Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Teachers

An Excerpt from The English Coalition Conference:  Democracy through Language 1989

Preamble In order to work productively, students and teachers in all subject areas should enjoy the following rights and privileges, which represent not luxuries but necessary conditions for effective learning and teaching. Because of the intensive student/teacher interaction in language arts classes, these conditions are particularly important to English teachers from elementary school through college. This list of rights covers all levels of education, although some items apply specifically to one institutional setting and not to others. The "responsibilities" in this list form the reverse side of the "rights." For example, the right of students to well-planned, productive classtime is a responsibility of teachers; the right of teachers to reciprocal evaluation is a responsibility to carry out such evaluation. Rights of Students Place A safe place to keep private possessions Safe and clean hallways, gymnasiums, and lunchrooms Sanitary bathrooms where doors are on stalls Private times Adequate public telephones to make personal phone calls at appropriate times Clean and cheerful classrooms A comfortable place to spend free time and to eat meals A well-equipped library, staffed by a professional librarian who also has training in learning An adequate supply of quality, up-to-date textbooks, resources, and materials Classroom libraries of quality literature Adequate food service Time Times when teachers are available to meet with students Humane spacing of tests and homework Homework and assignments returned within a reasonable amount of time A reasonable, consistent, and public policy regarding absences, tardiness, and attendance Adequate time for breaks, including recess, lunch, and passing between classes Few or no classroom interruptions Classroom time that is planned and spent productively Staff/Student Relations Substitute teachers who deal with students in a professional manner Teachers who are up-to-date on current teaching methods and their subject areas Teachers who treat students with a humane and caring attitude Administrators and counselors who are accessible to students and parents Teachers who make goals, expectations, and classroom guidelines clear from the beginning of the school year or semester Teachers who are not habitually late or absent A person to see (administrator, department head, counselor, ombudsperson, or community liaison) to appeal alleged unfair or abusive behavior Flexibility about use of language or dialect in journals or private writing or writing not directed to a specified audience Classrooms free of racial and sexual discrimination, especially including such discrimination in the setting of standards Teachers who are committed to students' personal as well as intellectual growth and who see students regularly   Rights of Teachers Place A private classroom for elementary and secondary school; an appropriate classroom (size, configuration, equipment) for college Sufficient supplies of appropriate materials, including texts, to carry out the curriculum A private, comfortable place in which to meet with students, parents, or other teachers A place to be alone A safe place in which to keep private possessions A telephone in a department office or classroom, or any other arrangement that assures immediate and private contact with the outside world A clean, appealing lounge and private restrooms A large, up-to-date professional library An adequate number of functioning typewriters, word processors, copiers, and telecommunications equipment Time The items under this heading are primarily directed to elementary and secondary schools. Although some of these items are concerns at the college level, different circumstances pertain there. Some adjustable periods or segments in the school week for the purpose of meeting with students and parents Time for private planning (recommended: at least one hour every school day for K-12) Time each week during school for meeting and planning with other teachers (recommended: at least two hours each week for K-12) Time to be alone every school day A reasonable lunch period with no supervisory duties (recommended: forty-five uninterrupted minutes) Paid days to attend professional meetings and conferences An opportunity for teachers with outside professional duties and responsibilities-such as holding office in local, state, regional, national, and international groups-to engage in these activities without penalty Few or no classroom interruptions Sufficiently long class periods for the achievement of educational objectives No more than four classes per day with a maximum of 100 students at the secondary level; no more than twenty students for elementary teachers Opportunity to spend time with exemplary professionals and projects Staff Status A decisive voice in the curriculum and all other matters that affect the teacher's professional life A voice in the hiring of new teachers in one's department Individual conferences with administrators, set at convenient and appropriate times, to discuss mutual concerns Evaluation only by persons with current knowledge about the learning and teaching of English Evaluation aimed at improving instruction rather than at judging the person Reciprocal evaluation: teachers evaluate all those who evaluate them Representation on the school board or board of trustees by a teacher elected by the faculty Regular, frequent provisions for growth and learning within the school A salary commensurate with the teacher's professional standing Opportunities for new teachers to be oriented by their colleagues to their new academic institution   Participating Associations The professional associations that together form the English Coalition are: ADE     Association of Departments of English CEA     College English Association CLA     College Language Association CSSEDC     Conference of Secondary School English Department Chairs CCCC     Conference on College Composition and Communication CEE     Conference on English Education MLA     Modern Language Association NCTE     National Council of Teachers of English   This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE.