Saturday Thoughts: Public School Teachers

            Insomnia is kicking my butt once more, so here I am starting the blog off bright and early. I just got done a little while ago posting a late column for Friday too. Sometimes I swear I can’t win. But I at least got some sleep earlier in the night. Found a new book to try just from the title but still checked out the sample for my Kindle. And so far I am liking it like I thought I would so I will pick it up next month. And yes today we are going to get heated and political though I will try to watch my language. Just a head’s up to those that normally read here and especially to those just dropping in for the first time. I’m feeling pretty good don’t get me wrong, but after reading about the problems of a public school teacher in The Washington Post earlier this week I feel compelled to say something. As I feel most people must in order for there to be change on this subject.

            According to an article I read in The Washington Post a teacher who was in the public education system had to unwillingly leave the system because she was too constrained in her job and losing too much money. Instead she had to go into teaching at a private school. Now this is just plain wrong in my opinion. We should not be cutting teachers’ pay. We should not be constraining them to the point that they feel suffocated either. Given Matt Damon’s comments in an interview going around Facebook, I’m pretty sure he would agree with me.

            This country has gotten over zealous with making sure our students have good teachers, and gone in the wrong direction. Don’t get me wrong I am all for a general idea across the country of what each student should learn about each year. But not with a teacher having to teach to a test that determines if the student passes of stays back. That should be left up to the teacher to determine. And in some cases a student should have to stay back. But teachers should have freedom to teach in their own way. Not to some stupid test unless it is a final that is part of their grading system.

            And to those states not finding their schools enough that they can pay their teachers fairly. Smarten up, people don’t go into teaching for the money but they do expect to be able to afford to live on it at least decently. These are the people teaching our future generation they deserve to be paid well. It is your job to attract jobs to your state as well insure your tax base is high enough to afford to pay for everything. Stop giving tax cuts to the rich people in your state just because they supported you in your campaign and tax them what is fair. Also stop paying for sports teams stadiums if you can’t pay your public servants what they deserve. Yes I am looking at you Scott Walker.

            Most teachers I have had the privilege of meeting are lucky if they can have a house. Especially when teachers are stuck supplying their classrooms with stuff for projects and extra things because students forget things or can’t afford them. We have got to do better for our students and teachers as a society. And to those who think that being a teacher is such a glorious job I’m sorry but it isn’t. I’ve seen teachers stressed out and worn out. But they push on for the students. They care about their students, but they are human and they deserve to be rewarded justly for how much they care about their students. And there is no good excuse why this teacher should have had to leave public education that she fights for so passionately, other than our government failed her as a teacher.

            We spent so much time worrying about our students that we failed to consider the feelings and concerns about the very people who teach them. We acted like they were just inhumane robots that we could do whatever we wanted with. And that is wrong. They are human beings with very real passions that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. And yes like with any profession there will be a few apples but that does not mean you treat them all inhumanely. In our efforts to improve the education system we have done wrong and we need to address that immediately. Or the education system will only get worse.

            Thank you for hearing me out. Feel free to leave comments about whether you think I am wrong, right, or somewhere in the middle below. For now it is getting pretty close to dinner time so I am going to read a bit till then. I hope you all have a good night. *Tips his hat and walks out the door heading for the library.*