I talked with a teacher Tuesday who was quite depressed. She is a widow with three children and for the first time her children now qualify for reduced lunch.
Mention raises for teachers in WV and most of the loud voices you hear will not be singing their praises and agreeing that teacher's need and deserve a raise. It often seems that most of the public believes that teachers simply assign a page and paper work then sit back at their desk to read the paper or drink coffee while students do silent work.
That might have been the case once. It's not anymore.
Yet there's no denying we have some teachers who are visibly tired and are close to "burn out".
Years of low pay, long hours, stressful situations have led to a numbness for many veterans in the profession. When asked why they stay with it, some may hem haw around about job possibilities or time invested but when you get right down to it most will say: because of the kids.
You can't be a successful teacher and not invest something of yourself into the class and student. You get attached even tho every professional organization tells you to keep some distance between you and the students, for your own safety.
I went into teaching 24 years ago never expecting the beginning teacher's salary in WV to remain at 27,000. Nor did I expect pay raises to all but cease. After as much experience and time as I have invested, I now make aproximately 33,000 a year.
WV has a 20% vacancy rate this year. Positions are left unfilled or are long term contracted to an uncertified person. Most new teachers who live near any of WV's borders are looking at other states first and WV only as a last resort. One district in Ohio STARTS teachers at 45,000.
But I do not favor the regional increases some are advocating. We are all underpaid. WV is ranking dead last in teacher pay. If you travel to McDowell Co you're going to find as wide spread a problem in staffing as you will in the eastern panhandle. This issue needs to be addressed state wide and not parceled into sectional considerations.
I no longer want to hear what the median income is in WV. I am a professional. I am a good teacher and my students bear that out with their post graduation successes. I deserved not only to be paid as a professional but also to be treated as one.
I make mistakes. Most of us do. Most are still working to hone their craft and skills, but trust me, I'm not in this profession because I thought it would be an easy job. I battle parent denial, student appathy, public distain and sometimes an administration that is under educated and doesn't care to learn how to better facilliate learning.
I'm there because of the kids. They know it. I've told them. They appreciate it and work because of it.
But I'm tired of not having money to pay my own lunch bill at the end of the month, not having money to replace the shoes when the old ones are truthfuylly worn out, and living on the edge of hand to mouth.
It's an issue Joe Manchin must pay attention to.
Then there's the case of Gene Rizzo in Calhoun Co. I find it ironic that parents are objecting to the hiring of Dr. Rizzo by standing up and yelling in a public meeting, threatening him and generally being so disruptive that comments can not be made. One of their main complaints? He was court ordered to attend anger management classes.
I worked with Gene Rizzo many years ago when he was a newly hired administrator. He was always professional in his dealings with students, parents and teachers and I believe for the most part liked by all three factions.
His personal life as a single man was speculated on often but if he heard the whispers and the questions he never acknowledged them in public or showed any signs of irritation at being the target of the rumors although it would have to be irritating.
A few years ago Rizzo made a huge mistake. The girl he was dating, who evidently was his former secretary, began seeing someone else and Gene became jealous after their breakup. He walked into her house and found the two together. It was a dumb thing to do! But when dealing with emotions how many of us haven't lost our tempers and said or done things that embarrassed us?
His ex filed a complaint and he was found guilty of a charge that was much less than breaking and entering but somewhat more than trespassing. As part of the fine he was ordered to take anger management classes. No one has ever said why.
He lost his job in Maryland which prompted outcries from students, parents and teachers. They were willing to keep this award winning educator whom the Washington post even saluted, but the board was not.
Now the record follows him to Calhoun Co and some parents want him gone.
I have a difficult time believing Rizzo is a threat to any child or parent. He has much to offer the educational system at a time when WV needs all the professionals it can retain.
He didn't tell the board about his arrest. That was wrong. But I'm convinced it's also wrong to blackball him from the educational system and trust me, if I thought there was any chance that he could physically endanger or mentally distress any child I'd never advocate his remaining in the system.
But I don't think there's a chance of that and I think there's every possibility that given the opportunity he will prove himself once more.
