By Nino Tibangay
How do we define the best teacher?
Calendar Year 2020 showed that there are 94 Master Teachers (MTs) in the Schools Division of Baguio City. Out of the 94 MTs, only 20% (19/94) are teaching in kindergarten to grade 3, and this means that a great majority are teaching in grades 4 to 6. According to some school heads, they cannot just assign the MTs in the primary grades because they have considered also the Master Teachers’ forte. A few school heads responded that some MTs do not want to be transferred to the lower grades.
One of the approaches of a school head to re-engineer a school is to reorganize the teaching assignments of teachers. As expected, there is resistance to change maybe because they are used to teaching in their current grade level assignments; they feel that they will lose their prestige or because the reorganization is perceived not to be good and not for the best interest of the school.
When I was invited to talk about the rights of Public School Teachers in one of the clustered District Midyear In-Service Trainings, I was then a new School Head in the Elementary. I learned that some teachers believe that they are protected by law from being transferred from one grade level to another; hence, they have the right to refuse.
In another District In-Service Training, as the CID chief was delivering her topic, my attention was caught by the reaction of some teachers when the speaker asked those who were teaching in the higher grades to teach in Grade 1. The teachers in the higher grades reacted negatively.
The majority, if not all, school heads believe that the best teacher should be assigned to teach in Grade 1. This is supported by some school officials as cited by Emeterio Osmeña Jr. in one of his columns.
Who are the best teachers? Dr. Carolina San Luis, president of the Basilan State College, as cited by Osmeña, pointed out that “first graders certainly need mentors who are not only competent in their abilities and techniques but also masters in child psychology, guidance, and counseling”. Osmeña also wrote that the teacher is one whose conduct is in consideration of the welfare of the pupils.
Some teachers claim they are protected by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670) when they are requested to be reassigned to teach to another grade level.
What does Magna Carta protect as far as reassignment or transfer is concerned? Section 6 of the said law provides that: where the exigencies of the service require the transfer of a teacher from one station to another, such transfer may be affected by the superintendent who should notify the teacher concerned of the transfer and the reason or reasons therefor. It is very clear that no teacher should be transferred from one station without his/her consent, except for cause or in the exigency of the service. The station mentioned in RA 4670 refers to other schools or campuses. This means transfer from one grade level to another is not precluded by law. As far as grade level assignment is concerned, the teachers should remember that they were hired as elementary grade teachers. This means they can be assigned to any grade level where they are most beneficial or fitted. In the Supreme Court en banc decision, Orcino vs. Civil Service Commission and Moti (G.R. No. 92869 [1990]), the court held the choice of grade, subject area, primary or intermediate level, school, and the district is pure policy and the determination as to the capabilities of the teacher and the assignment where the teacher should be most useful in the absence of arbitrariness or whimsicality, are best left to the administrators’ concerned.
There is this notion that teachers who teach in the higher grade and then later reassigned to the lower grade level feel that they are demoted. In the same decision of the CSC when it affirmed the claim of Ms. Moti that she was demoted when she was reassigned to teach in the lower grades, the court maintained that “a reassignment from Grade 6 to 4 involves no reduction in rank, status, or salary”. There is no showing in the records that there is less honor in teaching Grades 1 to 4 than teaching Grades 5 to 6.
Thus, the best teacher should welcome assignments to teach Grade 1 as this is where young minds need the best guidance and inspiration from talented and dedicated mentors.**
