Here’s a call to action for superintendents and their leadership teams: One of the leading reasons teachers quit the classroom is a lack of “professional authority and collaborative autonomy,” says Becky Pringle, president of the NEA teachers union.
Pringle joined senior writer Matt Zalaznick and education reporter Micah Ward on the latest episode of District Administration’s “Talking Out of School” podcast. She was clear on what teachers need when it comes to support from their principals, superintendents and other administrators.
“When we interview teachers who have left the profession, they always talk about the administrators in their schools who did not give them the space to be the professionals they were, who did not collaborate with them, who did not stop the crazy and stupid from getting to them,” Pringle explained.
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Pringle is a former middle school science teacher who has made social justice a key focus of her leadership. She’s also a strong advocate for all students’ access to a high-quality and inclusive public education.
In the interview, Pringle also discusses discipline, how NEA is dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and what the union will be doing to advocate for students during the 2024 elections. “I call it securing the environment so we have everything our kids need and deserve and the resources educators need to do the jobs they love,” she points out.
“Part of [our members’] role is to ensure we elect people who are pro-education, pro-union, pro-working families and pro-the promise of the democracy of this country.”
You can listen to this episode at any time on Apple, Spotify, Podbean or down below.
