By Travis
As I turned on my classroom lights this morning, I saw an envelope, sitting, in the middle of the floor. It was out of place. I paused as I picked it up, wondering. Someone had slipped the envelope under my door late last night (I left school at 6 pm) or the did so early this morning (I arrived at 7 am).
The note was from a former student. As I read, I was torn between the emotional beauty of being a teacher, and the sad reality of how Washington State views its teachers. I believe this is a feeling many teachers have had recently.
It was a complementary note. Just what I needed. Somehow timed right, thanking me as a teacher that impacted her life as a writer. I have been in a funk lately. An education-budget-precipitated funk.
After reading her note, I felt a pang of conflict. Only the night before, I discussed other employment options with my wife.
I will stay away from pulpitizing the proposed reductions to my family’s health care, or the reduction of my National Board stipend. The public does not often see these as valuable issues because they are not connected to the number of computers in a classroom. However, these two issues do affect the retention of high-quality teachers in my state.
I am an example of a high-quality teacher that Washington says it wants to keep, but I have yet to see it. It must be rhetoric. Legislature-speak. Politiconese.
Since we are under a budgetary crisis in Washington, I have only one cent to spare.
Ultimately, I want to know what Washingtonians want for their education system: do you want high quality education or make due and not complain? There is no third option to get high quality education by cutting services and reducing funds. It does not exist regardless of what you read in mainstream media.
The note from my student continued, and mentioned how challenging my English class was, and how grateful she is for the struggle it provided her. She is a sophomore and is going to attend the local community college for writing as she scored 99 out of 100 on the writing exam for placement.
Several of us at Stories from School have posted on topics that make it clear that the budget is on our minds. We are concerned for the far-reaching effects the reduced budget will have on our state's education system. It is not about teachers protesting their health care as some media outlets would like you to believe. It is about the future of the education system that my kids, and your kids, have. Like you, I want the best for my children. It is about retaining high quality teachers.
My student ended her noted in a humorous way. She included the top 7 errors that freshmen students make, a list posted on my wall that I use in instruction.
Her note and the emotions I had as I was transported back in time to her class left me conflicted this morning. I love teaching. I am a great teacher. However, will Washington State retain me?
I hope so.
How do you feel about the proposed Washington State education system? Will it be a reduction in service or maintaining quality education? Your voice is important; you need to share your voice, talk with others, and then act.
I’m glad you got that note, Travis. Those moments are the best perks the profession offers. And don’t leave teaching.
I’m not happy the state is not adequately funding education. I’d like education to be budgeted for first, adequately, before legislators sit down and figure everything else out. But I’d also like education to be financially efficient, and I’d like us to look for ways to make that happen.
I love the National Board stipend. It’s a great thing, but I knew when I sent that box in that the stipend was dependent on funding. I was never told it was a bonus that would always be there. Do I think it should be? Yes! I also think a teacher’s pay scale should be determined by things like demonstrating excellence, or by being willing to work really hard.
I am working in a fairly affluent school. My life’s pretty easy. I recently sent out an email requesting tissues and hand sanitizer to my parents and within a week had filled a cupboard. They buy my classroom books. They buy my classroom markers. My students do their homework and if they don’t, all I need to do is call home and it comes in the next day. I should earn less than my neighbor, who teaches children that live in poverty and whose parents don’t speak English.
I absolutely, completely, think teachers who teach high percentages of FRL students (not simply teachers who teach in buildings with high FRL, because many of them teach the affluent honors students)should earn more. Tom should earn more. I should earn less. And I know “I’m my union,” but my union is democratic, and the majority of its members disagree with me. So, I earn a lot more than my neighbor, simply because I’ve been teaching longer. I don’t work as hard, and to be totally frank, I doubt I teach as well.
There are ways we can change our pay structure to pay great teachers more. We could pay teachers who have to work really, really hard more. But we are choosing to continue to spend what money we have in this inefficient way.
I haven’t looked into the health care proposal closely enough to be able to speak to it.
And Peggy, I think that rhetoric about “those ed-reformers are trying to destroy public education” is reducing our quality of life as teachers too. First, it’s not true. Without saying we need charters in Washington, I feel comfortable saying that both Tom and I have seen charter schools. They’re public. The teachers are happy. They are choosing to work there, to work hard, and are paid well.
Tom even saw efforts made so that charters work in tandem with traditional public schools, so that strategies and interventions could be shared. Neither TFA nor charters are intended to destroy public education.
Peggy, I do not know if it (your kids appreciating you) is enough. It may be for this year. However, if the education in Washington is going to be a budget crisis every year, I do not think so. Aside from being a metaphorical slap in the face each year, it wears you out. It is hard to give a system your all when you are not appreciated; cared for; or respected.
The business/education comparison is often used ignorantly to show “how easy it can be” in education, obviously negating the factors that the raw materials in education are not always of the highest quality to produce the highest quality results, nor are those materials consistent.
I will use a business/education comparison that does work: in business, if you want to retain someone, you make it worth their while.
It comes back to my original query: does Washington want high-quality education or a reduced level of service.
In the end, we all want high-quality education for our students. I know I do. However, if it cannot be, I hope the state education figure heads can be honest and say, aloud, and in the papers, and on TV, stating specifically what they will cut.
And while they are at it, they can use another business comparison and draw a line and say that every student below this line is not worth funding because they are not going to meet standards. Be harsh, calculated, and do a cost analysis.
Psssst…I don’t want Washington to do that. “Billy,” a student in my second period, is not at standard and and is quite behind for a junior. However, he is making gains. His reading skills are growing. He is not at grade level, but he has made two year’s growth.
I am also a discouraged NBCT in Washington. I resonated with your sentence about “high quality education or make due and not complain.” I really think that’s what those in Olympia and in DC want…they want us to make do and be quiet. I cannot believe I’m becoming a conspiracy theorist, but it seems they want to ruin public schools so they can bring in charters and Teach for America kids. They want to “prove” that we are doing a bad job. My heart hurts when I realize I have no respect from legislators, the media or even the administration of my district. I have been teaching a long time–26 years. I love my students and I am an excellent teacher, but only my students seem to care about that. Is this enough? I’m not sure.
Travis:
First of all, don’t change careers. The world needs you right where you are.
Secondly, all of us are discouraged right now; not just in education, but everywhere else. that’s what happens when the economy stays sour for a long time.
It’ll slowly get better. Maybe.
Mark, good stuff for me to ponder. Thanks. I recall you telling a story about the note in your wallet. Did you include it in a post?
You are right, I feel comfortable with my people skills and creative solving to do something else. But there is a part of me that likes being part of the education system, growing young thinkers. I believe in the life of education. But that part of me may change like your 8 colleagues.
I made a comment in mixed company the other day about the cuts in pay, benefits, etc., and a non teacher said “why don’t you just get another job then.” I pointed out to him that the problem is that teachers like you, Travis, and I’d like to think like me as well, are the kinds of teachers who probably could get jobs outside of education fairly easily. Good teachers are good thinkers and hard workers and people people. Those skills can open doors a lot of different directions.
I know of eight teachers that I’ve worked with who have left education altogether for more lucrative and/or less stressful careers. Two of them were NBCTs. Simply put, good teachers can, and do, find good jobs not teaching. Then, who’s left?
In my wallet I carry a note like the one you received, and I pull it out now and then to remind me why I do what I do. I worry that one of these days even it won’t be enough to keep me in the game.