raising the status of teachers

sometimes i check out the "room for debate" feature on the opinion pages of the new york times, and recently, this article about ways (besides raising teacher salaries) to attract more people to the teaching profession.

i particularly liked the response of vern williams, a middle school math teacher in virginia, called "let us teach!" he writes that teachers need to take back the profession:

until practicing classroom teachers are allowed to make real decisions regarding curriculum, assessment, textbooks and professional development, the status of teachers will remain low.

this seems so obvious, and yet it is something that really resonates with me, as i think this accounts for at least part of the reason that i decided i didn't want to be a classroom teacher. mr. williams cites his experience working with johns hopkins university's center for talented youth one summer as proof that teaching sixth graders can feel as prestigious as being a college professor, if the institution you're working for hires selectively but then places confidence in the strength of your choices and methods as an educator. i've worked for the last three summers on the residential life side of mmla, a summer language immersion program for middle school and high school students. i'm going back this summer as a french teacher, and i'm so excited about it -- because in addition to the beginner french class i'll teach in the morning, for 2 out of the 4 weeks of the program i'll also be teaching a 2-hour elective entirely designed by me. i started working at mmla during its first summer and the program is far from flawless, but the directors put incredible faith in their instructors, and it pays off. the learning that occurs takes strange and numerous shapes, and is truly inspiring. i can't help but wonder what would happen if some of that same confidence and freedom was granted to classroom teachers across the country.