This article is about the many perspectives of examining a developmental education for college-level students: including students themselves, college professors, administration, and policy makers. With all these perspectives being heard from and considered, there is one that has been ignored for the majority of rhetoric in research literature on the topic, high school teachers. Williams, Tompkins, and Rodgers use this opportunity to conduct a study with a sample of teachers to have a platform to speak about factors that they believe affect the placement of high school graduates in developmental courses and how to reduce that number.
High school teachers were rather eager to take a chance to be actively involved on the scholarship of this topic. Using this study, the results found by Williams, et al. proved successful because those that communicated with the teachers felt some form of enlightenment with the added perspective of high school teachers.
I believe that the value in this study comes not from the value that an individual teacher can pull from it, but rather in a specific collective of teachers banding together. The study performed by Williams et al. could serve as a difference maker not on a school level, but a county wide level. If a large group of teachers in one area can approach their policymakers with a guided set of ideas, recommendations, requests, etc. they will likely find success in potentially changing education policy in order to benefit a wider scope of both teachers and students.
The relevance of this article somewhat depends on the area. Teachers living an area where were already heard and have somewhat of a coalition will not find quite as much value as teachers who hold little to no say. From your perspective however, that of a tired and downtrodden teacher, I found this article both inspiring and encouraging. It shows teachers that their voice matters, and that their career is one that affects the lives of millions of students, regardless of whether or not everyone acknowledges that fact.
I hope that this article inspired you to some degree and I look forward to continuing our work together.
Williams, Mitchell R, et al. “High School Teachers’ Perceptions of Developmental
Education.” Journal of Developmental Education, vol. 41, no. 2, 2018, pp. 2–4.
Jarvis,
Though I’m still not quite sure what their specific charge was in advocating for developmental education at the high school level (argument, etc), I’m glad you are interested in the body politic of teachers in different regional circumstances, with different unionizing and power structures that help their ability to advocate for students! Perhaps one day you will get to try a case involving teachers, since you seem to acknowledge their impact on millions of young people over time.
Good sense of audience-MAJ H