Statement from the American Federation of Teachers
on the Public Agenda Poll 'Stand by Me'
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It’s great to see that American teachers support reforms the AFT has long put at the top of its agenda.  Accountability, performance pay, high standards for teachers and students, and incentives to get the best teachers in hard-to-staff and low-performing schools, are efforts that all score high marks from respondents to this poll. 

A few other themes emerge clearly.  Teachers admire their accomplished, hard-working colleagues, and they resent those who ought not be in their ranks.  The poll’s findings show that unions and their district partners who are working to make teacher dismissal procedures streamlined and fair are on the right track.  The AFT has long been on record calling for meaningful standards for achieving tenure, and providing new teachers with the mentoring systems and other supports that will assure that they reach those rigorous standards. 

The findings of this poll also support efforts underway in many places (and championed by the AFT) to develop appropriate ways to compensate master teachers – experienced, excellent teachers who teach in hard-to-staff schools, and/or those who assume additional assignments, or who take on special responsibilities. 

These findings underscore the fact that teachers are a very important factor in children’s education.  This poll clearly indicates that teachers are committed to their students and their profession.  They readily accept responsibility for the work they do, but they know they cannot succeed without the support of others – parents, the school administration and the students themselves.  Teachers are confident in their ability to make a difference in students’ lives, but they know their impact is tempered by many other factors, including family support, student effort and the effects of family income.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.