This week was by far the hardest, most difficult week I have ever had in my whole teaching career and yet, it wasn't my students. It's a hard thing to teach in this country. You have to do something that other teachers in other countries don't have to do (or don't have to spend as much time doing). That is making the students care about their futures and motivating them. You have to learn that it's just not about you in the classroom but you have to consider the young ones and allow them time to speak. Either way, it is this very same thing I fought for this week and I was surprised by the reaction of the people above me.
Since the beginning of this year, I was asked to teach the students how to pass the FCAT Science test (an integrated science test) rather than teach Chemistry to my 11th grade students. At every given moment, I dodged the superiors until I got caught and had no choice but to meet with them to explain myself.
See, our school gets money based on these test scores and the money entices many. The fame and glory of becoming a letter grade higher is more appealing than sending these students off to college with some degree of preparedness. I was being asked to stop teaching chemistry and give the students a grade for Integrated Science (therefore, inflating their grade) and I found it completely unethical. My students, even though they aren't the best in Chemistry preferred to learn and struggle through the harder subject rather than relearn Integrated Science. Seeing that they needed to pass the test though, I emailed them the materials to study from at home. But it wasn't enough for the powers that be.
So I had a meeting. I brought in my union rep, refused outright, cried, and ended up asking if they didn't care about these kids' futures. No one dared to reply after. I did find out that there was a law that was set up to prevent all of what was being asked of me so I did send it to my administrator with a note letting her know that she was asking me to break the law.
Maybe this will not go anywhere but at the same time, I had had enough. Sometimes, you have to say enough is enough and I surely had enough. If having a paycheck requires you to compromise your values, then that paycheck is not worth it. My parents never did this and they never raised us to put money over people....especially these kids. They may not all become chemists but if given the foundation, who is to say what they will do in college? This is my responsibility. Even if we never finish the syllabus, at least they would have learned a few chapters very well so that they aren't completely lost when they sit in an auditorium and listen to the drone of their college professors.
As the week progressed, the superiors avoided me and it wasn't as if I went out of my way looking for them. There was a barrage of stupid requests that I realized was their way of getting cheap thrills and I played along. I have yet to see what will come of this but until then, I will wait.
