A recent study from the National Council on Teacher Quality, a think tank in Washington, D.C., claims more than two-thirds of Nashville teachers are “frequently absent,” meaning they miss 11 to 17 days in the classroom each year.
This study makes several broad assumptions and leaps. Chief among them is the definition of “absence.” In explaining its methodology, the authors say explicitly, “Professional development and other job-related absences that would require students to be taught by a substitute were included.”
We do not consider teachers taking professional development days to be absent, nor do we consider that a detriment to the students. When teachers are out of the classroom for full days of professional development, they are learning new skills and methods to improve instruction. That definitely benefits their students.
Using the study’s methodology, the authors come up with a teacher attendance rate of 92.38 percent for 2012-13. When you look purely at sick days and disability days, as we do, that rate is actually 95.8 percent — well above the 94 percent national average. Preliminary numbers for teacher attendance in 2013-14 look to hit 96.2 percent.
Further, the study assumes that days spent with a substitute teacher harm students academically. We reject this assumption. As a district, we have strengthened our substitute teacher pool by requiring candidates to complete a training program and pass a test. Once approved, substitute teachers enter the classroom with experience in instruction, classroom management and working with students. The old days of substitute teachers effectively “babysitting” students are over.
From the USA Today article on the study: “ ‘While these big-city school districts are struggling to improve student achievement, they may be overlooking one of the most basic aspects of teacher effectiveness: every teacher being regularly on the job, teaching kids,’ said Kate Walsh, president of the Washington think tank.
We take teacher attendance very seriously and are making every effort to improve it. The numbers bear that out. We also believe our teachers are hard working and dedicated to their students. This study takes a much broader definition of “absence” than is reasonable, and its conclusions are suspect.
Joseph A. Bass is communications specialist for Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Metro teachers are allowed per year:
• 10 sick days
• 5 professional development days
• 2 personal days