Biggest problem facing our public schools?

What is the single biggest problem facing our public schools today? That is a question I have been asking audiences around the state for several years, and inevitably I hear things like insufficient funding, teacher shortage, unfunded mandates, death by testing, and so forth. While I cannot discount the significance of these problems, I do believe that they are all created by a much bigger problem.

Our public schools have a massive image problem and what we need is a really good PR campaign to change that image from one that is currently demoralizing and crippling the profession to one that strengthens public confidence and lifts up educators. Ask yourself why there is a teacher shortage? Would it be difficult to recruit and retain crew members to work on a sinking ship? It is equally difficult to recruit and retain teachers to join the crew of a public school system that is perceived to be sinking.

A good friend of mine is a Dallas firefighter. One Saturday night he stopped for a Big Gulp and while paying for the drink the lady behind the register suggested he buy a lottery ticket because the pot was up in the hundreds of millions. He had an extra dollar and decided to go for it. The lady behind the register then says to my friend, “I bet if you win you won’t be going back to work on Monday.” My friend the fireman looked at her, confused, and said, “What do you mean? Of course I’d go back to work on Monday. I love my job.” The lady looked at him with amazement and asked, “What do you do?” He responded, “I’m a fireman. I put out fires and save lives. I have the greatest job in the world.”

Firefighters do not have an image problem. They speak well of their profession and it is clear that they all love what they do. Why do educators have such a pervasive image problem? Chiefly, people don’t believe educators love what they do, and therein lies the solution.

We must better prepare educators to act as ambassadors for themselves, their classrooms, their campuses, their districts, and the profession. After all, educators put out fires and save lives in our schools every single day and it’s time they received the recognition and admiration they have earned.

Scott Milder

Cambridge Principal and Communications Strategist