Do We Want Quality Teachers?
While reading Sabrina’s recent post about an incident in one of Denver’s schools, I decided to take a look at her link to the May 20, 2010 DPS Board of Education meeting in which she and a number of other teachers spoke. It pained me to watch the presentations made by the teachers and their supporters, protesting non-renewal of their probationary contracts. The speakers were eloquent and intelligent and presented evidence suggesting the teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom. To me, there was an apparent pattern of ineffective, hostile and retaliatory leadership that traversed the district, of principals discarding teachers for personal, rather than professional reasons. It pains me all the more knowing that the Board of Education did not consider this apparent pattern reason enough to thoroughly investigate the contested non-renewals and that all were allowed to stand. Teachers spoke of reluctantly taking their considerable skills to the suburbs in the event their petitions be ignored. People spoke about the critical importance of developing and maintaining relationships with children and families. They also questioned the conflict between the district’s stated desire to retain quality teachers and its
