My mom was a Jersey Shore educator. I thank her — and teachers meeting NJ kids' needs now
As this school year winds down, I've been thinking about the power of great teachers and reading and re-reading notes about the impact one remarkable educator had on her students: A woman kept her 50-year-old class binder because of the inspirational comments in it, another remembers an open door for teens with unstable home lives and another recalled the teen library that drew kids to her classroom regardless of whether they had her for a teacher.
The teacher so fondly remembered was my mother, Beverly Muldoon, who taught English at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch for 41 years. She passed away a few months ago, but her legacy clearly lives on —a reminder of the enormous and lasting influence educators have on young lives. I witnessed her commitment to her students and the community as I tagged along when she chaperoned the prom, helped at spaghetti dinner fundraisers, saw her heartbreak when two beloved students were killed by a drunk driver, and cheered as she celebrated struggling students passing the New Jersey high school graduation test.
Research shows teachers are the most important factor in schools when it comes to student academic progress. Furthermore, they have an enormous impact on students' emotional lives, including their confidence and the way they see themselves in the world. One man recalled transforming from a "student to a scholar" in Mrs. Muldoon's English class. Others have shared her uncanny ability to engage and challenge them to do their best work, even when other teachers let them slide through the year with Bs and Cs.
I'm worried about our teachers
I'm proud of my mom's legacy, but I can't help feeling worried about the teaching profession. My mom retired before the pandemic disrupted every facet of education in America. Sadly, four years after COVID hit our shores, many students have yet to close pandemic learning gaps. In New Jersey, high-poverty districts are among the hardest hit and will take the longest to recover academically, according to research by Stanford and Harvard economists. Every young person deserves an equal shot in life, and it's up to schools to help lay the academic foundation on which they can thrive.
Teachers can't turn things around on their own. Education leaders and policymakers need to learn from schools and systems making progress. That might mean looking in unexpected places. For example, in Mississippi, where students have fully recovered ground lost in reading during the pandemic, policymakers led the adoption of proven literacy strategies and empowered teachers with related professional development. And in Alabama, student learning has rebounded above pre-pandemic levels in math following the adoption of policies to ensure all schools use evidence-based resources and high-needs schools get math coaches.
It’s not just academics that took a turn for the worse in the pandemic. Seventy percent of teachers surveyed said student behavior has worsened. All this is impacting morale. I lead the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation's Report Card. In addition to assessing student achievement, the report card includes teacher and student survey data. On the most recent report card, teachers were less likely to report feeling inspired by their jobs than in the past.
One of the most important things we can do is ask educators what kind of support they need. Too often decisions are made without strong teacher input. On the Governing Board, teachers join governors, state and district education chiefs, business leaders, and parents to guide the future of the Nation’s Report Card. Having educator input is essential, and we have to make sure they have a seat at the table as we rebuild our education system post-COVID.
We also need to attract and retain new teachers
Given all we're facing, I'm also worried about attracting new teachers and retaining the ones we have. More teachers are leaving the classroom, and education programs are experiencing declining enrollment. My mom taught in the same school for 41 years–teaching well over 5,000 young people during her career. Think about all that knowledge she had of her content and craft, her students and colleagues, and the school culture and community. We can't count on most people to stay in any job that long, but we do have to take action to draw new people into the profession and encourage them to stay long enough to feel invested in the success of the students and community.
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The federal government has been trying to help address the problem, and states are taking action too. In New Jersey, efforts have included programs to encourage people to enter teaching, and in my current hometown of Washington, D.C. a program enables qualified classroom aides to become certified teachers with tuition assistance.
In the meantime, while it may not feel like enough, it's important we show gratitude to teachers in our lives. Sadly, my mom isn't with us anymore to receive the thanks and warm words coming our way, but they mean so much to me and my family.
I'll be making sure to acknowledge the hard work of the educators in my own kids' lives before school lets out. Writing notes and baking treats might not measure up to the efforts they've made to turn my second grader into a super reader, help one of my twin kindergartners manage her big emotions, and help my other kindergartner step out of her shell and find her voice in the classroom this year. But it's what I can do. And I suspect "thank you" are two words teachers would love to hear any time of the year.
Lesley Muldoon is the executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation's Report Card. She graduated from Ocean Township High School, and her mother taught high school English for 41 years at neighboring Shore Regional High School. She resides with her family in Washington, D.C.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ educator Beverly Muldoon was an example for today's teachers
