Ringing the Alarm in Olathe, KS

There’s an alarming trend in public education.

Is it the dismal prospective of today’s students? Nope. Kids are kids. While generational differences exist, my fifteen years of teaching have proven that some things just never change: gastrointestinal noises will always be hilarious to freshmen boys.

Is it the oppressing arm of the federal government slapping down local control? Don’t sound the alarm bells on this one yet. It’s true that Mr. Duncan’s insistence that teacher evaluation include student performance data is simplistic and misguided, at least the US Department of Education is beginning to show signs that they understand student performance is more complicated than test scores (despite a long history that has already proven this fact).

Unfortunately, the trend of which I am speaking slaps me in the face every day as I enter the school at which I’ve taught for twelve years, Olathe Northwest High. For the first time in my memory, we are approaching the end of the first quarter without a tentative agreement between the Olathe National Education Association and USD #233. What’s the hold up?  Salary? Benefits? I wish it were that simple.

While these details are still negotiated, it appears the culprit is a fair dismissal policy.  Also known as due process, fair dismissal requires districts provide just cause in order to fire a teacher. This right was state law for nearly 60 years, until the assault-on-teachers-disguised-as-school-finance reform passed in April 2014. Now, individual local associations must fight for this right. And with heavy hitters like the Kansas Association of School Boards urging local school boards to “hold off” on negotiating fair dismissal language, it is truly a fight.

So, the alarm I am ringing is the fight for the right of fair dismissal? While this fight rages in my district, the alarm I ring is actually the fact that very few teachers seem to notice. I am lucky to work with people who are all about collaboration and putting students first; unfortunately, these traits tend to correlate with a let’s-not-make-waves attitude.  As I read Dana Goldstein’s book about the history of teaching, I am increasingly convinced that teachers’ willingness to create waves in the past has built up our profession. I hate to think that my generation of teachers is willing to ignore the lessons of the past in order to pacify the societal pressures of the now.

If you’re a teacher in the Olathe school district, educate yourself. Join the professional organization that represents your interest. Then, engage in this organization by attending our meeting at Olathe South on 9/30 at 4:30 pm. We need to hear the variety of voices and educated opinions of the masses in order to engage our local educators like never before.