like a nightmare. On the contrary, this was one of the most influential classes with the most awe-inspiring teachers I have ever had. Mrs. Deborah Frank held each class period in the palm of her hand. She didn’t believe the textbook could teach the class any better than she could. Her passion for knowledge and for “the future leaders of America” (as she so often called us) drove her to print out the extra news article or read one more book, just so she could share them with us.
My bittersweet tribute to a multi-award winning teacher is to highlight one key fact: Schools are nothing without quality teachers who have a passion for what they do. Why not weed out those who teach to live and embrace those who live to teach? I’d sleep a little better at night knowing that the person teaching the times tables to my future accountant is not some second-rate quick fix teacher but is a qualified and enriching being with a passion for arithmetic.
09-29-2005