At tonight’s school board meeting, the Board received the salary proposals from teachers and principals. It was unlike any other — the shortest, the hardest proposal ever pitched.<\/p>\n
Our teachers and principals are expected to do more than ever before, to teach our children more at earlier ages, to fill in the gaps of parenting and medical care and social services. They have risen to the challenge, and done so largely without complaint. They did so this year, on the same salary as last year, as there was no raise in the budget. <\/p>\n
Yet each one, like the rest of us, have families to provide for, mortgages to pay,. cars to fuel, etc.<\/p>\n
Braced for a request that I feared we would not be able to honor, I listened carefully. What I heard was nothing short of a shock: given the dire economic times for state and local government, they asked that if we must choose between retaining personnel and giving raises, that we retain all staff with direct student impact, even if it means that there can be no cost of living increase.<\/p>\n
It was the most selfless request imaginable. I am humbled and embarrassed that we cannot provide for our teachers and staff what they need and deserve.<\/p>\n
These are the folks who are teaching our children every day. I am humbled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At tonight’s school board meeting, the Board received the salary proposals from teachers and principals. It was unlike any other — the shortest, the hardest proposal ever pitched. Our teachers and principals are expected to do more than ever before, … Continue reading