What more can I give? When I started teaching in this amazing district in the 2007-08 school year, I was in a 10 step contract with the expectation that by the 2018 school year, I would be making roughly $68,000 with my masters degree. But, we agreed on the 20 step scale in 2013 to help the district save money, avoid future pay cuts and freezes, and have the health insurance cap paid. With the 20 step contract in place, I am giving up $124,791 over the course of that contract because it will take me 20 years to make what teachers used to make in 10. While the district is only saving $700,000 due to this sacrifice over a five year span, think about long term. There is a bubble where even more money will be saved. In the year 2017, I thought I would be making $12,355 more and $14,459 more in 2018. My checks are $55.75 less than last year per pay. I don’t know what else my family and I can afford to give.
Did you know that an assistant manager at McDonald’s average base salary is $31,578 and a manager’s average salary is $43,222? Our first year, college educated teachers make just over $35,000 a year and teachers need to further our educations in institutions of higher learning to remain current. Those numbers do not reflect their cash bonuses and incentives per year, which are well over $1000. Do you know what the bonus is for a highly effective teacher in this district? $25.
We’re not making Big Macs…we’re making future citizens of the world.
So, for a small pay cut (similar to the one that is being proposed if you figure the new cost of insurance) I could get a full time job a McDonald’s and never grade a paper at home again. Plus, I would have whatever supplies and training I needed.
Don’t get me wrong, we don’t want to work in another industry. We don’t want to abandon our kids and the profession that we love, but we do want respect, and we’re not getting it here.
We are doing more on a daily basis…I’m not talking about the things we do that are truly extra, like department chair, leadership team, student council, trainings, committees, and coaching; those are the actual extras we do to supplement our income and this school district. I’m talking about the extra burden that is placed on EVERY teacher’s back in this district, thanklessly, and for less pay.
Did you know that we now collect and analyze data? I did two years of business school and hated the thought. Now it’s part of what I do.
Do you know what 28 first graders look like in our elementary school classrooms? I do. My daughter is a school of choice student in this district and was in that class.
Do you know how difficult it is to teach math to over thirty kids with no prep period? I don’t either, but I see it written on my colleagues’ faces.
Do you know what it’s like to have 35-40 kids in a section of English? I do. As do all the people in my department.
What you don’t seem to understand is that impossible demands on our staff are being made. Our resources are being cut, our worth is being diminished by proposed cuts, and our class sizes are growing, yet there is no relief in sight.
There are 13 teachers in my building alone who took the 20 step pay scale decreases, and although the math works out differently for every individual, long term, we will all be sacrificing over $100,000 in income. EACH. That’s not including the teachers in the other three buildings who have also given up these earnings. This is also not taking into account cuts taken by our other staff members who are not teachers. So, with just my building you are saving WELL over $1.3 million. Yet, we hear you might be asking for more. More freezes, more cuts, more kids, more for insurance. Do you not see what that is doing to us?
It’s hurting us, it’s hurting our profession, it’s hurting our students, it’s hurting our families, and it’s hurting the morale of this district. What is happening here is you have created a school that will become a revolving door for educators. With the decrease in pay and increase in insurance rates, you are asking for nothing but temporary employees. Who will stay here and anchor themselves in this community and support the children in it? Who will send their children here once we have ceased to have manageable class sizes? Who will send their children here when our dedicated, qualified educators go elsewhere?
You have astounding people on your staff. You have extremely well educated people on your staff. You also have some very frustrated, hopeless people on your staff. I implore you, think about these people. Think about the kids that they impact. Your community’s kids-your nieces, nephews, grandkids, children, friends, and neighbors- depend on them. In turn, we depend on you. Please support us and show that you value what we do.
