Why Stability Matters to My Students « Diane Ravitch's blog

Why Stability Matters to My Students « Diane Ravitch's blog:

This Teacher Did Not Remain Silent

by dianerav

Thanks to a reader who sent this story in his comment about an earlier post.
When students falsely accused a teacher in Portland, Oregon, of inappropriately touching them, the teacher decided not to remain silent. That was in 2000.
He sued the students and their families. He won a $70,000 judgment and apologies.
Of course, his reputation was dragged through the mud. And his life appeared to be ruined.
But he didn’t take it. He didn’t keep his mouth shut.
He fought back and won.
I have been thinking a lot about this question of why teachers have become targets

Why Stability Matters to My Students

by dianerav

I have posted a few times about the importance of stability. This is because we have public officials in Washington and in the states, as well as think tank pundits, who think it is a good idea to close schools, open schools, repeat again and again, fire teachers and principals and call it a “turnaround.” They disregard the issue of stability. They think that churn of staff and disruption of schools are “reforms.” That’s because they think of students as cogs or widgets or inanimate objects that can be moved about at will.
Another teacher explains why stability matters to his students:

“…my students need stability.”  And so do mine, especially when they come from home environments and situations that are in a constant state of insecurity over the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and legal and/or custody issues.  For many of my students, school provides an oasis of caring that makes it possible for them to learn, and may just be the best seven hours of their day.  At school they are assured of breakfast, lunch, access to school-based health care, and supervision and instruction from a committed faculty