Teaching Too Soon?

On May 17, 1954 by a unanimous vote, the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Board of Education declares that “separate but equal” education facilities are “inherently unequal” and that segregation is therefore unconstitutional. Yet, schools are still racially segregated, and in fact, the educational system has consistently failed poor people of color.

In August of this year a group of parents filed a law suit against the department of Education and the secretary of Education. Those involved in the lawsuit claimed that the department of Education gave a free pass to States like California by allowing them to hire intern teachers. They also claimed that schools serving minority students had a higher concentration of intern teachers than others. Those involved in the lawsuit argued that the Department of Education failed to enforce the requirements set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act, thus, leaving the most vulnerable child behind. The “No Child Left Behind Act” requires that teachers be highly qualified, which essentially means that they have a degree in the subject area in which they are teaching. Once again the government has failed to police and enforce the laws that would ensure an equal education for all. The government argued that teaching interns help to address the shortage of teachers in areas which serve minority students.

This requirement in the NCLB is key; teachers play a significant role in the education crisis and quality teachers are essential. We do not send a first year law student into the court room alone, so why send a first year teaching student into the classroom? Instead of offering these students an inherently unequal education, why not offer other incentives for teachers, such as an increase in pay? Teaching is one of the most underpaid and undervalued professions in America yet the most important. Brown v. Board of Education and the “No Child Left Behind Act” look great on paper but when it comes to the government executing these laws it becomes nothing more than a fairytale, a hopeful read.