New Teacher Decisions and Dilemmas
The Situation
Imagine this scene: It is late in the day; you are both exhilarated and exhausted and desperate to sit down for a few minutes. However, you have to attend your first faculty meeting. The Faculty Bulletin indicates that someone from the central office will present the school board's merit pay proposal. She will be followed by a representative from the local teacher's association who will make a pitch for new teachers to join the local and state organizations as well as the National Education Association (NEA). Afterward your principal will talk about the school district's intention to shift to a school-based management plan.
You sit down at a table with two other new teachers and Sally Thomas, your "mentor" teacher. One new teacher asks Sally if an AFT representative is going to be present. Sally smiles, says "No," and explains that although the American Federation of Teachers often represents teachers in large cities, it is not popular with teachers in many suburban districts. Sally then engages two other faculty members in a spirited discussion about the school board's merit pay plan and the new concept of school-based management.
As your principal starts the meeting, questions begin to form in your head. What benefits will you receive from membership in the NEA and its local and state affiliates? Are there different benefits connected with AFT membership? What other professional organizations might you join? Is school-based management just a fad, or will it change the way your school is run? Considering the proposed new pay system, should you begin work on a master's degree, as Sally thinks you should?
Thought Questions
- How important do you believe it is that teachers continue to strive for recognition as professionals?
- What benefits would you gain from professional organization membership?
- Are there any disadvantages to joining professional organizations?
- At this point in your career, which of the two major professional organizations looks more attractive to you? Why?
- What types of professional development do you plan to pursue during and after your first year of teaching?
