School Choice Leaders, Please Don't Fail Us with the Good Ole Buddy System

We often hear the saying, "it's not about what you know but who you know!" Teachers and school leaders a like experience this in our public and charter school districts. Politics play a pivotal part in education especially Human Resources. Charter and other schools of choice aren't exempt from politics and certainly aren't exempt from bias in hiring processes. However, school choice leaders have the opportunity and chance to change the traditional policies and practices that often times push great teachers out of the classrooms and schools.

I believe that school choice leaders can change the dynamics of the good ole buddy system and bring newness to many traditional public school districts that don't protect, advocate for or truly support their educators. We all know this to be true and have had a situation happen in traditional public districts where we had to call on a teacher union to advocate or ensure that we were being treated fairly. School districts top priorities should be to educate and protect our children and to support and protect our educators.

The good ole buddy system in schools doesn't allow for everyone to be treated fairly. Especially school districts that are outside of urban areas. Mostly it empowers the wrong people into positions that aren't improving or helping schools. For example, many Black male educators are pushed out of traditional public schools because we don't want to settle with being the just P.E. Teacher, ISS instructor or persons leading discipline. This speaks to the fact that many public schools just want to entertain not truly educate Black and Brown children. Black male educators who are strong in social justice and progressive change in schools are a threat to those who profit from the school to prison pipeline. do as they disrupt the school to prison pipeline and retain more Black and Brown students in schools. There are too many people who are teaching in classrooms, leading and directing schools who don't have a clue about classroom instruction, school budgets or the importance of engaging families and communities in the school's vision.

We cannot afford for leaders of schools that aren't the traditional public school model to do the same old things that aren't working for and reaching all of our children. This includes hiring friends, neighbors, loved ones and favors for friends and putting them into the educational operational team.

Don't get me wrong. Hiring your friends isn't a bad thing; it can be a good fit for the right reasons. There's a right and wrong way to do things. In most cases, this isn't the notion. In fact, the good old buddy system, protecting people because of who they know or are connected too has caused more schools to fail and lined more people's pockets leaving children out in the cold.

School choice leaders can change the trajectory of the feared teacher shortfall by trying out some of the following:

Hire for quality

Be willing to take chances on educators who can bring something different to the table for student growth

Be understanding that in our profession teachers may have false accusations against them (teachers can be accused of something and punished even if exonerated)

Build strong HR departments that are respectful of differences, understanding and drive customer service and care

Place the needs of students, families and teachers first when filling gaps in schools and departments