Illegal immigration policy is not the only thing for which the state of Arizona is being scrutinized. In recent months, the state has begun auditing teachers who have accents. (Watch the CNN report here.) The thought behind this is that teachers with heavy accents should not be allowed to be in contact with students who are still in the process of developing speaking styles in their native language, English. Of the staggering 1500 teachers who were audited, 25 were found to have "issues" with pronunciation or grammar, resulting in a loss of teaching privileges.
For obvious reasons, these audits have come under fire. Assuming that the state of Arizona truly has its students' best interests at heart and is not merely trying to discriminate against immigrants (which may be a big assumption, given recent immigration laws), the method behind the policy is simply flawed. These audits are clearly not the best way to determine whether someone is fit to teach. They might have perfect grammar and pronunciation, but if the students are not learning anything, it does not do any good. And who is responsible for judging which pronunciations are correct? As Irish teacher Ian Kidd states, "There is no one correct way to pronounce anything in America". A less subjective test of teachers would be to test the students on what they have actually learned.
Some of the best teachers that I have had speak with heavy accents. This does not make them worse in the classroom. If anything, it adds much-needed diversity and better prepares students for people they may come across in the real world who don't have perfect OED-approved English. Most people in the country, myself included, fall into this "lesser" category.
One school's superintendent says, "You can have a diploma and still be a bad teacher". Now, I completely agree with this statement, but it relates to a totally separate issue. You can also be an excellent teacher and not have a diploma. He supports the audits on the grounds that children will miss out on important education if their teachers have accents, which is understandable. However, any teacher with a teaching certificate has already been evaluated and approved. Why can the state change its mind years later? Also, according to the video, studies have actually shown that non-native English speakers make better English teachers.
More and more, I feel as if I am living in a deeply racist and biased society that preaches equality and practices discrimination. This latest development only solidifies my opinion.
First off, I disagree that, "More and more, I feel as if I am living in a deeply racist and biased society that preaches equality and practices discrimination" because by mere virtue that lynching is no longer acceptable, the equal housing opportunity clause exists, and slavery does not, our society has been moving towards equality.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, some missteps are to be expected. I am not sure about the nature of these audits, but they seem relatively fair if you assign it to students who are actually still learning English (k- first grade maybe?) after that, I have to agree that it is not appropriate. I think that someone with an accent, be it Korean or British, should be able to teach calculus unquestioned by the state.
Sam-
ReplyDeleteWhen I said that more and more I feel as if I am living in a deeply racist society, I only meant that I was becoming more aware of it, and not that our society is actually moving backwards.
I also agree that students must be able to understand their teachers, but these audits are out of hand. These people have already been given teaching certificates. If it is really that huge of a concern still, students should be tested on what they are learning. Teachers should not have to put up with an auditor in their classroom.
Wow. What a great read for us, Lizzzard. Your analysis of the article and of the different voices utilized by the journalist demonstrates exactly the kind of literacy we (your teachers) hope for. The use of quotes is what really elevates this writing and the fact that you extended the discussion in class makes this exemplary.
ReplyDelete