Tonight I started calling my students' parents to check in and tell them that we are still on strike, but desperately want to return to class. After leaving a few messages, the first actual person I spoke to was very sweet. She said, "I support you and I'm really glad you called."
The next person I reached started out our conversation with, "I don't like what you're doing and I think you should just get back in the classroom." I told him that we are doing what we feel is right, and I respected his difference of opinion. But then came the deal breaker... "You guys make more than I do", he said, resentful and angry.
Ah...how to respond? A thousand thoughts rushed through my exhausted brain. First of all, why are we suddenly comparing salaries? Is it written somewhere that he needs to make more than me? And because he has agreed to settle for less, so should I? Also, I don't go to his job to see if he's worth HIS pay. I don't get to tell him, "Well, you make enough already so just get to it, will ya?" Yet, because I am a public servant, EVERYONE gets to weigh in on my salary.
The final insult was when he said, "I don't want to talk to you anymore," and promptly hung up. How ironic. Not only do I get disrespect from the district, but now from this parent too.
The kids get it. In fact, kids have a very strong sense of justice and I teach them to stand up for their beliefs, even in the face of adversity. His son is a great kid and one of my most eager students. His hand is up during every discussion and he participates at every opportunity. I spend 7 hours a day, 5 days a week with his son and dad doesn't want to talk to me. I can't help but worry that his dad's opinion of me might effect our future interactions when we're back in the classroom. We don't all need to agree, but I damn well deserve respect from the parent of a child who I work to educate.
Yeah, maybe I get paid more than he does, and that probably makes him angry as hell. If you don't think you're getting paid enough then you have 3 choices: 1) Get a new job; 2) Ask for a raise; 3) Organize. I wish I had said, "Sir, you should consider training to be a teacher. We can always use more good ones, and as you already know, the pay is SUPER!" Maybe his son will grow up thinking that teachers are so spectacular that even when they are already making good money, they still fight to get more, like a professional athlete, or a rapper. Maybe that will make his son want to be a teacher!
Here is the thing. I am teaching in a working class community where $47,000 a year is damn good money for some, even if you work harder and longer than you signed on for. But my perspective is different because I happened to have come from the big money world of advertising. You are expected to perform at the top of your game and let rich yuppies chew you out over 30 seconds of airtime during the Superbowl, BUT you are paid handsomely in return. This job also gave me lots of respect...for making commercials. It had plenty of cultural significance, but it's a little shy on the moral significance. So now I find myself in a job that CERTAINLY deserves the respect and is morally significant, yet doesn't get the juice. I ask myself, "Why should an administrator get paid more than me? I'm just as capable, if not more." Call me arrogant, but I know I've got the goods and I am worth a helluva lot more than $47K. $47K is alot if you're NOT making that much or if you never have, but I came from a money drenched industry where I am used to getting paid well to work my butt off. So in comparison, I've taken a vow of poverty. I realize that I made the conscious move to a career that would pay me in other, more meaningful ways, but I want to bring respect and a great salary with me! Is that so wrong?!
Choosing to teach has been one of the best decisions of my life, and I have grown far more than even I was expecting to. My age and experience have allowed me a perspective on the true importance of my job. I am determined that the teaching profession be honored in a manner equal with its value to the community at large. At the VERY LEAST, I expect to be respected.
I had planned to call all the parents, but I didn't make any more calls after that. I just didn't have the stomach for it.
4 comments:
My fellow teachers were urging me to contact my parents too. I looked down at my class list and thought, well, I really don't know how this is going to go. I found myself making excuses because I really didn't want to have more anger directed my way. I was scared about the kinds of responses I would get from many of my parents when I did call and try to explain the situation to them. I had emailed those I had addresses for. I had no way to communicate with my Spanish speaking parents, nor my Japanese speaking parents. Not to mention the many wrong or dead numbers I was bound to get. So instead of calling I did nothing. I think I have a long way to go before I can feel comfortable and confident talking to parents.
I know I make more money in this first year of teaching than many of these families make on two or more incomes. I also know how much I made when I was working in retail as a manager, which was significantly less than what I make now. I truly came to teaching for my love of learning and wanting to inspire that in my students. I also figured the salary was more than I was making so that would help me to eventually afford to own a home and have a family of my own. Then I actually started teaching! I have spent more money than I care to admit for resources, supplies, books, and equipment for my classroom. I have spent almost every waking hour of each day thinking about or planning for teaching. What an incredible amount of work teaching has revealed itself to be! Is it worth every minute? Yes! But do I think my salary is adequate? Not by a long shot! I thought I would have paid health benefits. Not the case.
Teaching is a huge responsibility but it does have many rewards that money cannot replace. Does that mean teaching should be a vow of poverty? Hell no! We truly have the most important job that I can think of. We should be the ones making $100,000 a year! Not the administrators! Our country does not value those who do the hard work that makes the country continue to function.
What would happen if all the teachers walked off the job for a week? Then would the administrators listen?
Indeed your parent has a question that needs to be addressed. I answer it in this way. Hayward should invest in teachers. For his child to have the best possible education HUSD needs to attract and retain teachers with a salary that is, at least, the median of the surrounding districts. Without that incentive HUSD will continue seeing teachers resigning and moving to other areas. We have had over 100 teachers leave this year alone, and 500 over the last three years. Who will HUSD replace them with? Teachers who want a low salary? As you might surmise, HUSD will find fewer applicants to choose from. With a competitive salary schedule and more applicants, HUSD will be able to choose from the best and the brightest of the new teachers. But that is not the whole story; new teachers must have peer and administrative support to grow and improve. That requires stability in the work force. Older, more experienced teachers can share their knowledge with the new teachers and gain fresh ideas and increased enthusiasm from them. A stable collaboration over a number of years increases the skill of all the teachers involved. Then the children can benefit.
HUSD, by offering a non-competitive salary, is hurting Hayward's children, including the child of your argumentative parent.
With the argumentative parent's logic California and America should pay the teachers of the poorest families the lowest wages. Conversely, the teachers of the rich will have the highest paid, best trained teachers. Are your children any less worthy of the American Dream, because of your economic status? I say no! Hayward's children are just as important as any other community's. HUSD must invest in teachers to give our children the best possible chance in life. HUSD must invest in teachers to keep Hayward vital and strong.
For additional details, follow these links:
http://haywardteacherstogether.blogspot.com/2007/03/if-you-like-adversarial-opinions-dont.html (More on a Stable Work Force)
http://haywardteacherstogether.blogspot.com/2007/04/united-we-stand.htmll (Why I Teach in Hayward)
Hey Sal -
Thanks for writing about what's going on with you. My mother was a high school teacher, so I got a first-hand look at how incredibly hard it is. She always said that teaching was great, but that dealing with parents and the administrators was a nightmare. After 15 or so years, she was glad to retire and now actively dissuades others from going into the field.
I hope you guys get everything you're asking for!
Sunny
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