a small rant....

Today, a friend of mine made a very nice post on Facebook.  Basically she wanted to make the public aware that the money they were spending to get their children ready for school this year was less than most teachers were spending getting their classroom ready.  She wanted them to know that the schools (via the government) do not typically reimburse teachers for much, if any, of that expense.  She advocated for stopping the spending and letting the public see just what the government was doing for their children (without the teacher's personal financial contribution).  She even went so far as suggest that the teachers should buy something for themselves with the money they typically spend on the classroom.

I loved her post.   Seriously, in what other profession are contracted people doing this?     I can't think of any.

I have been working getting my classroom ready for several days now; and no, I did not earn a dime.  I was doing it on my own time.  My choice.   Crazy, huh?  I have purchased numerous items for the classroom.  Reimbursed?  No.  Stupid Crazy.    But you all know; as well as I do, that my Stupid Crazy behavior is the norm for many teachers.

It seems easy for the state governments to cut spending on education, because the public doesn't scream. They don't protest education cuts...  not very strongly anyway.   Why?  I believe it is because teachers do whatever they can to make things seem normal to wonderful.  Teachers take care of things - even if it is paid for out of their own pocket. 

How many of you are asked to come in for special events even though the time isn't covered in your contracted hours?  Pressured a bit even.  Happens all the time.  Crazy. 

At one point, our evaluation even had a section that evaluated teachers on how much time they volunteered in the community.   In other words, you were being judged on how you spent your spare time, time you weren't paid for.   Crazy. 

None of that, however, is my small rant.   Here is my rant:   Some of the people responding to my friend's post had the nerve to say, "of course, I spend money on my classroom, I didn't get into this profession to get rich!"   Get rich??????   Seriously!

That attitude - that "I am not worthy of being paid a professional wage for my professional time attitude" makes me want to scream.  It also is exactly why we will never be paid as professionals - even though most of us are extremely well-educated.

Others do not have to hold us down.   We gladly chain ourselves to poverty.  And should someone speak up for themselves and demand professional pay for professional work .... we always hear..... "I didn't get into teaching to become rich."

In my district, we have teachers who have taught for 15 years with a Master's degree and they still qualify for free and reduced lunches!  It is so incredibly sad.

Okay, small rant over.  Time for bed.  Nite everyone.