Anyone contemplating going into teaching might be dissuaded after reading Alexandra Robbins’s latest work, The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession. That is not a disparagement of her book but rather a testament to its scope, accuracy and unflinching honesty. Never before have I read any work that so clearly depicts the current realities of teaching in America’s public schools, a subject I have followed closely as a recently retired teacher with 22 years of experience ... It isn’t that Robbins fails to shine a light on the considerable joys and rewards of working with young people ... Brutal detail ... Almost every page of my review copy of The Teachers is marked with my comments and exclamation points as I encountered situations and circumstances remarkably similar to those I experienced myself. This is an important book that will come as no surprise to the nation’s teachers.
Robbins...dove deep into the lives of teachers and exposed the many flaws that have been hurting the teaching profession — even before the pandemic — and how it's gotten worse. The Teachers is engaging and impeccably researched, but it's also hard to read because it shows just how bad it's been for a while ... An exposé, sure, but it's also a call to action, and our collective future is at stake.
A deep dive ... This thoughtful, page-turning work gives insight into the day-to-day lives and concerns of teachers, both inside and outside of their work; the time-intensive workload of teaching is a recurring theme.
Revealing ... Some of the stories contain harsh language and very personal details about the lives of the teachers, but these narratives help illustrate her point that teachers deserve far more respect—and compensation—than they currently receive ... An important and eye-opening book that all parents, teachers, and educational administrators should read.
Poignant ... Eye-opening ... This deeply researched and impressive study brings home the fact that America underinvests in the education of its children—and that teachers step in to fill the gaps.
