Unfortunately, some of the current opinions of people about teachers, are based on insufficient information to make judgement calls in the first place.
It saddens me that these unsubstantiated “rants”, and the media’s choice to focus on the negative aspect of the rights of teachers. Has lead people to overlook the facts.
It has not been considered, by some, that the issues that need to be addressed are indeed pertinent to the continuation of an optimal teaching environment for your children.
Would increase in the number of students per classroom concern you? (It would concern me as a parent). This would result in the decrease of individual attention that your child would receive. That is in fact one of the issues that teachers are trying to avoid.
So a “written” report card was not handed out this year. If you were interested in a more detailed account of your child’s academic standing. A visit to the teacher in person would have remedied that and teachers are more than happy to have a strong ongoing parent/teacher relationship in the first place.
It is important to note that the “Work to Rule” initiative did not affect the quality of teaching in the classroom. Nor the extra-curricular activities such as sports teams. (Run by teachers outside of school hours).
Let’s not forget about the positive and necessary aspects that teachers do provide and will continue to do so in the future. All in the best interests of the students. They rightfully are concerned about their working conditions and that, in the end, will enable them to provide the best educational experience for our children.
Meridyth Wild