We have been talking on LP about teh teacher's strike in Parkland County and whether it should be made an essential service and not permitted to strike. I vowed to stay out of it but at this statement I couldnt hold it in any more.

[quote="CFmommy"]I dunno, but my sister is a teacher (taught high school in Fort Mac) for 6-8 years and I can only go by what I see from her. Her summers aren't spent in 'overtime' mode. She starts to prepare the last 2 weeks prior to school starting (YES, high school doesn't require AS much as elm. school teachers) but honestly, I don't think that the whole summer (WHOLE summer) teachers plan...everyday. But in my sisters case, she gets paid like 800.00 A DAY to come down for teacher convention...she has lots of PD days..she has other opportunities that other jobs do not have (deferred salary) so she works 4 years and gets the 5th off...PD days. She has become a Vice Principal already and is working on her masters program. Even as a teacher, she was making double the amount that was quoted here and on top of that she has the northern living allowence...she is making VERY decent money for 10 (maybe 11 months) of work..still with Christmas break, spring break, PD days, Faith Developments days, etc, etc...she is doing very (very) well money wise. Not very many jobs have that many weeks of holidays.

This is in Fort Mac but yeah...just from what I see.
[/quote]

Wow, I teach in Fort Mac and I dont get ANY of those things. I said to myself that I wouldnt get involved in this thread becuase it is the Chinese New Year'S Eve and I am supposed to be thinking tranquil thoughts, but this egregious assumption cant be left without comment.

I teach high school and spent every day of the last summer (WHOLE summer) prepping for my year, and still spend at least an hour each day prepping, nevermind the marking that 4 English classes worth of essays and written assignments and projects takes. Maybe by year 6-8 I will have things in the bag. I teach all 4 blocks of class with lunchtime supervision each week and no prep period at all. I have mandatory tutorials that I must provide for all students and if they can not make it to scheduled tutorial time, I must provide before or afterschool help. Some days I dont get lunch or adequate time to go to the bathroom (and as a pregnant woman, that aint easy). As for teacher's convention, I get $700 for the WHOLE WEEK not per DAY to cover accomodations, meals and travel expenses (which, at $110/night just for hotel, doesnt add up to a lot). I am mandated to attend both days of convention plus this year I have to go to inservices all day on Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday we have PD.

I have never heard of deferred salary in the public board where teachers get a year off every 5 years with pay and, while I do make more as a first year teacher here than in Edmonton, I think that is reflective of a marketplace that is true across the board. My students make $18/hr working at Safeway and that isnt true of 14 year old Safeway workers in Edmonton, so there is an explanation for that wage difference that goes beyond the argument that teachers are paid too much here. We live in a society where, most of the time, scarcity of employees pushes wages up and economic booms mean more prosperity. A full 90% of teachers I work with are not from Alberta and are attracted to Fort Mac because of the idea that there are jobs here and they pay enough to live on. In addition to this, becuase there are few people here who have come for the community and not just for the quick cash grab, there is a sense of transiency and as a result many more opportunities for climbing the ladder quickly. It is easier to do more PD and get to admin inthe system here becuase few people are willing to stay and do that. The system rewards people who show initiative and drive in an attempt to encourage teacher longevity. As we all know as parents, stability goes so far in modelling good behaviour to our kids. Kids are cynical and unwilling to care too deeply about teachers and put a lot of effort into the school environment becuase they are unsure if that same teacher will be around the following semester, nevermind school year. Teacher morale is pretty low right now; they dont feel valued or appreciated. Sure, money is nice, but money doesnt help me sleep better at night or help me to catch up on the time I miss with my own little ones when I am doing extracurricular activities or marking.

Could I get a different job? Sure, I live in a place where a visible minority woman would be hired almost on the spot. I met my husband driving heavy equipment working summers at Suncor and I guess I could go back, but, like I did before when I tried out other industries (myohmy marketing 8O ) I missed the classroom too much. I wanted to show kids why I love literature, how they could see the world through different eyes, get them to experience the world without leaving the local library. I am just wrapping up "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee in which I could get my students to see how to "climb into other people's skin and walk around in it" and see that lightbulb go off in thier heads. As we have seen in this thread alone, yes, people do have opinions that we might not agree with, reasons that are beyond our ability to comprehend, but that there is value in accepting that other people have those opinions and that all we can do, even when fighting a battle that is lost even before it begins, is to continue the fight. With strikes, in any industry, the point is to illustrate that there is something WORTH fighting for and that by deferring all the time, we might as well lay down and let someone else live our lives. Teachers strike as much for classroom conditions and appreciation and daily living expenses as to show that Education is a cause worthy of a big fight. That children deserve the best that everyone can throw at them, that it is everybody's job to be educators. That said, if I truly felt that my contribution to society was undermined by the public system, I would gravitate elsewhere, simply because if I didnt feel comfortable TEACHING there, do you think I would be comfortable sending my children to be TAUGHT there? Probably not.

At no point in other sectors of society do we ask other professionals to take on responsibilities that they are not trained nor willing to accept. Would you ask the vet to mind your children for a moment while you got some milk? No, but some classroom teachers have been asked to consider taking in classroom pets. Would you ask the nurse in the hospital to teach your child algebra? No, but if you are injured in school often the classroom teacher is the stand in medical care (the school nurse being a fond relic of the past). If a horse kicks you, do you have to go to counselling with that horse to determine if it was a one time incident or something that was a symptom of a deeper issue? If you show up at the doctor's office with a small issue, and they are closed, what option do you have? Most likely come back the next day. If I had a student show up late afterschool wanting homework help, however, and I told them I was closed and to come back tomorrow, how would you react as a parent? As professionals, we all take on responsibilities but there has to be some sort of agreeable line.

I have had somewhat tumultuous pregnancy. My joints produce too much relaxin and I have developed pelvic separation and abdominal separation. I modify my teaching so that I dont have to go on early sick leave (even though my doctor suggests that if I cant sit up or stand for any length of time, I should, forthe sake of the baby, go earlier) But I am teaching an advanced placement class and I want to be able to teach them as much as I can before I go on leave. I am only taking one semester off for this new little one because I want to be back for them in their grade 11 year. I am collecting a project from them DURING my mat leave so that they will be able to stay on top of things and that my maternity leave will not disrupt or effect the outcome of their program. I dont have to do this, nor do I get paid to but I am a teacher and I love my job. Many people tell me that at the end of the day, no one will see all the extras I have put in, but I feel like somewhere, somehow, my dedication will be understood and my family will understand why I make the sacrifices I do. I will stay as long as I possibly can, safely, and then have to sit back, try not to kick myself for not being stronger and able to give more, and then hope for the best. Sort of like as a parent, except to 120 more kids.

As for the other arguments that other industries deserve just as much credit and recognition, I have to ask you, how far those same people in those professions would have gotten without a solid education in their elementary and high school years? People who get to university or college or even trades do so with some basic education and at some point in their lives have a teacher to thank. We are all teachers, each of us, as parents, as aunts or uncles, as global citizens.

2:04 p.m. - 2007-02-17