Oh, education.
A mess in so many ways that sometimes I am sure I want to give it all up. And then I remember that this was once my passion, that I was once convinced this was my life's purpose.
But I am overwhelmed by the enormity of the task of educating our nation's youth. We are teaching them algebra when they can't correctly subtract. We are trying to get them to memorize the quadratic formula even though they are worried about where they will sleep at night.
It is an enormous, exhausting, endless task to think about, let alone execute.
Those who are in it are in it for the good of the kids. It can be a thankless job, it can be a tiring job, it can be a frustrating job. But we do it because we care.
We certainly don't do it for the pay.
It has been two years since the teachers in my district have had a standard-of-living increase. Instead, to off-set the threat of pink slips, we were granted five furlough days. Not too concerning to me, and I daresay I didn't mind having an additional five days off this year, but I am lucky enough to have a husband with a decent job. Not everyone feels the same.
This year, with the threat of 1,500 teacher lay-offs and complete uncertainty about the state of California, we the teachers have been asked to make a choice: either we don't receive our pay raise again, or those 1,500 teachers lose their jobs.
I don't know anyone who didn't vote to have those teachers keep their jobs, although I know plenty of people who really needed that raise. Further, we all know we are going to be in the same situation next year, as 2013 is predicted to be the worst year yet, financially speaking. That is, of course, assuming the Mayans were wrong and we all live to seee 2013.
I don't know what is going to happen to education in the future, and I prefer not to think of it. In November, California will vote on a new tax that would increase education funding. I don't know that it will pass (we are already one of the highest-taxed states), and I don't know the answer.
All I know is, something needs to change.
3 comments:
A raise for you and the complexity of effectively teaching children in the schooling universe and the general societal strata that you happen to practice your craft in, are exclusive of each other.
Do you not agree?
Why do Poway, Carlsbad, San Marcos and Coronado stand out so?
Anon, the issue is bigger than me getting a raise. It is bigger than a lot of things, and I believe the change needs to happen on a national level.
I am not sure what you're getting at regarding the other school districts.
Kelli, I admire you for you passion for the kids and working for a very broken system. The kids you teach and have taught and will teach are very lucky.
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