Bryan DeAUGUSTINE

Several days ago, a Mining Journal article was published and a news report aired on TV 6 regarding substitute teachers. I contributed to those two news stories by addressing teacher absences.

My words had unintended consequences and reminded me that words matter. When I read my words in print and heard them air on TV 6, I realized how negative I sounded even though that was not my intent.

I want to write an apology to teachers everywhere regarding those substitute teachers stories. I’m usually more careful about how I speak with the media.

My points about teachers taking more days off in the modern era than in the past was part of a broader range of comments including how well our teachers help out their counterparts by filling in when and where they are needed, and how a severe reduction in pensions and the rising costs of health care have made personal time off a more important fringe benefit.

I mentioned that this is not just a regional or local issue and talked about how nationwide we are seeing teachers missing 10 or more days reaching into the upper 20% to low 30% range. (“Nationwide, 28 percent of teachers were absent for more than 10 school days during the 2015-16 school year.” By Alex Harwin and Debra Viadero, June 5, 2018, Education Week)

I went on to speak about how teachers are utilizing these provisions that they bargained for in their collective bargaining agreements and that society is seeing similar trends in manufacturing and even pro sports; i.e. pro athletes are missing more games than their predecessors to take care of themselves physically and in terms of their mental well-being. Teachers are not doing anything wrong, teacher attendance is simply one more piece of the substitute teaching puzzle.

In making these comments, I forgot that newspaper articles and TV broadcasts are not conducive to nuance. Such forms of media trend toward attentiongrabbing quotes and soundbites. I’m not trying to shift blame or play the victim. To be clear, I am not blaming our news agencies or reporters at all. I said what I said to both media outlets.

My comments did come out much more negatively in print and in the broadcast than I intended. My apology stems from being careless with my words. I’m newly committed to being more careful in the future regarding what I say and how I say it. Words matter.

What words and how my words are heard or read matters much more than what I thought I said or what I intended. This lesson will stick with me and help me be a better person and a better educator.

Editor’s note: Bryan DeAugustine is superintendent of the NICE Community Schools.