Why teaching doesn’t pay…
by worcesterite - March 5, 2010 6:50am
I’ve been an art teacher the last 6 years in a suburban school district in Massachusetts. Starting off in the High School, I personally sent students to college to major in art…graphic design, painting, sculpture, illustration, theater costuming…you name it. These are some of the most creative people I’ve met. My school district had budget cuts in 2008 where I was forced to either look for work elsewhere (and lost my tenure) or stay in the district and be forced to bump someone at a lower grade. Begrudgingly I chose the latter and found myself teaching 5th and 6th grade the last year and a half. The transition was rough at first but I found my groove and was soon introducing some awesome lessons like skateboard graphic design, graffiti, different artistic movements and famous artists and so much more. I have done everything I can to influence, motivate and challenge these kids and now the axe is about to drop again.
All too often public schools are choosing to cut their best staff in order to meet proposed budgets for the next fiscal school year. I have gone back to school to get my Masters in Education and jump through all of the hoops that the D.O.E. requires teachers to complete in order to become professional status in Massachusetts. And yet I feel like I still can’t win.
Sure, you may be thinking “welcome to the club” but where does this leave future generations? The Arts are never recognized as a “core” subject in school, most of the time never having a department head like “regular” subjects. We are teachers just like everyone else and its the students who will suffer if we are cut. Class sizes will jump extraordinarily causing more strain on classroom teachers, more focus on standardized testing will stress both teachers and students…where does it end? Are any school districts doing it right? I have little hope for public education any more, having seen it from the inside.
So, I’ve come this point in my life where I’ve found something I’m actually good at and enjoy doing and I’m getting penalized for doing nothing wrong. What kind of job system utilizes this kind of business practice? I know, a lot of well deserving people are out of work who don’t deserve it and I guess I’m just adding to the list…but being a teacher SHOULD have recognition for what we do. Parents are trusting their children’s education to us for 8 hours a day, every day. Massachusetts is leading the way in the country for education compared to all other states. Maybe this isn’t across the board and some districts are functioning correctly…I don’t know.
Thoughts? Response? Discussion? Hate mail? Work? 