Jennifer Lynn Moreno-Rojas

Jennifer Moreno-Rojas's Response:

Being an educator, as well as a parent, my belief is that a quality education is not only valuable but and indispensable opportunity that is given to a child in securing a successful future. I also believe that teachers are the single most important school related factor in a child’s education. Unfortunately, parents have had no objective information about the effectiveness of their child’s teacher, until now. However, as an educator, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity that other parents haven't in being able to use my professional objectiveness in choosing teachers for my own children every year.

From experience at my own school with my own colleagues, as well as at my children's school, it is unfortunate that I have felt the need to "Hand pick or request" teachers for my children, because I myself see the difference between educators within a school. The honest truth is that not all teachers are "Quality" teachers. The reality is that some teachers call themselves teachers, but do anything but teach. I firmly believe that it is the right of the parents to be able to ensure that their child is given an opportunity for a quality education, hence the reason why I choose whose classroom my children enter each year.

The sad thing is that even though some teachers like myself score more effective than average, it doesn't mean much to school districts or to the state of California. I have proven to be an effective teacher, but I also am one of the many quality teachers who have been laid off in California. There is nothing in place for the state of California to ensure a quality education for our children. Because of that, many great teachers have been laid off and many noneffective teachers have been left to supposably "Teach" our children. In other professions, this is far from the truth. If you are not performing effectively in your position, it doesn't matter how many years you have worked there, your services will no longer be needed.

Fortunately, being that I am a laid off educator, I now hold the opportunity to instill a quality education in my own children by using my "Effective Teaching Strategies" while homeschooling my kids. I will not let my children be at the expense of a teacher's lack of knowledge to educate just because that teacher has tenure.