'We can no longer retreat to our classrooms and leave the debate to others"

Q: What was the experience like of attending the teacher town hall?

A: Attending the Teacher Town Hall Meeting was a wonderful experience.
Teachers from across the country shared concerns over current education issues. It was interesting to find that our concerns were universal.

Q: Did any question or answer surprise you?

Given the current dialogue about education there was little that surprised me. Overwhelmingly teachers spoke of wanting more involvement in solving the problems in education and a frustration that educational policy is so often initiated and mandated by those far removed from the classroom. There was passionate discussion about recognizing the complexity of teaching and treating teachers as members of a profession, rather than as a vocation.

Q: Jim, you were almost featured as the teacher for this show. What do  you think people learned from hearing from and about real teachers?

The stories of real teachers and their problems and successes was compelling. Research and data doesn't resonate with people nearly as strongly as stories and first hand experiences. Throughout the program survey results and research were followed up with stories from classrooms across the country. NBC should be applauded for bringing to the public arena issues that teachers struggle with daily at a time when teachers and schools are being blamed for those problems.

Q: Any topic or issue you would have wanted to hear discussed more?

Because the Town Hall Meeting was the opening event for the Education Nation Summit, the topics were broad and open-ended. Everyone present seemed to feel that we had only begun to raise the issues that need more discussion and debate. The Town Hall Meeting continued well after the two hour program ended on air. The issues raised have been followed up with panels throughout the week. I would like to have heard more about the role that technology may play in education in the future. I teach in a rural district that has benefitted from a 1:1 laptop initiative. I have seen firsthand how technology can change the nature of teaching and learning. While technology holds a lot of potential for addressing students' needs, there is terrible inequity across the country when it comes to access to technology. I believe that more needs to be done to address the "digital divide" that exists in our country. All students need access to current technology and to the Internet. 

Q: Was there too much emphasis on something you think really think merits less attention?

A: Last year's Summit was dominated by the release of the controversial documentary, Waiting for Superman. The timing of that release and the heated debate it generated divided stakeholders and promoted finger pointing. I feel that the tone of this year's Summit was more positive and that the discussions were more substantive.

Q: Anything else you want to share about the experience?

A: As with any conference or summit, it is important that the the dialogue continue. I hope that teachers will take advantage of opportunities to tell their stories, to share their concerns and to share their successes. We can no longer retreat to our classrooms and leave the debate to others. We are the skilled professionals who hold the answers for the future of our profession. It is important that our voice is heard.