For the past several weeks, I’ve been working at a charter school in South Central Los Angeles. The charter organization is dedicated to providing education to students who have been ‘unsuccessful in traditional classrooms.’ The students are gang members, wards of the state, on probation, and former Youth Camp inmates. Many of the students have children; even more of them are without parents. In the past week my classroom was broken into, there was one fight, one student went to jail, three students were caught gambling with dice, and I had food thrown in my face…twice.
This is not meant as a litany of complaints. I am simply trying to share the nuances of my experience and to record realities that might be of interest to those who are dedicated to education reform. Clearly, these kids are in a situation that requires drastic action.
Many administrators at the school have tried to reassure me and to praise my efforts in working with at-risk youth. “They will test you,” I am often told. “It’s only because they have abandonment issues. They will grow to love you if you just stick it out.”
Another staff member was more grave in her analysis, “They resent you because you’re white,” she said. Every white person the students have ever met either wanted to fix them or to punish them. I can see how my role as a teacher fits neatly into that stereotype.
But the general sentiment is always the same, “You’re doing good. Just don’t let the students scare you off.”
I submitted my resignation on Friday, but not because the students ran me off. The students were the best part of the job and the only reason I wanted to stay.
For all the anger and hate that they espoused, I loved the students (well, I loved many of them…). Sure, they tested me, but we bonded. They wanted me to teach them. They craved an education.
I left because of the administration. Like the students, I need stability and guidance. I am only a first year teacher and I am still, sometimes, unsure of what to do. The administration at the school was not able to help me. The principal was splitting his time between five school sites. The English teacher was often MIA, pursuing other jobs because he was not receiving his paycheck. My Teaching Assistant was transferred to a different school site last Thursday. There were days when the entire school was run by substitutes; anyone who has ever been a high schooler can guess how the students behaved on those days.
I described the situation as being on the wrong side of a revolving door; each time new staff came and went I was getting hit in the face by the door’s swing. Much to my surprise, the other staff members supported my decision. They understood my feelings perfectly, since my experiences echoed their own.
In many ways, this situation demonstrates a critical need in Education Reform. Too often, reform policies target the classroom; curriculum is mandated, resources are distributed, or teacher quality is stringently assessed. These were not, however, the issues that I encountered. (Although I think the argument could be made that my lack of experience was a contributor to my difficulties).
Instead, I think reform efforts should take the shape of a Top-Down approach. In order to create successful schools, we need successful administrators and an iron-clad infrastructure. To thrust quality teachers into negative situations and expect them to produce positive classrooms is faulty. I can say from personal experience that the teachers in this situation will burn out, no matter how much heart or dedication they possess.
This is not to say that teachers need helicopter administrators hovering over their every action. Rather, the key to empowering teachers to create a dynamic learning environment is offering those teachers support, comradery, and a solid foundation to build from.
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