Letter to the Editor

For the first time in my short career of teaching I have the urge to respond to one citizen's complaint about teachers. A "Letter to the Editor" went as follows:

On Dec 12, the Daily Citizen ran a front-page article that talked about a number of teachers who are unhappy with their pay and also feel unappreciated. Pardon me, but I just don't get it. 
I challenge anyone to name a profession that has a better benefit package with 16 weeks of vacation from day one. Incredible job security. Early retirement option. A lavish pension and fantastic health insurance. As far as pay? I requested and received a copy of every teaching position in the district. More than half of our teachers make more than $53,000 per year. Divide that by 180 days and divide that by eight hours and that comes to $36.80 per hour. There are 85 teachers making more than $60,000. That comes to $41.66 per hour. Unhappy with their pay?
I am not anti-teacher. I have relatives in the profession and more than a few good friends that are great teachers. I am anti-public union and anti-public pension, simply because the taxpayers are left with the bill. When is this 7-year pity party going to end?

This past year my base pay of $45,852 did not change as was previously determined by a combination of steps & lane compensation. Being in a year where a massive construction project is taking place in our building, I understand the need to be sensitive to the mood of local voters, but as a "young teacher" I have an outstanding loan associated with a decision to complete my college education. In addition, I also invested in a 2-year program to obtain my Masters Degree for which an expense was incurred. In my opinion the so-called freeze is a dangerous precedent, as good young teachers will seek greener pastures where they feel more appreciated. But at the same time I recall times in the business world when stagnant sales or excessive customer debt resulted in no raises or even employee cutbacks. Raises in any job, be it the public or private sector, truly need to be earned, and how those raises are earned should involve regular conversations with members of management/administration. (more on that later)

When it comes to the argument of receiving 16 weeks of vacation from day one, it's anything but that in my life. So many of those days are spent cleaning up loose ends of every-changing lesson plans, learning new curriculum and guidelines, then focusing on PDP and SLO objectives. While I cannot vouch that 100% of my peers are actively involved in similar routines, I'm sure there is a sizable number who remain committed to their profession.

My normal school day is longer than the eight hours mentioned by the writer; often lasting twelve or more due to lesson preparation and grading. I set high-expectations for not only my students, by for myself as well. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I also donate time (uncompensated) as adviser for our school's very active Key Club, serving on our school's PBIS Committee as well as spearheading National History Day for Regional and State competition.  All told, if I was to really crunch numbers to best reflect the time I spend on teaching each and every day, it could approach a wage slightly above minimum wage. 

I've not been one to whine, but as someone who is relatively new at this profession I contend that pay is not based on a system of merit, but one of tenure. When Act 10 was signed into Wisconsin law by Gov Walker in 2011, I felt school districts across the state were provided with a big carrot which might instigate some positive changes in accountability on all sides of the debate. I understand the purpose of tenure and how it can protect valuable educators, but it can also prohibit much needed change from taking place. Again I stress this is not a vindication of all teachers nor administrators across the country, just voicing my opinion that a good segment of administrators are not taught how to be leaders in their schools.

During my career in business management I discovered the culture of "Absolute Honesty", an idea put forth by Larry Johnson and Bob Phillips back in 2003. I loved the concept and asked my three branch managers as well as the owners to read the book while thinking about how it could impact our company. Quickly we developed into a strong team with ongoing open dialogue between 120+ employees throughout the company.  From that day forward I never feared an opportunity to sit with any employee, regardless of their position in the company, to discuss performance by either party. It was a special experience that I will long reflect on in a positive way. It's unfortunate that this same form of conversation can't be found in many of our schools.