Support for Teachers and Administrators

A school without teachers is nothing more than a daycare center. The objective of an educational system is to provide students with a quality education of the highest degree. For that to happen, it is requisite that teachers be supplied with the tools and backed with the support they need to deliver top-level instruction in the classroom. Happy and reinforced teachers result in competent students, and the governing school board must both protect and champion teachers.

Teachers are, literally and figuratively, on the front lines of education. When educational "orders" are passed down from administrators and legislators, teachers are the ones who must apply these to the classroom. When students struggle, teachers are the ones who deal with such strains in person and in real-time. If a pupil fails, the teacher takes the blame. But just as you cannot expect a carpenter to build a mansion with a toothbrush and no blueprints, so must our teachers be equipped with the supplies, training, and direction they need to be effective in the classroom and deliver desired results. Our teachers must be "sent to the front lines," ready to engage with students and embrace the challenges they face daily. If we do not set up teachers for success, then how can we be surprised when students fail?

At the same time, our administrators work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the day-to-day details run smoothly. By providing the structure and framework—from finances to school lunches to leadership and direction—administrators ensure teachers have the environment necessary to carry out their essential functions. When administrators are supported, teachers are supported. If a teacher finds themselves in need, the first place they turn is to their administrators. And if the administrators find themselves unequipped to support those needs, teachers become inefficacious. When we fail administrators, we fail teachers. 

Administrators are in a unique situation. If teachers are on the front lines, our superintendent, directors, principals, and support staff are in "the war room." These individuals juggle dealing directly with teachers, parents, public officials, governing board members, students, legal demands, and state standards.