sa国际传媒官网网页入口

As retired teachers 鈥� of many years 鈥� and former sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools board members, we want to respond to Danielle Gonzales鈥檚 opinion piece in the March 15 Sunday Journal. As board members, we frequently disagreed on specific policies, but always shared a deep commitment to educators, students and the community. In both roles, students鈥� success and well-being were top of mind for us and our colleagues. As teachers of young children, we share an understanding of children. Young students need play, exploration, experiences that develop knowledge, and the need to be respected and supported with their language and culture.

We both continue to have close relationships with practicing educators, families and school communities. We hear concerns about increased testing, more related screen time and a focus on testing outcomes rather than the development of the whole child.

Consequently, the outcome of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Teachers Federation鈥檚 survey wasn鈥檛 a surprise.

A survey response rate of 30% is considered good, even according to some APS administrative staff. Around 30% is the typical response rate for email, as well as online surveys, according to most research. The union made no claim this survey was representative of 100% of APS teachers. Neither was there a claim the survey was research based.

Of course many surveys are riddled with leading questions, but who decides which questions fall into that category? Did those who completed the survey feel the questions were biased or leading them to elicit negative responses? We know teachers are smart enough and capable of recognizing biases and leading questions.

The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Teachers Federation conducted and analyzed the survey. It was apparent this came from the teachers union, whose focus is representing and supporting the educators. Federation members didn鈥檛 try to pull the wool over anyone鈥檚 eyes. Their role is to make sure educators thrive so students can thrive.

Although the two of us writing this piece have different relationships with the union and the role we believe it should play in education policy, we both know that educators know their students. They have the expertise and creativity in their practice to serve their students. If their working conditions become too stressful with unreasonable demands that have nothing to do with their teaching, students suffer. It鈥檚 impossible to separate the needs of students and the needs of the adults. Having taught our entire careers, we can attest to this.

This survey is a call to action for collaborating to develop the environment and culture a healthy school district needs. We ask that those who denigrate our children鈥檚 performance to rather be uplifting in their praise of our students, who are more than capable of performing at the highest levels. Many times, that performance isn鈥檛 shown on a test, but rather in a beautifully drawn picture, a song well sung, a race well run, a word well spoken, a mind ready for a teacher鈥檚 instruction. We must preserve our students鈥� greatness and the probability of their success. Let鈥檚 make a positive turn, not doubting our educators' ability to teach and our students' ability to be academically successful. We know they鈥檒l go beyond just academic success and bring goodness to our world.

Peggy 惭耻濒濒别谤-础谤补驳贸苍, is a former sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools Board vice president and a former board member for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. 

Barbara Petersen is a former APS Board member and president of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Teachers Federation New Mexico retirees.