Dear Editor:
I have noticed many letters to the editor about teaching, some supportive but mostly not. The public appears disgusted by teachers. The public states repeatedly that we only work 40 weeks, have short work days, have lots of vacation time, etc. Teachers are portrayed as selfish, lazy and ignorant of the economic situation.
As a teacher, I did not choose the school calendar. In fact, I get no say in setting it. Parents and the public get more say via their trustees. If you want to change my work day, go ahead. If my work day was extended from the current eight hours to 10, so be it. I would probably assign less homework if the days were longer so that evenings would be free for families to do what they want.
If the public wanted to extend or reorganize the school year, I'd be fine with that, too. Two months off at a time is too long, both for students and for me. We could have schools open 11 months of the year rather than the current 10. Students could learn and teachers could teach the curriculum at a more relaxed, student-centred pace. Students wouldn't have to spend any time "reviewing" in September to relearn all they forgot over the summer. They'd have more time to learn.
Anyway, my point is that I think the public believes all teachers are unreasonable, inflexible people. In fact, most of us are hard-working, dedicated people who care very much about our students. Are there teachers who need to "pull up their socks"? Absolutely, but don't tell me those kinds of lazy people don't exist in the private sector, because they do. There have to be consequences for those employees, just as we fail students who don't learn what they need to.
I hear people say that teachers are lucky to earn what they do considering the economic situation. What does this mean? That teachers should not get a raise because of government or banking mismanagement of our money? Do these same people complain that doctors or CGAs are overpaid and underworked? These jobs require many years of university education, so they are well-compensated as a result. If you want to pay teachers only $40,000 a year, then perhaps we need to go back to the days when students graduating Grade 12 were qualified to teach.
My husband recently lost his (privatesector) job of 25 years due to "corporate downsizing." We're a single-income family now. I am grateful to have job security as a teacher because I don't know who's going to hire my close-to-retirement-age husband. I'll continue to work hard as I have, with or without public support. I know I am a good teacher. I see it in my students' work and on their faces. I guess I'll take that instead of a raise for the next few years.
Aldina Isbister, Burnaby
