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Dear Governor Scott Walker,
I often hear it said that being a teacher is a thankless job, but I never really believed that statement until recently. I graduated from college about 13 years ago with both a bachelor's degree and 12 credits into a master's degree. In August of 1999 I started my current job of library media specialist at $25,000 and just about the same amount in student loans. This doesn't include the credit card bills I racked up, because I was required to student teach for 9 months at no pay before receiving my degree. I wonder what your starting wage was when you quit college without a degree to take a marketing job with the Red Cross?
Over the years I have earned my master's degree and taken countless required graduate classes (at $200 or more a credit, to which I am reimbursed $75 a credit) in order to maintain my teaching license. I have also gone from having two school libraries, 650 students, and a full time aide in each school to three school libraries, 1150 students, and an aide one day a week for 4 hours.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not writing this letter to whine about working conditions. I love my job. I love working with students and seeing that moment when their faces light up with new information learned. I love seeing students get excited about reading or new technology tools. What could be better than students who are excited to see you when they walk into school? So you see, being a teacher is not thankless.
It is these same students who are suffering as our school budgets have been slashed over and over again by the state. Now you want to continue to slash school budgets, while also punishing those who choose the teaching profession. Why? Because you believe that teachers are the ones robbing our state of millions of dollars. You believe that teachers make more money than those working in the private job sector. What other private job sector workers are required to have a degree, required to take graduate credits in order to stay employed, and required to practice the job for months without pay?
You believe that teachers are ruining our middle class, yet we are the middle class. We live in the communities that we teach in, pay property taxes in these communities, and spend our money at businesses in these communities.
I think it's time to stop using teachers as the scapegoat for why our state is in such a terrible economic crisis. It's time to start celebrating our schools and all the great teachers and students that will be the future of our state.
Some links for your consideration:
Are Wisconsin Public Employees Over Compensated?
CNN: Government jobs not so cushy
National Institute on Retirement Security
Another letter to Governor Walker
Wisconsin Corporations Skate as Governor Targets Public Employees
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4 comments:
Mrs. Peterson,
With all due respect, why are you complaining? No one is forcing you to teach. If you feel like you are not making the money you should, then resign and work in the private sector.
I have a good friend that spent 4 years in college, then another $50,000 and 3 years in aviation studies to become a right seat jet pilot for an airline starting at $17-20,000 with poor benefits. I didn't hear any complaining from him. He is doing what he always wanted to do.
Your employer is telling you that they are severely in debt, may go bankrupt, and can't pay you what you want. If this was a private sector business, and you asked for a raise or complained about your salary, you would be shown the door.
In a free market society, your job skills would be verified, your job history would be evaluated, and your future with the company would be decided on.
In Indiana, the Governor de-certified the unions for State employees. The state went back to 1986 employment levels, all employees are now evaluated, and most are making more money that when they were unionized, and they are happy!
So Dear Governor Walker: Thank you for having the strength to make the major changes needed to keep the State of Wisconsin strong. You and your party won by a huge landslide because the people of the State are looking for the changes needed to keep Wisconsin strong. Thank you for not having your hand in the pockets of the unions like the previous Governor, and we wish you well in your efforts to drop Wisconsin from the top 10 taxed states list, and bring some equality back to all the workers in the State.
Oh, I started in August of 1998. I forgot that one year, as part of our union negotiations we lost one year of seniority, which equaled a pay freeze.
Dear A in Oshkosh,
"In a free market society, your job skills would be verified, your job history would be evaluated, and your future with the company would be decided on."
What makes you think that teachers are not evaluated on a yearly basis? I am observed and evaluated every year. If I was not doing my job, then I would be fired. I have witnessed teachers who were not doing their job be fired regardless of the amount of years they had in our district.
Over the past years in our union negotiations we lost salary, benefits, and even a year of seniority.
Last year 22 teachers were laid off in our school district, and the superintendent announced last week that another 19 would be laid off for next school year.
Due to posting from a mobile device I'll keep this short.
Mrs. peterson thank you for the services you provide our children.
To Al, our founding fathers feared the majority in a democratic government. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in their 1788 essays talk about the tyranny of the majority and how it can destroy the underlying fabric of the nation. A pure politically motivated move like this is the exact thing they feared. Like the healthcare bill with the democrats the republicans are not showing that they are any better at governing.
I moved to wis for the education for my family. I willing increased my taxes four fold to do it. Until you have lived in a state with failing education you do not understand this. We willing destroy our future in our children. Glad you approve.
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