I did not intend to vilify teachers or create an impression that I don’t appreciate all you do. I reread my post and can see how you might have taken offense as I lumped teachers, parents, coaches and students into one general category of the disinterested. Not my intent! I’m concerned as to why these groups no longer find the schools to be the center of community life. Where do they go? What do they do? Private lives . . .

Times have changed as you said and there is always something to complain about. I’m not directly connected anymore other than a few events I attend. After 36 years teaching and supporting kids, I’ve seen the changes. I went to school during the 50′s and sat in my little row with my mouth shut and my eyes on every move the teacher made, if not I paid. College in the 60′s and my first job as a teacher, coach, athletic director, all for $4,000 with all the hours that would choke a horse. The 60′s brought us the open classroom – a rebellion to the Ozzie and Harriet years. The education pendulum was swinging wildly into an experimental phase (open schools, etc.). 70′s, 80′s 90′s slowly aimed us toward skills continuums and individualized educational plans. I called these years especially the 90′s the times of false accountability and universal sameness. Paper work became more important than progress. Opportunity became more important than excellence. Now the focus seems to be more toward a business model for educating our young which in my opinion breeds a lack of community.

During all these changes the schools were the hub of the community where teachers and families shared and supported each other. The point I was trying to make but obviously failed was that schools are no longer the hub of the community thus community support for all educational activities is not what it could be. Note that I did not say should be. I’m accepting the change just not convinced it’s for the good.

I was taking to Matt (see above comment) and he pointed out that school assemblies have a different focus lately. He described the last one supporting the music program and said it was fantastic.

No matter where education turns it’s all about a kid and a teacher that cares. That’s where good things happen. That’s how we make a difference. We can’t stop showing up to support the efforts of a student no matter the arena. An empty basketball court is a symptom of not supporting the efforts of our students. It’s not about sports. It’s about a loss of support in what they do. It’s not about private lives, busy times, work load or other commitments. It’s like Matt said, It’s about priorities. Show up, get involved and support our youth.

My feeble attempt in trying to find out “where have all the fans gone” was to see if people find it important to celebrate student efforts in whatever arena they perform. Not just teachers but parents, coaches and other students. We need more of a community. We need locate the changing hub. Maybe it’s online?

ATTACHED COMMENTS BELOW.

Author : Matt McLane
Comment:
I was coaching my own son’s K-2 b’ball team Saturday and then sledding with both of my boys after that . Priorities……….
Matt McLane, proud MHS teacher.

Author : Cathy Butterfield
Comment:
Dear Roger,
Times are changing. Teachers are being asked to do much more than they once were. They are also held accountable for student behavior if they are in a supervisory role. There are pending lawsuits holding schools and teachers responsible that are front page news. In light of these changes, I am no longer willing to supervise dances or other outside activities. I am honest with students about these facts, but I am not willing to put my career on the line for behavior that is outside of my control.

Also, as a teacher of writing and critical thinking I often spend far more than 7 1/2 hours–or the contracted teacher workday, in school. Last week I graded over 800 pages of written responses (short answer and full essays)for the midterm exam. Of the two major essays, one had a required outline on which I gave extensive feedback. That outline took me 30 minutes per student (I have 68 in that course), so you can do the math. I did that work everyday over winter break. I was proud of the feedback and it yielded good results, but it didn’t leave me a lot of discretionary time. More importantly, the time and commitment to feedback, is commonplace for me.

I am a dedicated professional, but I have a private life that sustains me. I already devote more hours to this community than I am paid for and while those empty seats in the gym say something important, I am not sure they support your conclusions about the attitudes of teachers over time. Roger, I am not blind or deaf. The media and the general public (and now you)has been vilifying teachers for decades now, and there is a cost well beyond empty seats at a sporting event. The way Americans feel about education–which really means how they feel about paying for education, is taking a toll. Morale is down. Salaries are not keeping pace and are actually dropping. There are new and enormous demands for the development of rigorous, relevant, and authentic curriculum, instructional methods and assessment. The demands have changed. The language to describe the demands and measure their growth has changed. The community support, which mirrors the nation, has changed too; it has
dropped. These realities are problematic.

Perhaps it is unrealistic to expect teachers to absorb, reflect, revise, and deliver on changing expectations and still have time, energy, or inclination to attend outside events. An old teaching friend of mine said, Cathy, if you are working harder than your students, you are doing something wrong. I thought it was a smart comment, but I have never been on the winning side of that formula and suspect I never will. If I do manage to “work smarter”, I hope I have the smarts to invest any additional time I have in the people who truly support me–my family.

I like and respect you Roger, but I am offended by your casual commentary that appears to judge and measure teacher dedication based on the number of spectators in a gym. Really?

He responded with a very glib one liner, “Are you talking about the game where spaulding manager and team captain giving the finger to our kids at the end of the game?” I was floored for two reasons. One, SHS girls are much better than that and the frustration of loosing and being pelted with beads and insults at the end of the game surely took them to a bad place. No excuse for this behavior! Two, BFA administration deflecting their student behavior for an offensive act by the opponent is irresponsible and childish. At no time In our correspondence did anyone from BFA indicate that they were concerned or had inquired into the bad fan behavior. Instead they pointed their anger at me for bringing it to their attention. I do not live in their town and I’m not connected in anyway with their community, so I guess I should just be quiet and mind my own business.

VPA has been doing a good job of addressing sportsmanship around the state and many athletic directors are practicing the VPA guidelines with good effect. It’s places like BFA St Albans that need help in this area and I’m not talking just about the kids or fans.

The MHS player playing to the crowd made me think of a cheerleader. Cheerleaders are amazing athletes and play “outside” the lines. Basketball players play “inside” the lines. Don’t get the two confused.