Allyson Criner Brown and Emily Roderer: What DCPS schools need to help students thrive — and to attract and keep teachers
What makes a great public school, where students can truly thrive, teachers want to teach, and parents want to send their kids? As parents of students who have attended three schools operated by DC Public Schools (DCPS), we have a pretty good — and informed — idea. It takes adequate funding, supports and resources to address the needs and challenges of each school’s student population. It takes a respectful culture that values and supports all staff in the building, all students, and their families. And it takes respect for teachers, including supportive working conditions and a contract with a pay raise that they haven’t received in three years.
Our children attend Anne Beers Elementary School in the Ward 7 neighborhood of Hillcrest and MacFarland Middle School in the Ward 4 neighborhood of Petworth. These two schools are similar in many ways and yet different in noteworthy ways. Like other schools, each one needs to be evaluated carefully and often to determine what resources are needed. A commonality, though, is the caliber of our kids’ teachers: They are nurturing, driven and empathetic — and do as much as they can to help students learn, overcome challenges and reach their potential.
But when teachers don’t get the appropriate support, they understandably get frustrated and leave — a problem highlighted in a new survey by the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), and a marathon DC Council hearing this week. The District of Columbia has long had one of the nation’s highest teacher turnover rates, a particular concern for us as parents given the spike in resignations amid the pandemic. At MacFarland, we saw as many as one-third of our teachers leave during the last school year. At Beers, the vast majority of teachers returned; our school community prides itself on teacher retention. But no school is immune to the pandemic’s impacts and the concerning national trend of educators leaving the classroom.
In talking with teachers at our kids’ schools, other parents throughout the city, our neighbors, and community groups that care deeply about DCPS schools and educators, we have heard common themes about what’s driving the downward trend in teacher retention. Among the reasons cited are frustration with standardized testing and other demands that reduce teaching time in the classroom; a DCPS teacher evaluation system that many characterize as punitive; little schedule flexibility and a challenging work-life balance; and inadequate pay given the expenses of living in the District. The WTU and local organization EmpowerEd have documented these and more reasons for several years now, including this joint report released in December 2021. EmpowerEd has extensively documented teacher retention issues — and proposed solutions — for educators across the District, including in charter schools, where few educators have union representation.
During the pandemic, families like ours and those across the country got a close-up look into just how hard teachers work. For parents and guardians, it was a daily window into what goes on in classrooms. We saw how much it takes to plan instruction and deal with student challenges, especially when they involve family crises. Without a doubt, it can be an emotionally draining profession. Teachers give as much as they can, but they need time to plan for and reflect on their lessons; tools to engage more fully with their students, including modern technology; time to engage with parents and caregivers; and time to rest, recharge and connect with their loved ones.
Our kids’ DCPS teachers haven’t had a contract or a raise in three years, despite massive increases in the cost of living. They should be heard at the bargaining table. And supporting our teachers should be viewed as a critical (and research-backed) strategy for student growth and success in our public schools.
We count on our teachers to provide an all-important foundation for our children. Appreciation is what our kids’ teachers are owed, and a contract that supports them is what they deserve. If we want them to remain in DCPS — and to recruit new teachers who will stay and build a pipeline of career educators — then we ask that the District respect them, ensure their voices are heard, and pay them a competitive wage. From our perspective, this is a key strategy for excellence and equity in DCPS. Every school deserves the resources to build community, stability and a high-quality learning environment. A fair contract for teachers is an essential part of that equation.
Allyson Criner Brown is a parent of two children who attend Anne Beers Elementary School in Ward 7, and Emily Roderer is a parent of a child who attends MacFarland Middle School in Ward 4.
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Yes. Yes. Also a teacher’s work life balance is affected when there is no affordable housing near the school where you teach. This is both a housing justice and salary issue.
It is not possible for students to thrive if they are forced to wear a filthy nasty dirty face diaper. It is child abuse.