In the past few weeks we have witnessed Winter Olympic medal winners and participants receiving their medals and much deserved national media coverage, parades, expanded media interviews, front page articles and lengthy news reports. When they arrive home they are met at the airport by more media coverage of all kinds. The Academy Awards or Oscars were recently held and the media was more than obsessed with all the award winners and attendees and what they wore and didn’t wear and on and on. I could note other award broadcasts for music and other entertainment and sports stars of just the past few months. Of course we should be honoring these people, they have worked hard and practiced hard and have been singled out as the best in their profession.
Many of these award winners not only win their specific awards or medals, they are often invited to meet the President of the United States, other high ranking politicians, receive lucrative endorsement contracts and are generally venerated by the general public and ad nauseum by the press. Again, they have earned these accolades.
These award winners are plied with questions so we learn about their hard work, what great things they have done and obstacles they have overcome. What makes what they do rewarding, difficult … do they ever think of giving up? They are presented as examples we should all follow … of what is great about being human, going the extra mile.
On the other hand, we hear from media, politicians and others about how vital and important education is. How teachers, especially great teachers, are vital to society and that we should honor and celebrate them and support them whenever possible. Additionally, we hear now about how vital STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teachers are. The perception, at the very least, is that we are behind in producing teachers that are well versed in STEM and STEM fields, so much so that there are editorials, speeches, rants, and more about how we need to do all we can to attract teachers that have these backgrounds to teach. It has even been stated that this could be a national security issue!
Were you aware that a bit more than a week ago 101 of the best teachers in America were flown out to Washington D.C. because they are the Presidential Award Winners in Math and Science from the past 2 years? They have been singled out as the best in their profession. They are so honored that they met with the President of the United States! Yes! The President, Barack Obama, as did teachers when George Bush was President and before that. Wow! So I don’t know what happened where you live … but did you see front page or any newspaper coverage? National and local TV interviews? Did the press meet them at the airport? Probably not (but please share in comments if that happened where you live).
Where I live education is SO important they even have reporters for the local newspapers and TV news that specialize in education. Their whole job as reporter in some cases is just covering, or includes reporting news about education. So of course we’re sick of reading about and seeing TV interviews about these great teachers … STEM teachers … that are so honored they were flown out to the White House to meet the president! And of course we should be understanding of that coverage … we need more great teachers and so honoring them and giving them this attention is part of attracting more talented folks to teaching … Right? … Um … NO …. I’m sad to say that at least where I live barely a mention besides a few weeks ago along with school fundraisers and the like in a “What’s Going On In Our Schools” kind of column.
And understand, The White House, the US Department of Education, the governor, the state superintendent of schools, the school district where BOTH winners locally teach, all issued, or were quoted in press releases about the awards where they expressed their support for these great teachers. The response from local and national media? A collective YAAAAWN! … not worth covering, much less making a big deal about apparently … even though education, and specifically STEM education, as I mentioned above, is SO important and vital to our nation and community’s future and our economic development.
Education is SO important that one of the national networks even devotes reporters to an ongoing focus on education. So of course their reporter devoted time to cover the awards and interviewed these incredible educators. They had stories on their national news broadcasts singing the praises of these honored and valued teachers … right?
No .. as far as I saw, not a mention on any of the networks, including the one that prides itself on education reporting.
As a nation we are just short of obsessed with the value of education and great teachers because education and teachers are so essential that we would not let this opportunity to celebrate them slip away …. right?
Learning is messy.
I enjoyed reading your blog about the value of teachers. Learning is messy. All educators are so important in the school system. Teachers do a lot for our children and the community.
Things that make you go hmm… Sadly, I don’t believe for one second the national news media in our country is really interested in the matters of education unless it will somehow get them ratings. Ratings and money are the things that interest these organizations. However, I am really shocked that Ms. Ellis did not cover these esteemed teachers in an interview. Really…??? This story seems like it would be one of the most important that she would cover.
And to answer your question, No. I did not not see any coverage of these teachers being awarded in my local news, but I did recently hear a story about some kids getting in a fight at school. Hah! (Violence also gets ratings.)
I would like to add there are several other professions who serve our society in a great way and who are also never recognized on the same level as athletes, musicians, and actors by the news media. Some of these include nurses, police officers, and fire fighters.
I believe that teachers should be rewarded and recognized more because teachers makes a difference in every student one way or another.
I had never thought about how true this is. I am an aspiring teacher and I think it is very interesting how all over the country education is talked about and held to such high importance, yet we barely spend time talking about education achievements. We tend to hear about all the things we need to do to improve education. It would be nice to hear about some places that are exceling in the education of their students.
It is very interesting that the fundamental vehicle for education-teachers-is hardly ever mentioned in the media. While there might be coverage on state and nation wide policy changes, there is rarely coverage on the individuals that make it possible. It is sad that we claim to value education so highly but it’s not worth a lead story on the news. Teachers are taken for granted just as rescue workers and nurses, as Chea stated earlier.