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?
I am in complete agreement with you! It can never be just about money. But I watched the news last night in amazement as CBS reported that the "Average" CPS teacher is paid $70-72,000 annually. I cannot fathom the math behind this average number. But setting the arithmetic aside, I'm once again realizing that this is how we generally assess the value of the work we do - by how much one is paid for that work. It saddens me. But the money is what the press will focus on because I believe it is what people seem to understand the most about work.
ReplyDeleteI am also deeply concerned about how the narrative of this strike, and the negotiations leading up to it, is unfolding. Mayor Emanuel claims there are minor issues left to resolve and that this is a strike of "choice." CTU President Lewis claims that the issues which are unresolved (which appear to be compensation, benefits, job security and teacher evaluations) are serious concerns that must be resolved before a contract agreement can be reached. But somehow, taking into consideration recent events and Lewis's appearance in front of the bright lights last night, it appears that the CTU was determined to strike against a mayor they labeled a bully. Lewis's lack of focus in her press conference last night (even though it had been announced hours earlier) made her seem unprepared to seal a contract deal. And as the mayor patiently explained to the press that his team (who looked exhausted in front of the camera as if they'd been working and negotiating for hundreds of hours) was ready to negotiate through the night to avert the strike, I kept thinking, "why didn't I hear that kind of talk from the CTU leadership?"
I know that teachers don't want to strike. What they want to do is teach. They want to teach effectively with the necessary supports and resources. They want to be viewed as professionals. They want to be valued for the work they do during the school day. They want to be valued for the hours they spend before and after school and on the weekends preparing and learning for the days ahead as the year unfolds. They want to be valued for the time they spend in the summer realigning curriculum to the common core standards or returning to the classroom or other settings to enrich and hone their craft.
But I know that until you actually take on this most meaningful yet humbling work of teaching, it is hard to understand what it takes physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually to do the job. The hours. The stamina. The trips to Staples, Jewel, Barnes & Noble and whatever teachers store has managed to stay open. The challenge of every day as a puzzle to solve. No day like another, despite routines and procedures carefully planned out. Incredible, amazing, valuable work. In truth, I believe it is impossible to monetarily compensate anyone who does this work full throttle and with passion.
Teachers are pragmatists. They know money and resources are scarce and that they can never be totally compensated for their work. I just wonder if this decision to strike, at least in part, is about teachers wanting to be seen as professionals and appropriately acknowledged for the work they do in the city's classrooms every day. But the basis for the strike, as laid out in the current narrative in the media, looks more like a teacher plea for job security and dollars rather than a desire for concrete things that concern most students, families and teachers: class size, planning time, and safe/healthy school environments.
So I worry. I worry about who will tell this story and how it will be told. How will this narrative unfold? Because this narrative most likely will impact the work of teaching for years to come.
Rachel I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your eloquently written blog. Your insight is amazing, I could not agree with you more. So much needs to be done to "fix" education and provide services that are effective. I have the utmost respect for teachers because they are truly set up to fail, and somehow millions of them still succeed to provide effective education to students and it astounds me! I am disappointed by the fact that so much of politics is spent talking about encouraging investments in technology & business without any acknowledgement of investing in the foundation that facilitates that innovation: EDUCATION. One day I will open a school that has a ratio well below 30:1 with fair pay, excellent resources, and hours that facilitate sharing of information and well cared for teachers. And then I will offer you a job :)
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