President's Message
March - April 2010
Well, for once I am at a loss for words.
While many of my students would undoubtedly rejoice in this statement, it isn't quite true. I guess it's more like I have so much to say, that I don't quite know where to begin. Frankly, I am disheartened, disgusted, disgruntled, and feeling dissed.
After becoming a teacher for all the right reasons, comforted in the fact that besides the altruistic value that came along with the position, that there were certain sacred cows that were bestowed upon those like me in the form of pensions and benefits, and public support for our schools.
I guess you should call me naive at this point.
Naive for putting my faith and trust in a state government that vowed to keep their legal promise to support me as just rewards for my time in service to the community at large. For years the problem loomed on the horizon. And yet, nothing was done to stave off the grave consequences.
And now, the problem is being laid squarely at our feet and we are expected to give up what we have earned to make up for the shortcomings of others.
Don't get me wrong, I am aware that we face dire circumstances, but I didn't see an offer to share the wealth during the "good times." We still had to fight tooth and nail for a living wage. When record bonuses and stock options were all the rage, we were asking to make $40,000 so we could begin to think about the idea of starting an adult life.
We had to wait years to get a raise larger than $750. We had to contribute to our pensions while our government ignored it's responsibility to pay their fair share. We had to wait and hope that budgets passed, so we could know if we had a job, or if we got a raise.
But wait we did.
We waited because we understood the bigger picture and what we were earning in the long-term.
But I guess we've been waiting in vain.
As much as the powers that be like us as teachers and school staff, they can't afford us as employees. Now that fan has been hit and we are the scapegoats and targets.
Perhaps I'm most saddened by how quickly it happened. How quickly we were turned on, and the vitriol from some as they rail against us and our schools.
Rather than try to find ways to bring others up to a higher level, we have turned on each other and find it easier to bring everyone down to the least common denominator.
So I say from my bully pulpit "shame on you." Find a better way - education is the solution, not the problem.
-- Steve
| 
