Stephanie Newitt, a parent at Gilbert Public Schools, provide her case for Public Education for the following guest commentary at East Valley Tribune: Public education – what’s the big deal?
Public education IS a big deal to everyone in the community.
So, how are strong schools identified? Strong schools are identified through student achievement. In fact, the Gilbert School Board code of ethics includes this point in their policy — “Remember always that a board member’s first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools” (see GPS Board Policy BCA.) One must then ask the question, “What is the number one factor that impacts student achievement?” The number one factor that impacts student achievement is teacher effectiveness. Research states that “teacher effectiveness has a greater impact on student achievement than the factors of student ethnicity, family income, the school attended by the student, or class size.”
How do we fair in Gilbert for attracting highly effective teachers? Since the current school board majority has ruled for the last two years, teacher resignations have increased by 96 percent since 2012. At the end of the 2013-2014 school year over 300 educators left the district! The number of positions left open was greater than the number of applicants. GPS is struggling to attract highly effective educators to the district. Long-term substitute teachers are being hired to teach classes, and class sizes have increased at many campuses to be larger than 35. How well will students learn in such an environment? We need a culture in our community that says that the education of our children is important and that highly effective educators are valued.
Gilbert Public School Board Observer 