Kim Frencken: Making respect a law

Finally a state that has some politicians with sense. Recently a group of lawmakers in Alabama presented a bill that has come to be called the Teacher Bill of Rights.

This bill, HB214, reads like a dream to teachers. In it are outlined circumstances and expectations concerning teacher treatment. If this bill passes, teachers will no longer be professional doormats in Alabama.

Advocates for the bill state that teachers are the only professionals who are daily placed in situations where they receive kicks, hits, and name calling, as well as, administrators that do not respect their opinion and parents that treat them like overpaid babysitters. 

This article by Trisha Powell Crain sums up the bill nicely and the thought that went into its' creation. After reading this article, and rereading it, I was amazed at how many areas were included.

Every single one of these rights should have been made into a law years ago. Not only will students be ensured an education in a safe environment, teachers will be given a voice and a safe environment to use that voice to education our children.

For the first time, in a long time, disruptive students will be removed from the classroom. Teachers should not be expected to teach in dangerous or threatening situations.

Why would any parent in their right mind expect a teacher to try and teach in a classroom with volatile children that constantly disrupt the educational process and pose a threat to their own child?

Once teachers get to number 4 on the list, I think we'll hear a collective shout. Administrators will have respect for the opinion of teachers. We've taught for so many years without respect, we won't hardly know how to respond when our opinion is sincerely sought.

We'll be downright giddy when we read the final three: goodbye endless paperwork, hello support. To be allowed to collaborate during the school day is..... unthinkable. To not be weighed down with form after form after form is unreal.

I can't hardly get my mind around this. Then I think... if it's too good to be true, it probably is. I reread the article. Then I googled it. Sure enough, Alabama has finally stepped up and proposed something that actually might save public education! Now, I just pray that this catches fire and spreads to the other 49 states.

To read other articles:

Teachers Bill of Rights

Ensuring Respect in the Classroom

Remove Unruly Students

(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog, Chocolate For the Teacher.)