So the rush job to set up the Academy at Smith, under orders from Howard Manning, seems to have left out an important part of education: teachers.
Certainly, rushing to get the school open created difficulties, principal Sharonda Murrell said.
Murrell has struggled to find and keep lateral-entry teachers, former industry professionals who have decided to become educators. The transition can be jarring for some. Teaching comes with lower pay, longer hours and escalating expectations.
It took Murrell until mid-October to find a drafting teacher.
“I took my time interviewing for that position,” Murrell said. “I wanted to make sure it was the perfect fit for those students.”
She also wanted to find someone who would stay the entire school year.
Two medical careers teachers quit a couple of months into the school year and returned to jobs in their fields.
One of those teachers gave at least a month’s warning, said senior Temeka Thatch, 17. The school had plenty of time to find a replacement, she said.
I guess that’s what happens when judges dictate education policy. They tend to gloss over the little details.
