These days I’m watching the headlines for any news about teacher layoffs and education. Today I ran across this article in the Daily Herald about a blog started by a pink-slipped teacher in Elgin. (I added the blog to my blog roll).
As I read through the comments left on the DH article I felt frustrated and discouraged. Here are some of the comments people made about teacher layoffs.
“I feel bad for anyone who loses a job, but I have to say that these recent stories about teachers and other staff members in schools getting “pink-slipped” just make me want to ask them, “What planet have you been living on for the last ten years?” We, the parents of the children you teach, we, the taxpayers who pay your salaries, have been dealing with this situation in corporate America for a long, long time.”
I know this is true. Matt and I have been noticing for some time, whenever we visit Michigan, how the economy has deteriorated. The schools there have been struggling for a long time. It was only a matter of time before the struggling economy caught up with education on the national level. But this comment, “we, the taxpayers who pay your salaries,” kind of irritated me. Yes, our salaries are paid through taxes – because we service your children and your families. Our day does not stop when your child leaves our room and the day begins long before your child enters it. We are grading papers, making plans, calling you when your child isn’t performing and setting up conferences on your schedule to try and address your child’s needs. I guess the question you need to answer is what do you value? Because without us, public school teachers, you would have to pay for a private education – even if you lose your job.
“I still think it would be better if all the teachers take a pay cut and they reduced staff by a lesser number.”
I’ve already spoken to how I would be willing to give up my raise – but reduce the number of teachers? That has a frightening domino effect. In Chicago we are looking at having 37 kids in a class due to our cuts in staff, with fewer aides to help out. This certainly affects the quality of education students can receive. When you cut a teacher, you cut a child’s educational opportunities. You limit a child success. It isn’t just about a job.
“We need to get these school districts back down to a fiscally manageable level. If parents want their children taking cartooning, animation and photography classes they are going to have to pay out of pocket to the private sector.”
This comment brought up a different kind concern of mine. Our educational system does not do a good job of honoring individual gifts if they don’t fall within certain categories. If you aren’t math smart, or language smart, or body smart then you are not as valued. There are all kinds of academic awards assemblies starting in elementary school. And do I really need to talk about how valued sports are in our society? But in the elementary grades there are fewer opportunities to show off your art smarts or your musical smarts. (Some schools/districts are better than others.) And certainly there are very few opportunities to show off your people smarts – if you’re good at getting along with others, or if you are especially compassionate or empathic. These classes like cartooning and photography are so important for kids who may not experience success in other contexts. I know a girl who was failing every class, except photography – and not because it was an easy A. How do you put a price tag on that?
So many of the stories we tell ourselves through TV and movies have a common theme of working together to make life better for everyone. We want to hear that story over and over. And yet when it comes time to live it, we choose something else.
I want to do my part. I’m willing to talk about what that part is. Is there anyone else out there who is also ready to do something beside point fingers and make a grab for themselves?
So well said Margo. If education of our youth suffers, the future of our civilization suffers. We must find a way to lower classroom size in order to provide quality education to each and every child. Our nation’s priorities must change. We must value quality education for every child, quality health care for all, and equal opportunity for all. Love you Margo
Margo,
The public reactions you quoted so deeply piss me off. There are people who so misunderstand the cost and requirement of good public education, they will destroy the system with their unfounded assumptions. To believe that school districts are financially out of control because they lavishly pay teachers and fund lavish schools is absurd. These are likely the comments of suburban conservatives who send their kids to outlandish high school campuses and do not understand or give a crap about urban education.
Teachers need a living wage – a living wage based on being single and having kids. To do any less is to structurally restrict public teachers to be salaried dependents or childless. The majority of teachers who enter the profession don’t leave it because salaries are too high.
The public is stupid, or more accurately, uninformed. Teachers and teachers unions better start educating the public about what it means to be a public teacher. They better become politically active and creating an image of teachers for the public good…or, they run the risk of being taken over by privitized systems that will do the advertising for them in the name of privativized education.
I ache for what is happening to public education. And, it is happening because economic interests not drive political interests and the combination is deteriorating America’s system of public goods. Education and teachers are now under the microscope. I hope teachers organize to influence what people see.
Love you. I’m behind you.
matt