Perhaps the
chief acknowledgement is that the kind
of teaching we are asking our
employees to implement today is so much more demanding than it was twenty years
ago. Running a student-directed school characterized by choice and engagement
requires an entirely different level of preparation from giving the same
lecture as last year and grading multiple choice tests. Similarly, the demands
on coaches are exponentially higher than they once were in this industry. It is
no longer acceptable in the marketplace for varsity coaches to just be “good
school people who love kids.” Students and parents demand a level of
preparation and expertise that will set up students for success in college
athletics.
The second
layer of challenge at Berwick has to do with equity within the organization.
Lower School teachers are not required to coach here, Middle School coaches
have practice during the school day with fewer games, and Upper School varsity
coaches find themselves driving buses as far as Rhode Island and returning home
to their families late on Friday and Saturday nights. Similarly, there is
concern about equity between veteran teachers, many of whom have moved into
other roles outside of varsity athletics, and the younger teachers who tend to
bear a higher burden. We also worry deeply about employees with young children,
who find themselves with particularly high demands at home as well.
Finally,
the teacher-coach model has huge strategic and financial implications. At
Berwick, when we hire teachers, we don’t have the luxury of simply hiring the
best classroom teacher when an opening arises – we need to find people who can
also meet other needs outside of the classroom. Occasionally this can mean we
have to move on from some exceptional educator, as the model does not play to
their strengths. If we did not staff most of our coaching through our teachers,
there would be a massive financial impact as well, as we would have to invest
in staffing those roles in another model.
In my final
year as Head at Berwick, I plan to make an impassioned case to retain our
teacher coach model and invest in new ways to make it sustainable. I believe
that its power to transform young people is at the core of Berwick’s alchemy
and noteworthy sense of community. However, the next Head of School will likely
not be able to simply keep asking people to do more. We may need to find ways
to ease the load on certain employees to make their jobs more sustainable –
while also finding a way to be most equitable. As with most hard choices, I am
quite sure Berwick will do what is in the best interest if the students, which
has been its focus for over 225 years now. Wish us luck as we fight to keep
this model strong, as we swim against the tide of specialization, curricular
inertia, and the intense power of the college process. And also remember just
how intense the life of a Berwick faculty member can be. The sacrifices they
make on behalf of our children are truly inspirational.
Comments
Post a Comment