A Teacher's Journal 20: Education's Glass Ceiling

I've even taken steps to make staying in the classroom a better financial decision. Several years ago, I earned National Board Certification, which carries a significant pay raise in our state. I then added a Masters degree, further increasing my pay. Combined, National Board Certification and a Masters degree has almost made staying in the classroom affordable.

But is being "just a teacher" enough? Is it what I want to be doing when I'm 50?

Honestly, the answer is, "I'm just not sure anymore," and that saddens me.

It's not that I'm "burned out," tired by the daily demands of meeting the needs of middle schoolers. In fact, I still thrive on my interactions with my students. It's also not that I feel "disrespected" by society as a whole. While the criticisms of public schooling can be frustrating, I know that I have been successful within my school and community.

What has me doubting my decision to finish my career in the classroom is that despite great successes, I've recognized that I am still "just a teacher" in the eyes of most people. My day-to-day responsibilities haven't changed in 12 years, and are no different than the responsibilities of the first year teachers in my building. While I am currently working for an administrative team that believes in empowering teachers, I still find myself wanting more input over school and system-level decisions.

Teaching is truly a "flat profession." There are no real opportunities for teachers to "advance" and remain classroom teachers at the same time. To get the additional influence that I want, I'm going to have to leave my classroom and lose my connection with my students -- that is incredibly frustrating.

It is time to break education's "glass ceiling" and to stratify teaching. If we hope to retain our most accomplished teachers, we must work to create school-level leadership positions for teachers who want to stay in the classroom and advance as well. There are successful stratification models being tried across the country, and each has the potential to help retain teachers looking for opportunities to grow professionally.

But these initial efforts are slow to develop and to be embraced by a society that largely still views teaching as something slightly less than professional work. Until these perceptions change, teachers will continue to be forced to make the difficult decision to remain "just a teacher" or leave the part of the profession that they love the most.

As for me, what will I be doing when I'm 50?

I don't know. I haven't decided yet.