Open Letter to Educators..

[Belial]

I have seen several posts on Merit Based pay and the pros and cons. I would LOVE to find a way to get all teachers more money. Having two children in school, one in elementary and one in high school, I see the challenges faced by our teachers everyday. Every morning teachers are outside the elementary school at 7 am unloading the little ones in the dark, rain and snow. These same folks are back out at 3 in the afternoon loading them up. Then back to the classrooms to get lesson plans prepared for the next day and soon after.. a trip to WalMart or Target for classroom supplies so that children can do projects in class. Mostly paid for out of their own pockets.. It may not be much.. but I do appreciate all that you do for my children... my community and my family.. So Thank You.

[Midlodemocrat]

1. That's wonderful that they do all that without getting paid.

Oh, wait. They're doing their jobs. Gotcha.

[Winterblues]

8. Yep paid less than the garbage collectors are...

If that is the value americans have for their children then it is no wonder we are in such a mess.

[meegbear]

2. Reminds me of a headline in The Onion 'Our Dumb Century' ...

"Pentagon holds bake sale: Educators pleased"

The way it should be.

[dynasaw]

3. Well look what's happening to teachers

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3777396

[NOW tense]

4. You forgot some things teachers do

-They go home and grade papers on their own time.
-They grade for 12 hours straight and fill in 60 different boxes for each student for report cards.
-They don't get to go to the bathroom, except for the 15 min. lunch that they get.
-Their planning time they have turns into meetings.
-They do planning on their own time.
-They raise kids reading levels from pre-k to 3rd grade levels, but they are in 4th grade so it doesn't count.
-They loan kids money for lunch.
-They spend so much time with your kids that the kids call them Mom or Dad.
-They give their time to parents that are home schooling their kids, but don't know how.
-They set-up conferences with parents, but the parents don't show up, so they do that on their own time when they do finally meet.

I am not a teacher, but I live with one. Teaching isn't gluing crap together anymore. They are not your daycare providers either. Some of the best teachers get burnt out and leave the profession. I wonder why.

[seabeyond]

7. and in our schools is 9th period. tutor classes for kids that are not

doing well in class, or having a challenge, or not understanding lessons.

they dont work a simple 8-3 like a lot of people paint them,

[roguevalley]

13. I remember going in at 6am and going home at 6pm the next day

trying to keep up with all the paperwork shit that they make you do. I had to put in 1000's of hours a year to do the job right. I used to keep a running tab every year in my plan book and add it at the end of the year. It was never under 850 hours. Unpaid.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Thank you

If more parents were like you, my job would be lots easier.

[trayfoot]

6. Thank you!

It is nice to know there are parents out there like you!

[Reader Rabbit]

9. Thanks so much!

I can't tell you what a pick-me-up your post was! :pals:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. As a person without kids, I'll second your admiration. K&R

Should they get "merit" pay? They should be paid a helluva lot more than get now.

I place teachers in the same league as firefighters, cops, and Emergency Medical service personnel. Overall, they are heroes.

[callous taoboy]

11. Thanks!

[Mnemosyne]

12. The US gov certainly shows how much respect they have for our children's

educations the past 9 years and before.

I studied to become an educator and was surprised at the politics involved, even in the classes.

I was disappointed in much of what I learned.

Teaching should be considered one of the, if not the, most important job in the world. They hold the spirits and hearts of our future in their hands also.

Sad that it isn't.