Why Teaching is the Most Important Profession

Over the last 8 - 12 years, huge shifts have been occurring in education that are continuing to impact teaching and learning today. Some changes are positive, such as our nation’s record high school graduation rate, narrowing achievement gaps, and a greater number of students—particularly African-American and Hispanic—attending college.

But all types of change—particularly those that have the potential to yield the most positive outcomes—can be challenging. Change requires that we confront the status quo. It demands new ways of approaching our work. And it takes resolve to see new beginnings through to their end.

Now, at a time when educators are courageously raising the bar for student achievement higher than ever before, the job of the American teacher has never been more critical to the success of our children and to the prosperity of our nation.

Educators frequently share that teaching is the most difficult job that anyone can have—and the most rewarding.

Teachers are our nation builders—the strength of every profession in our country grows out of the knowledge and skills that teachers help to instill in our children.

And, as a nation, we must do much, much more to fully appreciate and support their work.

With the transition to more rigorous achievement standards and better student assessments, a focus on data to drive instruction, and the use of technology to personalize learning, teachers are carrying an incredible amount of responsibility. It’s because of the teachers across the country who I’ve seen stepping up to the challenge that I am more optimistic about the state of the teaching profession than ever.

We are in the midst of a new era—one with more engaging lessons and creativity and innovation, which is bringing joy back into the classroom. For adults willing to stick with it, there simply could not be a better time to be a teacher.

The state of teaching is stronger because teachers everywhere are leading from their classrooms and taking on new roles to improve education for kids. And we all know, when teaching is stronger, students benefit with increased engagement and achievement.

A great example of teacher leadership can be found in Marshall, Michigan. Just this year, four teachers at a rural middle school who were tired of seeing their at-risk students continue to fall through the cracks, took action.

These teachers participated in a Teach to Lead Leadership Lab, where they secured partnerships with local organizations, universities and health care providers and collaborated with the community to support their students. No one told these teachers to pick up this mantle. They took initiative by joining other teachers across the country who are engaging in Teach to Lead, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Education and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to encourage authentic opportunities for teachers to lead, without having to leave the classroom or the profession they love. To lead, these teachers didn’t have to quit their jobs or become principals. They did what teachers everywhere do.

The potential payoff to students from this teacher leadership cannot be overstated. In Marshall, Michigan, the leadership team is building a community school with a healthcare clinic that will provide services to kids living in poverty. Soon, children will arrive at school without toothaches, chronic asthma, or undiagnosed and untreated trauma. The community is stepping up so that their children can learn.

There is no better resource for a school than teachers who are empowered and equipped to solve problems using their own talent and experience. It does not take a federal initiative or a state program for teachers to solve the biggest challenges in education. Yet, for teachers to truly lead large-scale transformation, state and local systems must be willing to provide teachers both time and training to exercise leadership. We, at the federal level, support and encourage their efforts.

I’m convinced that we must do more to encourage teachers who long to share in the responsibility of leading change in our schools. Principal Jackie Corey of Lehigh Senior High School, just outside of Ft. Myers, Florida, is using a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant to cultivate the leadership of her school’s strongest teachers. Teacher leaders at Lehigh are taking on hybrid roles, teaching for part of the day and supporting and coaching their peers when they are not teaching.

What Jackie Corey did was simple and yet powerful. She recognized that she needed help to build the capacity of her teachers, so she looked for committed, talent teachers, and gave them the opportunity to lead without leaving their first loves—their students. And results for students have been positive. Lehigh went from 11th place in the district on state tests in biology in 2012 to 4th place in 2014. In algebra, the students increased proficiency from 40 to a 62 percent during that same time period. Does the school still have work to do? Absolutely. But I am confident that with a strong principal who believes in harnessing and supporting the power of teacher leaders in her building, Lehigh will get there.

I’m also confident about the future of the teaching profession because, in so many places, education is being put back into the hands of teachers. I know that this work will take time, but it will get easier as teachers lead the change and as school leaders and others provide teachers with the time and training to equip educators as agents of change.

Teaching has never been easy, and it never will be.

It takes heart, commitment and passion. But for all the very real challenges, I am so optimistic about where we are going. Why? Because of the teachers who are entering the field and who are in the field now who will lead the way. They will shape the state of this profession—and the future prospects of our children.