Lauren Bryie

EDL 645: Technical Report 1

This technical report, The Essential Profession: California Education at the Crossroads,

shows what Californians think about education. The survey showed that Californians believe

the federal government should be at the top of the list for making educational changes. They

also rated that teachers (59%), principals and local school boards (each at 48%),

superintendents (43%), state governor (42%), and parents (40%) had excellent to good

performance and how this relates to improving public education. This group of people were

asked if a candidate their voting on had many similar views to important issues as them, but

differed on education, if that would sway their vote. For the majority of them, they said they

would vote against this person due to their views on education. The survey also showed that

teacher quality is the gateway to positive education reform. Many of the ways people said this

can happen is by setting high expectations for teachers and standards, pay teachers more, hold

teachers accountable, treat education with the respect it deserves, and ensure that all students

have a highly qualified teacher for every minute of every day all year.

This reading writes that there is a growing gap in education between the haves and the

have-nots. The have-nots being minorities and low-income school districts. This gap

continues to widen as the years go on. A way to support positive change and close this gap is

to support highly-qualified teachers.

Reflection

This article confirms my belief on how important education is in every aspect of our lives.

People view education at such a high regard that they would vote for a different candidate if

their views did not match theirs. Although the majority of people in California view education at

the top of their priority list, there is still a lot to be done to truly see education be a top priority for

all. A way to make this necessary change is to make sure there is the funding necessary in
getting all teachers highly qualified. Currently, there is a huge teacher shortage in California. I

believe part of this is the problem of teachers feeling disrespected, underpaid, and overworked.

I know that I got into the teaching profession knowing that I would never make the big bucks,

but I can understand why it is a deterrent to some people. I do believe that people appreciate

teachers, but there are many times that being a teacher comes with little respect and

appreciation. I think that a way towards creating this rapport is to give teachers the training and

professional development they need to be effective and knowledgeable. Overall, this article

proves how important education is. I hope that education keeps steering in the right direction

and making only necessary changes.