Did you know, that in Spain,
the teachers are awarded points for their years of work instead of basing their abilities on student's test scores.
AND...
the government finds jobs for the teachers
That's just the begininng. Let's start with some recent college graduates...
Pretend this is Johnny who just graduated from Rutgers.
And this is Lily who just graduated from Ramapo.
Both graduates earned their NJ teaching certificate. Johnny had a fulfilling six years at Rutgers-- partying, drinking, attending some classes, partying, drinking, failing some classes, etc. (Don't be fooled by that medal around his neck... he won that medal when he did the longest keg stand.)
He liked to practice in his dorm room
Lily worked really hard at Ramapo and finished her degree in four years. While she had fun on the weekends, her studies always came first, and she graduated with a 3.8. Her advisers gave her high marks during her student teaching, and she has continuously been praised for her work as a teacher.
Now, don't get me wrong, Johnny is an okay teacher. He showed up for most of his student teaching. Most of the kids liked him. He wasn't really into the amount of lesson planning, grading, or assessments he had to complete, so he did the bare minimum when it came to any of that. He doesn't love teaching, but for him it's an okay job (SUMMERS OFF WOOOO). Lily, on the other hand, truly loves teaching. She goes above and beyond what's required of her. She volunteers for different things in the schools. All of the children that know her, love her. Her lessons are always engaging, and she does her best to keep the students motivated to learn.
Graduation day has ended, and the job search has begun. It just so happens that both Johnny and Lily apply to the same school through the awful, AWFUL, dreaded website-- Applitrack. While Johnny's resume is nothing special or out of the ordinary, he manages to make it past the filters and into the first round of interviews. Lily is not so lucky.
So how did Johnny make it to the first interview and later get the job.... because his Uncle works at the school..... GAH
Lily unfortunately doesn't know any teachers or administrators personally, so while she has applied to at least 50 schools, she's still left jobless.
I would really like someone to please explain to me how this system is fair or effective??
Lily is clearly more deserving of a job as opposed to Johnny. But she is at the disadvantage of not knowing anyone. It's common knowledge that getting teaching jobs nowadays is all about who you know.
Now, let's place Johnny and Lily in Spain. Their names have been converted to Juan and Laura. They have the same background as above. However, in Spain, the government is in charge of giving you a job once you finish college. You are given teaching jobs based off of your grades in college along with your grades on the required exams. Because Laura worked really hard, she was assigned to work in a school in Granada, Spain. Juan, on the other hand, did not have high enough grades to receive a teaching assignment. For now, he is just a substitute.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is how it should be in the United States. The Spanish system is fair. Working hard actually pays off here. You could be the worst teacher in the world, but because you know so-and-so, you will get a teaching job in the United States. No wonder our education system is floundering compared to the rest of the world. Teachers are rarely hired now on merit and abilities. And many AMAZING teachers are left doing other jobs because they can't find permanent work in the field that they love.
The Spanish education system continues in that new teachers change schools each year. The amount of times you are required to change schools is based on the type of degree you hold. You get to preference the area you would like to live and work in, and then the government, once again is in charge of placing you in a new school. I personally think that this is a great experience for new teachers because they're getting the chance to see the differences between schools and that can only improve their abilities. College students in particular are accustomed to this because during their studies, they're required to participate in field work at different schools, and the college is in charge of assigning where they are going to work.
Once a teacher has finally completed their preliminary years, they then get to finally settle into a school. The teacher then has the option of staying at this school until retirement or applying through the government to work at a different school elsewhere in Spain. If you've continued to work hard, the government will grant you the option to change schools. If you've slacked off over the past few years, the preference will go to somebody else.
In Spain, teachers are not rated based off of their students performances on standardized tests. To start, standardized tests don't even exist in Spain. (Halleluia!) With each year of work you complete, you are given a set amount of points. Now, I don't know entirely understand what this point system is based off of. But it appears to be a more logical means of assessing teachers than the one in the U.S.
So there you have it folks... the glimpse at the education system in Spain. No wonder children are so brilliant in Spain. Less stress + better teachers = an amazing learning environment. Seriously, United States, get with the program here.
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