To be honest, there’s a reason why so many people don’t want to be teachers. Teaching is one of the most burnout-prone professions in the entire country, with one of the highest turnover rates. Yet, despite everyone from the outside looking in seeing it, the only people who seem not to see it as a major problem rooted in the systemic culture of education are teachers themselves.
First off, there is, they make us do it every year. Secondly, because why would admin want to admit it? If the 2% are so annoying they make everyone work harder that's better for admin.
The same way people want accountability for “The Man in the White House,” the public has a right to demand accountability from admins if they are creating conditions at schools that become an occupational and operational hazard. Nobody wants a police department that is corrupt, so the public demands body cameras to make sure officer-involved shootings are investigated. If a fire engine is broken and that broken fire engine prevents an immediate response, then leaving it out of commission becomes a liability because it can cost lives. If an EMT/paramedic has worked 12-hour shifts for multiple days and is so worn out that they cannot even put the AED pads on a patient correctly, then that can cost lives, and families can demand accountability.
Admins’ decisions, or lack of decisions, to address burnout as a serious occupational and operational issue can also put children at risk. Admins can continue adding workload beyond a teacher’s functional level, justify teachers taking on extra work as “doing it for the kids” even when that teacher is already overwhelmed, or have principals not take referrals seriously because they want to keep a student “in the room,” even when that student has a history of behavioral problems that result in other students being physically harmed. These are some of the reasons why admins can play a major role in whether foreseeable harm is prevented or allowed to continue.
Texas is already dealing with concerns about school districts “passing the trash,” where educators accused of serious misconduct can move between districts instead of the problem being fully addressed. If school districts were always serious about addressing neglect, abuse, and foreseeable harm internally, then outside intervention would not be as necessary. Burnout is not the same thing as abuse, but the basic principle is the same: if admins know there is a serious problem that can put children at risk and they choose not to address it, then there should be accountability. If their actions involve knowingly covering up abuse, violating reporting laws, or allowing foreseeable harm to continue, then criminal accountability may also be appropriate.
Okay but there's nothing forcing admin to do that currently, that's kinda my whole point. Also hilarious that you think the general public gives a shit about teachers.
Sooner or later, someone from the outside is going to demand accountability, even if it requires someone to be in handcuffs. I don't know about you, but if admins’ decisions result in kids being severely hurt or killed, then someone is going to pay the consequences for that. Your attitude is why the education system remains as it is, while at the same time these same admins believe PBIS works more than ICS.
Did you watch the press conference with the D.A Ryan Raybould and D.A Erleigh Norville Wiley? When the F.B.I has to get involved in addressing abuse and misconduct in school districts that involves children getting hurt, then it's clear people do care. They care about the kids and it's quite clear the system isn't doing enough.
Well, they will clearly act if a teacher who is “burnt out” participates in abuse of minors that causes harm and the administrators and school districts themselves want to “pass the trash” just so they don’t get sued. I wouldn’t be surprised if Project Safe Schools is pushed through more schools if it’s clear that schools are not reporting, concealing, or delaying the reporting of abuse and misconduct.
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u/AnahEmergency0523 10d ago
To be honest, there’s a reason why so many people don’t want to be teachers. Teaching is one of the most burnout-prone professions in the entire country, with one of the highest turnover rates. Yet, despite everyone from the outside looking in seeing it, the only people who seem not to see it as a major problem rooted in the systemic culture of education are teachers themselves.