EXPERIENCE MATTERS Guest Post: Bernie Keller
In June 2015, I had the opportunity to attend the Big Apple awards which recognizes teachers who have demonstrated excellence. In point of full disclosure, I was invited by one of the recipients of the award, Rick Ouimet. Having had the chance to teach with Mr. Ouimet at Stevenson High School as a colleague, and at Millennium High School team teaching with him, I’d have to say this choice was not only prudent but well deserved.
As I watched the celebrants, and listened to their bios, I was struck by an interesting thread that seemed to run through the presentations which was that none of the awardees had less than a decade of experience. One had thirty-four years of experience, while another had twenty-four and yet another one had sixteen years of experience. Not one of them was a three year or a five year teacher! This is particularly interesting to me because when I look at the way experienced teachers are being herded into ATR pols, or harassed or “encouraged” to retire because we “need younger teachers who are connected to or in tune with the students in the 21st century, it seems there is little interest in acknowledging or employing the expertise and skills of these teachers. Charter schools regularly eschew them and smaller schools routinely avoid them because they “cost too much.”
Having taught four decades, and having had the privilege of working with so EXPERIENCE MATTERS Guest Post: Bernie Keller | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing:
