Us Vs. Them: Why Minister Johnson's Polarizing Culture Won't Work

I love teacher movies.  Love them.  Generally, you get to see a teacher-warrior wade into a negative situation fraught with an unsupportive administration/district and disengaged/criminal students, and turn the whole situation around with sheer determination and fortitude.

I cry every time. Those who know me are not surprised by this.

But every once in a while, you meet teachers who do that kind of thing in real life.

A few years ago, a teacher at my school was coaching basketball.  He worked relentlessly with his team, a group of rascals if I ever saw one; they practiced after school, on weekends, over the holidays.  These boys sure learned a lot about basketball.  They must’ve; they won the city championship that year.

But he taught them so much more than basketball.  He taught them about teamwork.  About striving for excellence.  Most importantly, he taught them how to take responsibility for their actions – on the court, and off. They were, quite honestly, changed boys by the end of the season.  Their attitudes improved and their grades increased.  Perhaps most importantly, they learned a great deal about personal integrity.  I wish Jeff Johnson had that teacher when he was younger. 

In this morning’s Edmonton Journal, there is an article that says that the Premier will not be removing Jeff Johnson from his post as Education Minister.  This is understandable, I suppose, given that there will be a new leader in a few short months and cabinet will likely shuffle.  So, we all have to work with the minister we have, at least for the foreseeable future.  If Minister Johnson truly wishes to move forward WITH Teachers, he needs, like that school basketball team, to take some responsibility for his actions.

On 630 CHED, the Minister spoke out about the non-confidence vote at the Annual Representative’s Assembly of the Alberta Teacher’s Association.  Here’s what he had to say about that group of people, regular classroom teachers elected to represent all teachers, “At the end of the day, I respect that they have an organization that has a job to do.  They are there to represent their members; they are there to represent their organization.  I’m here to represent students.”

Here’s the deal: the minister is wrong.  He has established himself as the protector of children, and teachers as protectors of their own organization.  This artificial bifurcation negates the very work teachers do each and every day.  It minimizes the struggles teachers face in the classroom and it is disrespectful of the thousands of daily student-teacher interactions in this province.

I have an example of what I mean, although I’m sure all of you could provide similar stories.  Some of my colleagues worked with a young lady with a host of special needs.  The learning coach at the school invited the district consultant in to work on learning strategies to help the student.  The teachers worked with the learning coach and parents to create the student’s IPP and the teachers and student worked to make those goals a reality.  The parents worked with the teachers and administration to ensure that they supported their daughter academically.  And at the end of the girl’s grade nine year, the school’s social worker made certain this young lady had a special Grade Nine Farewell by finding a dress through Cinderella’s Closet and convincing a salon to donate their services to do the young lady’s hair and nails.  The entire community worked together to ensure she had a positive and nurturing environment. 

By saying that only HE is working in the best interest of students, Mr. Johnson is negating the kind of teamwork that exists in schools that consistently provides the best possible environment for children.

We do not need “us vs. them” friction.  Education cannot move forward in this province with this kind of attitude.  The resulting tension does not promote collegiality and respect, the kind of culture that can positively influence growth and change.  Instead, the Minister is actually stifling our profession by fostering a climate of distrust and cynicism.  He needs to take responsibility for that and take immediate steps to rectify it.  We need a visionary leader who empowers us to move forward into the future, not one who rebukes us at every turn.

Somehow, in the public’s mind, this entire issue has become about recertification and evaluation, which is another example of how Minister Johnson is working AGAINST the profession instead of WITH it. 

Before anyone gets too excited, I am NOT suggesting that teachers do not need a review process.  There is one in place, and maybe that process DOES need to be revised to ensure that each teacher is demonstrating competence according to the Ministry’s standards.  All good organizations need to evolve processes over time in order to stay current; the ATA is no different.  But to demand that EVERY teacher go through this process would be an expensive, time-consuming, onerous task, one mired in bureaucracy and paperwork.  We need to thoughtfully consider how teacher evaluation could be improved to ensure meaningful conversations contribute to continual pedagogical improvement.  I’m not sure, just yet, what that would look like.  What I can tell you, for certain, is that you don’t use dynamite when a dental pick will do. 

(As an aside…  I totally stole that last line from someone, but I don’t remember from whom.  Props to that person!)

We need to remember that Alberta has been a top-performing jurisdiction for years because of the hard work and cooperation of teachers, administrators, school boards, the Ministry, and the ATA.  Mr. Johnson needs to take responsibility for creating the impression that there is a problem with teacher quality in this province in the first place, and placing that very cooperation in jeopardy.

And so…

At the end of the day, teachers are professionals who want the best for kids.  We would not be in this profession if it weren’t for the kids, because it sure isn’t about the glory.  It is immensely rewarding, and I am proud to be part of it; further, I am proud to call my fellow teachers my colleagues. 

I want to be super clear.  I am not an ardent unionist; I’ve done committee work for both the Ministry and the ATA. I do not represent one side of an argument;  polarized positions do not help students or teachers.  What I would like to see is a measured, considered approach to the issues at hand. Based on the Minister’s comments, however, it does not appear to be possible at the present time.

This is why we need to act:

Because we all hope for better.  We hope for better learning conditions for students, because we want students to have the absolute best. We hope to be able to work with our parents, districts, communities, and Ministry to ensure that schools are positive, inclusive places to be.  In order to move forward, we need a constructive, cooperative culture that fosters ethical thinking, engaged citizenship, and an entrepreneurial spirit in students AND teachers.  Those qualities cannot, and will not, flourish in a climate of conflict and distrust, which is precisely the reason why teachers expressed their non-confidence in the Minister through a unanimous vote. 

Thank you to all of you who have commented upon and posted my previous blog post. Please keep the conversation going.  Share your concerns about the real issues that impede teacher excellence with your MLA.  Talk about the issues with your colleagues and in your communities.  By doing so, we will foster positive change in this province, something our students need and deserve.