In Education, Autonomy and Accountability Help Everyone

Today I submitted the following response to an article in the Denver Post.

The importance of Superintendent Boasberg’s push to give schools more autonomy and greater accountability is made clear in Denver Teachers Challenge Law Over Forced Placement of Teachers. Autonomy and accountability serve the interests of teachers, who are concerned about staffing decisions, and advocates of reform, who are concerned about providing the best education possible to Colorado students.

Boasberg’s statement that staffing “is a matter for the courts to decide” shows that, without autonomy and accountability, the outcome is undesirable for all involved. When principals are not given the power to hire and retain the best teachers there is, understandably, reason for educators to be upset. Top-quality teachers do not demonstrate their skills in a courtroom. Similarly, parents and students deserve teachers who excel in the classroom.

In order for teachers to be treated with the respect they deserve principals must be able to hire the best educators and must also face the consequences of failing to hire the best. Many teachers spend countless hours honing unit and lesson plans, and spend countless more hours tailoring plans to fit the needs of specific students. No such teacher should suffer because staffing is left in the hands of legislators or judges.

Similarly, parents and students deserve schools that are empowered to make necessary staffing choices and are held to account for the outcomes of those choices. Every parent should feel that their child learns from teachers who are chosen for their ability to meet student needs.

Boasberg is right that “the principle of forced placement for teachers is a bad thing.” It is bad for teachers, parents, and students. High-quality teachers deserve to be recognized and rewarded for their talents, not shuffled around due to legislative dictate or judicial decision. Parents and students deserve the best possible educators, not those who are placed by a congressperson or judge.