Come On Down!

“You don’t go into teaching to get rich.” This is what I heard from someone who thinks teachers shouldn’t stand up for themselves when it comes to their salaries. Well, I hope you don’t go into ANY job to get rich. How shallow. Before I became a teacher, I spent a few years pondering my next career move. I wanted it to have meaning. I wanted to like, dare I say love, my job. What a concept, huh? Sure, I didn’t go into teaching to get rich, but I expect to be paid a respectful and reasonable salary.

How does a teacher pay increase help kids? It’s like any other profession. If you pay a decent salary, you’ll be able to hire and retain the best. Teaching is already a labor of love, but it shouldn’t have to be. As some signs said at our recent rally, “I love to teach, but love don’t pay the rent.” When people call me “noble” for being a teacher, I always worry that what they really mean is, “I know you don’t get paid jack, but I think it’s admirable.” I want to be a respected professional whose paycheck reflects that respect. I teach because it is part of my path, but I shouldn’t have to take a vow of poverty for it. I’m not that noble .

Are teachers worth more money? Why not see for yourself?


For decades Bob Barker said “Come On Down!” while hosting The Price is Right. Well, I’m borrowing the saying now that he’s off to greener pastures. Come on Down to my classroom! Volunteer! See for yourself. Let the juggling act begin! Join me and learn why teaching is often called a "labor of love". I’d especially like you to come volunteer so I can have a bathroom break. Sometimes waiting for the recess bell is extremely painful.

Here’s a breakdown if you’re still skeptical:
There are 32 kids in my classroom this year. 32 stories. 32 personalities. 32 learning styles. 32 ideas of what respect means. 32 sets of emotions. 32 sets of needs. Oh yeah... and then there's me. I'm the "go to" person. Need a band-aid? Need to understand why 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4? Need to tell someone what you did last night? Need to have someone tell you, "It's gonna be ok"? Need to decode a word you've never seen before? Need to be taught some basic social skills? Need an adult to help you sort out the argument you just had with your best friend? All of these individual moments take place while I am also expected to teach meaningful lessons that keep students engaged and interested in their learning. In the meantime, they may also be hungry, thinking about grandma who's in the hospital, tired, overwhelmed, anxious, frustrated…etc.
It is a challenge to say the least.

I am an educated professional that has been hired to teach 32 students. In many cases these kids spend more waking hours with me than their own families. That's a HUGE responsibility. Slap the expectations of the state , federal gov't, and society on top of that and we've got some mounds of responsibility. In high school I worked at Burger King and was paid $3.35 an hour. It was a low risk job and I had very few responsibilities. That makes sense. But when I moved up the ladder and become a "Burger King Crew Trainer", I was pushing $4.00 an hour! I had more responsibilities which meant more $$!!! Sound familiar? Of course, because that's the way it generally works. So when some doofus says, "Well, you didn't go into teaching to get rich", I say, "How much are the futures of 32 kids worth in your book?"