The Chicago Teachers' Union is poised to strike for the first time in 25 years. The atmosphere is full of electricity and excitement. Everyone is ready to be important in this slice of educational history.
There are a lot of issues on the table, but what gets discussed the most is whether or not teachers will be monetarily compensated for their work. It is a reasonable request. And yet, my guess is that even a 19% pay increase will not sate the average teacher looking for a raise, nor will it attract the teacher motivated to make a change.
There are a lot of things that $10,000 can't do.
An extra $10,000 in my bank account does not bring back Ashton, senselessly killed in a shooting the night before Christmas break in 2009. It doesn't keep me from worrying about Andrew, and whether he will get beat up at home tonight. It doesn't give a home to Daniel, or to Sherri, or to Ron. It doesn't mean that Oliver will get enough to eat.
An extra $10,000 in my bank account also doesn't take away my headaches after teaching for five hours in a classroom with no air conditioning in 98 degree weather. It doesn't give me extra hours to collaborate with my colleagues and plan for the next day's lessons. It doesn't mean that my math curriculum won't be changed three times within a four month period. Frankly, it doesn't even mean that the photocopy machine will work (though it would defray the costs of my trips to Staples).
Money is a start in making a statement of a teacher's value. No argument. But it will not make teaching more bearable. It will not change the day to day of my job. I know, because I took that kind of pay cut to be in my current job, and I am more content here than at any of the other schools I have worked in, two of which were union jobs. Money was not what got me into teaching, and it isn't what will make me stay.
I support the union because I support the work of teachers. But in our debates, I wish that we would spend more time demanding the things that really matter:
-Social workers, nurses, mentoring programs, and other wrap around supports. These people change and protect lives.
-Class sizes below 30. No one, and I mean no one, wants to be stuck in a room with thirty sweaty 7th graders right after gym class.
-Administrations in our schools that are competent and fair.
-Shared planning time during the day to accomplish some of the collaboration that is proven to improve student learning.
-Better school environments that include air conditioning, asbestos free tiling, windows without bullet holes, and walls that aren't peeling paint.
By all means, strike. Teachers do deserve to be recognized for the hard work that we do each day. And yes, some of these concerns are being addressed in current negotiations. But in reading the news and checking the general public's pulse on facebook and twitter, what I hear is, "Teachers want more pay." In an economy where money is scarce, are we asking for the limited available funds to be allocated to the areas that would most improve labor conditions? The 16% pay increase comes from somewhere; will it be taken from programs that would have improved the work we do each day?
On Friday I passed out fliers to the students, letting them know that in the event of a strike our school would remain open. One of my students raised her hand.
"Ms. Swanson? Why are the teachers striking?"
"Well, there are a lot of reasons, but it is largely about money."
She nodded her head thoughtfully, and said, "Yeah, it was about money at my last school, too."
While the adults argue, the kids are watching. What lessons are we teaching them? What legacy will we leave them?
