I am a middle school teacher in St. Mary’s County where I have taught 6th through 8th grades over the past 11 years. My husband read me the comment at the beginning of the thread and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Some of the comments throughout the forum were supportive of teachers and it made me feel good to know that there are individuals out there who understand what the profession of teaching is all about. I would never say that it is an easy job, nor would I belabor the issues that make some days a struggle to get through. I do, however, feel the need to address some of the ideas expressed throughout the nine pages of comments.
I feel that, all things considered, I receive an acceptable paycheck. I, along with my husband, who is an electrician, am able to provide for my family, afford to buy a house, own two cars as well as an RV, and have the ability to take my two children on various short trips and vacations. I am by no means wealthy, but I am definitely blessed with a job that I love and the means to live in a way that makes me happy. I also receive health benefits that combined with my husband’s ensure that my family has the healthcare we need. Do I think that I receive adequate pay for the work and time I put in? No. However, because I find meaning in my work and know that I am making a difference for the students of our county, I am perfectly okay with that. That is what I wanted when I became a teacher. I always knew I wouldn’t be wealthy, and the pay increases provided by my union-negotiated contract are not what I was fighting for when I worked to rule today.
I was fighting for funding from the county to ensure that my class sizes don’t increase from the 29 students I have in my first period class. I was fighting for the first-year teacher I mentor who came out of the womb a natural teacher and runs the risk of being laid off. One person said that they have saved the 150 jobs that were on the chopping block. As of last week, that was not true. Some teachers have retired, some we know are moving or resigning, and M. Martirano saved over $1 million by trimming our central office of 34 positions. However, there are still cuts to make and unless more funding is redirected to our public schools, he will have no option but to lay off teachers and other positions throughout the system.
From what I understand from the presentation made by the auditor who has audited the county’s books for the last 22 years, funding to other county services has increased over the years while the funding to our schools has decreased. There are counties in Maryland that give over 50% of their county’s budgets to their schools while ours is far less than that. The audit also revealed there has been an over-estimation of expenses and under-estimation of tax revenue providing a cushion that a portion of which could save our teachers’ jobs, keep our class sizes where they are, and ensure the continuation of our sports and after-school activities.
The last item I want to address is the idea of “casual overtime”. I had quite a few jobs before I began teaching 11 years ago. I remember that casual overtime meant working a few extra hours because someone else called in sick, or working until we finished a project. I wouldn’t call what teachers do after school hours both in and out of school casual overtime. If so, here’s what my overtime would consist of:
Summer – I take classes and workshops to hone and refine my craft. I re-evaluate my lessons and strategies taking into consideration what I learned the previous year to improve them. Even though I have a master’s degree in reading, I do this to better myself and because it is a requirement to maintain my teaching certificate. I carry professional journals and textbooks around where ever I go in case I have a spare few minutes. I carried them around while on vacation in Maine learning how to teach grammar lessons through short stories so that students would be more engaged and increase the likelihood that they will internalize the information.
Evenings and weekends – I spend a lot of this time grading papers, responding to parent emails, and thinking about how to tweak my lessons so that they are the best they can be. I spend extra time giving written feedback to every student about their work so that they know they are special and that they are worth the time it takes to let them know where they excel as well as where they need to improve. I spend evenings baking cakes, brownies, and cookies to celebrate my students’ successes as well as muffins during MSA testing so that students who didn’t have breakfast would have warm food in their stomachs.
Lunch time: In the many lives I lived before teaching, I always had a half an hour to full hour for lunch. We would sit and watch TV, talk, or go out for lunch to rest and relax before returning to “duty”. For the past 11 years, I have spent my lunch grading papers, organizing for my next class, or sitting with a variety of students with a wide array of emotional and social difficulties so that have at least one place they feel safe and comfortable.
I have so many examples of things that I, as well as many of the teachers in my school, do that go beyond “casual overtime” that there is no way I could include them all here. I also don’t want to sound like I am whining or wanting readers to feel sorry for me. I do these things because I want to. No one makes me do them.
I didn’t work to rule today because the union told me to, or because I wanted to leave early for spring break. I did it to make the statement that I am already stretched thin. If the current budget is passed, we will lose good teachers, have larger classes, and fewer materials with which to achieve the level of student success we have become accustomed to.
I love my job. I am one of the few people I know who do. I enjoy spending time with and getting to know your children and helping you get them ready to live a successful and productive lives. Instead of criticizing teachers and pointing out the faults of some, please help us get Superintendant Martirano’s budget funded so we can continue to make the amazing progress we have seen over the last few years.
about teachers being off... Teachers are contracted to work for 190 days a year. Whine about snow days all you want, but they have to be made up and kids get out plenty of days teacher don't, but the contract is for 190 days. Their salary is based on that 190 days. The agreement made between the teachers and the school board is for 190 days of work. Whine all you want about how they get off so much time and how they are getting over on the system, but everyone who signed that contract knew it was for 190 days of work.
