In 2016, I was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. What has happened to each of us since then tells us a lot about what's happening in our profession.

A (snow day) thread.

My dude @SPSheehan ran (sadly unsuccessfully) for the State Senate in OK on a platform of better school funding. A new father who couldn't afford to stay in the classroom, after the election he moved to TX for better pay. He's now doing a policy fellowship in DC.

AP US History YouTube creator @joczproductions changed schools this year after becoming frustrated with the situation at the school he'd worked the last decade. He like thousands of LA teachers spent a chunk of January striking over class-size & lack of supports for students.

For recent followers, thanks to a deeply flawed funding formula produced by the Washington State Legislature, I and thousands of teachers across the state struck this fall. I wrote about my experience here. https://www.natebowling.com/a-teachers-evolving-mind/2018/9/15/a-tacoma-teacher-strike-reflection

2016 National Teacher of the Year @JahanaHayesCT is no longer teaching and is a member of the US House from Connecticut *insert reggae horn blasts*.

Dear reader: What does it say about the state of US schools that half of us felt drawn to DC to do policy work and the two of us that remained in the classroom both went on strike this year?

The most important in-school factor impacting student achievement is teacher quality, period. But there's a roiling frustration within our profession and effective, impactful mid-career educators in my overlapping teaching circles are burning out.

Some reminders:

Teachers deserve manageable workloads

Teaching is a profession and effective teachers have options

Our students deserve schools with meaningful support services

Our most needy students deserve effective & experienced teachers--not a revolving door novices.

Teachers aren't inter-changeable parts and the departure of effective teachers from high-need schools is a crisis that widens existing inequity in our schools and society.

Again, our neediest deserve our best--not whomever they can get.

End.

I guess I'm supposed to plug my SoundCloud here, but I don't have one. I do have a podcast called the Nerd Farmer, @nerdfarmpod. You can get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the usual spots. https://open.spotify.com/show/7xvxEeXFsXwcpTbkkUelwm?si=N7fW-UfgRkS4KUk6u53Fjw