The Value of Veteran Educators... There is No Expiration Date.

When did years of experience become a negative?

Category:Things that expire...

One of the concerns brought up at the NEA RA, ( National Education Association Representative Assembly), this year, was the reprehensible treatment of veteran educators. All over the United States, it seems veteran educators are under attack.

The Modus Operandi does not differ from state to state. An effective teacher, of a certain age, suddenly becomes "ineffective." Admin picks, picks, and picks until said teacher cannot take it anymore and resigns. Or, said teacher is moved from grade to grade to grade, with the same result, they quit. Once the teacher has resigned, admin is now able to hire one or two new teachers at a lower salary, who they are then able to mold.

If a veteran educator is doing their job effectively, why you ask, would they be harassed until they quit? Their high salary, they won't put up with too much nonsense, they do not follow blindly, they speak their mind, and they can't be fired on a whim. 

I know a number of excellent educators who would still be teaching now if they weren't hounded out of the classroom. It's amusing that you can be an admin of any age, but educators seem to have an expiration date.

Here are a number of reasons veteran educators should be valued:

• They have been teaching a long time. That's not a bad thing, especially if they have taught in the same school. That educator knows the parents, and the kids of their former students who end up sending their kids there. They are a valued member of that community.

• They have been teaching a long time. Yes, I know I repeated myself:) Veteran educators have been through every "new thing" that has come out and and gone back in again. They know what works and what doesn't. They have found a way to teach using the old and the new.

• They are life-long learners. Many of the conferences I attend, especially edtech, are populated by veteran educators. They will be the ones voluntarily sitting in after school or Saturday workshops. They are ready and willing to add whatever strategies they can to reach our ever changing student population. They realize you can't teach these students the way they used to.

• They can be a mentor, especially to the younger teachers. Every veteran educator is not the stereotypical old lady or man spewing poison in the Teacher's Lounge. A lot can be learned from them.

Too many times veteran educators are dismissed for the simple fact that they have reached the age of 50 and beyond. As long as a veteran teacher can do their job effectively, take advantage of what they offer. Brand new is not always better than tried and true!