We often seem to be unfairly perceived as unmalleable or even as troublemakers, instead of as a rich asset. In 2013, The Guardian’s anonymous “Secret Teacher” column titled “There’s an Insidious Prejudice Against Older Teachers” describes a veteran teacher’s unsettling fear that Teach First, which sounds eerily like England’s version of Teach for America, was being highlighted as the answer to education problems-older teachers were cast as culprits. This phenomenon appears to be happening in many places.
For years, efforts have been underway to get rid of veteran teachers through faulty teaching evaluations, the elimination of tenure, school closures and outrageous early retirement plans. Older teachers face the “do not apply” signs wherever they go. Instead, they’d rather put someone in charge of a class who hasn’t earned credentials! And by elderly I’d start at age forty (no, I don’t think 40 is old but they do!). How many older teachers do you know who are still teaching? While there is much gnashing of teeth in the news about a teacher shortage, I don’t see any effort to bring elderly teachers back to the classroom. If these individuals were teaching in a public school, and not famous politicians, what would you bet that they’d still be working? Donald Trump is 69 and Bernie Sanders is 73.
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