A few thoughts from a recently retired teacher to Kristen
Fuller, a current Gilroy teacher lamenting coming teacher pay
cuts.
Dear Editor,
A few thoughts from a recently retired teacher to Kristen Fuller, a current Gilroy teacher lamenting coming teacher pay cuts.
Kristen, I was a teacher nearly 40 years, and often an active union member. Teachers would come to me constantly, utterly confused as to how teachers could be financially shafted, back when in times of plenty, people in industry were getting fantastic pay increases and bonuses. As a union representative, I asked these questions: “If they drop your pay by 10 percent tonight, will you be teaching in school tomorrow? Will you continue to spend your money on supplies?”
The answer was nearly always “Yes. I can’t mistreat the children who trust me to be there.”
My response was, “Then, cutting your pay is the correct thing to do. To do otherwise, would be a gift of public funds. Administrators who pay you more than is necessary to keep you in the classroom should be fired for failing as the guardians of the taxpayer’s money.”
It is up to you, Kristen, and your fellow teachers to make it clear that if your pay is cut, your performance will be cut to match. You will not return to school to chaperone dances. You will not write letters of recommendation for students unless their parents pay for your time. You will limit the papers you grade to a “random sampling” of the class each day. You will not do talent shows, science fairs, fund raisers or extra, free tutoring outside of class. You will cease entirely the spending of your own money for classroom supplies that should be supplied by the school and parents, even if it is more convenient for you to do so (the common teacher excuse for doing this now: “It makes it easier for me.”).
No doubt you are aware, Kristen, that without full payment PG&E would cut off the electricity and gas to schools. Knowing this, the thought never crosses anyone’s mind that they can cut PG&E payments and still get all the energy they want. Sobbing about shivering children unable to read in window light has zero effect on PG&E.
But teachers, everyone believes Kristen, WILL work with pay cuts. And if that is true in this fiscal crisis, then cutting teacher pay is the right thing to do. It is up to YOU, Kristen, and your fellow teachers to make it apparent that to get you to perform, you must be fully compensated.
If the public fails to support continuing existing tax rates (it is not an increase), then the public is voting that your full services are unnecessary. Are you and other teachers LISTENING? It is likely that you, and other teachers will volunteer, work extra hours and otherwise prove that previously, taxpayer money was wasted on your then-higher wages. Be aware Kristen, that generating savings through pay cuts is far more personal and disrespectful to teachers and others than doing it through furlough days. On furlough days, you are not paid and you do not work. There is self-respect in that situation.
If you will accept a pay cut instead of furlough days, then we, the public, should move to fire the superintendent for not being smart enough to do this sooner! It would prove that keeping kids away from school was completely unnecessary, if you accept pay cuts instead – and come to work. If this happens, it proves that the guardians of public funds failed by not stinging your pay sooner but only IF you will accept pay cuts now, and still go to work. Will you?
The point is that what happens to your pay is entirely the result of how teachers express their own self-respect collectively, as a group. Will you stand up for yourself along with other teachers, or will you just say, “Mooooo?” I await your response not in words, but in actions.
Tony Weiler, Gilroy
