The latest TLN blogger to post commentary on the new MetLife Survey of the American Teacher is frankly outraged by a survey finding that “Only 36% of teachers and 51% of principals believe that all of their students have the ability to succeed academically.”
Renee Moore, who blogs at TeachMoore, is a former Mississippi Teacher of the Year and Milken Award winner who lives and teaches in the Delta. She writes in part:
Not only do a lower percentage of secondary teachers believe setting high expectations for all students would help improve their performance, but distressingly few (62%) believed that addressing individual needs of diverse learners would help; and even fewer (57%) saw the value of collaboration among teachers and school leaders.
…if fully 64% of us think at least some (maybe quite a few) of the students for whom we are responsible don’t even have the ability to succeed, then we have just excused ourselves from anything close to our best efforts on their behalf. Sadly, I’ve had more than a few conversations with teachers who feel exactly that way….
