Note: The online spacing of the letter below does not adhere exactly to MLA 8 guidelines. The essay originally did adhere to MLA 8 formatting, but now that it has been moved online, some changes were made such as with the block quote below.
Joell Wilson
115 Esopus Hall
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, NY 12561
October 28, 2019
Deborah Kenny
Founder and Chief Executive of Harlem Village Academies
35 W 124th St.
New York, NY 10027
Dear Ms Kenny,
My name is Joell Wilson, and I was a student at Harlem Village Academies from middle school through high school. As you know, Harlem Village Academies (HVA) has often been referred to as a “miracle” school where minorities could come and thrive, and based on my experiences, many have. When walking in the building, we dropped all of our worries at the door because we knew this was a safe haven where we could learn with no distractions. Our education was our main priority because we knew that knowledge was the way to get out of the “hood.” The key to making learning fun and not like a demanding job was our teachers who made sure that we all understood the course material. Since many of our teachers had known us since middle school, they also knew our stories. The teachers at HVA were people whom we could confide in and trust to have our backs when no one else did.
Because of the importance of my teachers, one of the issues that concerns me is the current rate of teacher turnover at HVA. I know that teacher turnover is an issue at many New York City schools, but at HVA it seems especially bad. While I was a student, I saw a new set of teachers coming in every September. I understand it’s not easy to keep teachers ,and many of the problems may have to do with the teachers’ contracts, but I also feel as if the teaching environment could be improved so that teachers can say, “Yes, I enjoy working at HVA.”
Let me share two anecdotes that illustrate the significance of the problem. In sophomore year of high school, I was assigned to Mr. Rodriguez, a counselor who had just arrived at HVA. I was facing many issues that year, and he quickly became the one adult I could talk to any time I had any problems. Having Mr. Rodriguez available to confide in made me less stressed throughout the school day. As a result, I could better focus on my schoolwork because I was able to clear my mind. Most of my teachers that year were White, and even though we could connect on some level, that connection was not enough. As a person of color, Mr. Rodriguez seemed to understand me on a deeper level. When I found out that Mr. Rodriguez was planning to leave at the end of the school year, I was confused and upset. Before he left, he tried to reassure me and other students who had come to depend upon him that we were going to be fine. However, Mr. Rodriguez’s leaving changed my life. I felt disconnected from my academics—which was then reflected in my grades—all because I didn’t have someone to talk to.
You may recall my next memory, which again illustrates how important teachers are in the lives of students and the effect their departures can have on an entire school. Soon after Mr. Rodriguez announced he was leaving HVA, news spread that another teacher was going to quit too. It was Mr. Crawford. He was a college counselor, so he had become an important adult in the lives of upperclassmen. As you likely remember, the juniors and seniors organized a big protest. Anyone who was close to Mr. Crawford left class and stood in the open area on the second floor, known as the pit, all holding signs expressing their thoughts. Even though the students said they would not attend classes until there was some change, of course they finally had to give up their protest, and Mr. Crawford also left that June.
Although I hope my anecdotes have helped you understand the issue, you may also be interested to know that research supports my opinion. The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) conducted a study showing that students are impacted in a negative way by teacher turnover, and the rates of turnover are highest in schools that have a majority of Black students. Because of this, students of color suffer the most, not only because connections with important adults are broken but also because of classes that are canceled and the use of substitute teachers (Darling-Hammond et al.). From what I remember from my days at HVA, when students are taught by substitute teachers, little learning goes on,
What can be done? I realize that as principal, you are not in the position to take an action such as raising teacher pay because that is covered by their contracts with the Board of Education. However, the first and most important change you can implement is to have regular, sustained conversations with the teachers at HVA. Perhaps you can schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings with each teacher. These one-on-one meetings might last only fifteen or twenty minutes, but I think they would be valuable. During this time, teachers would be able to share their successes and concerns, and you would be alerted to problems early on.
This simple step will show that you are invested in your faculty and that you support them all the way. One of the big issues with teacher attrition is that they don’t feel they have the support of administrators. In The Washington Post article “Where Have All the Teachers Gone?” the author notes that “about 90 percent of the annual nationwide demand for teachers is created because teachers leave the profession. Two-thirds of those teachers leave for reasons other than retirement,including lack of adequate preparation and mentoring . . . lack of administrative support . . . and poor teaching conditions (Strauss). This shows that teachers often leave because they do not feel supported enough. At HVA teachers may be more likely to remain if they know their principal is invested in observing and mentoring them.
It may seem like I am overreacting about the rate of teacher turnover at HVA. After all, you must address many other concerns such as test scores, over-crowding, and problem students. However, I think that you would agree with me that teachers are integral to solving many of these other problems. In an article you wrote entitled “A Teacher Quality Manifesto,” you stated:
For the last seven years at Harlem Village Academies, we’ve been obsessed with teacher quality . . . Our teachers have indeed produced outstanding results . . . How do you do it? The answer: culture—how people feel at work, how they are treated, and the values exhibited by their colleagues…Adult culture sets a powerful example for children . . .The reason our kids are nice to each other is because their teachers set a tone of kindness and respect. (Kenny)
I agree with your observation. Students benefit from developing long-term relationships with teachers who show them kindness and respect. They, in turn, reciprocate these qualities when they graduate from HVA and go out into the world.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my letter. I hope you take what I have written under consideration. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at: wilsonj18@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu.
Sincerely,
Joell Wilson
Works Cited
Darling-Hammond, Linda, Desiree Carver-Thomas and Leib Sutcher. “Teacher Turnover Debate: Linda Darling-Hammond, Colleagues Respond to Critiques of Their Latest Study.” The 74 Million, 2017, https://www.the74million.org/article/teacher-turnover-debate-linda-darling-hammond-colleagues-respond-to-critiques-of-their-latest-study/. Accessed October 15, 2019.
Kenny, Deborah. “A Teacher Quality Manifesto.” The Wall Street Journal., Dow Jones, Sept. 2010, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240527487034406. Accessed October 20, 2019.
Strauss, Valarie. “Where Have All the Teachers Gone?” The Washington Post, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/09/18/where-have-all-the-teachers-gone. Accessed October 20, 2019.
