The Impact of Education Policies on Teaching Profession

The Impact of Education Policies on the Teaching Profession
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Institutional affiliation The Impact of Education Policies on the Teaching Profession
Federal and state leaders have long had the perception that public schools students do not get the best standards of education. Public support has inspired leaders in coming up with policies meant to keep teachers in check and ensure that students receive high quality education. Nevertheless, what perhaps came with all good intentions have hidden but very real negative impacts. Aimed at academic reform, some of the policies have greatly contributed to feelings of unfairness and demoralization amongst teachers. Few quotas, nevertheless, have expressed any concerns or made attempts to improve the situation. This paper aims to reveal the negative impact of some education policies on the teaching practice as well as point out ways in which they can be improved to make the profession as enjoyable and fulfilling as many others.
Policies Affecting Teachers’ Daily Work
Some policies have no doubt led to improvement of academic performance. Nevertheless, a number of them have produced a negative impact on the work of the teachers who are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that not only the well-being of the students but also their current and future academic success. Enacted in 2001 by the federal government, the No Child Left Behind Act is a policy whose well-meaning purpose has been watered down by the ill effects it has on teachers. One of the most damaging effects of the law is the fact that it has constantly led to burnout courtesy of the heavy accountability requirements that accompany the demand for students’ performance to be measured against particular standards.
Burnout can simply be defined as negative effect on the physical and mental health as well as the personality of an individual. While it lowers the ability to manage stress, the burden of burnout on teachers has largely been blamed on the same teachers. Few people or entities have taken time to consider the possibility that the main culprit of burnout is the nature of demands heaped on teachers. Closely related to burnout is demoralization. While they usually set in at the same time, their effects are almost similar. They include exhaustion, depression, bitterness and apathy. The affected teacher may also feel isolated.
State and local authorities are not innocent of causing low morale and reducing the efficacy of teachers working in their jurisdictions. Some of the new curriculum needs created by educational and community leaders in addition to employers have put undue pressure on teachers. Some groups seek to impose their desires on the curriculum.
Though small, the groups often succeed in making changes to the education system by insisting that certain programs should be included in the curriculum. The teachers, therefore, end up doing more work than they really should. The inevitable result is tiring the teachers which in turn lead to demoralization and apathy. It should be noted that the teachers’ capacity to achieve exemplary performance is largely determined by the size of the workload.
While they may not have the power or authority to point out the m...