You Just Gotta Wonder….
….about people, ya know?
This is my third year at this school. Granted, this is not the school that EVERYBODY wants to work at. As I may have metioned (at least 100 times) we are low income, 80% speak English as their second language and the building itself is quite old. We have a school grading system here in Florida – A through F. The rating is based, largely on the results of our standardized testing system (may I just say thank you to Satan Jeb for that). Our school is just barely hanging on to a ‘C’ rating. (By the way – is anyone other than Satan Jeb surprised that in a school that is low income and non-English speaking, standardized test scores are LOW LOW LOW?). To repeat myself – this is not the most sought after plum on the tree.
Having said that….I think our music department is under a curse. We offer both band and orchestra. My first year there, the orchestra teacher who started the year simply disappeared a few weeks into the school year. Gone. Bye-bye. The many who finished out the year was very good, but left at the end of the year for a position more to his liking.
The next year, our new orchestra teacher went through a rather messy divorce……which ended up with him being arrested for breaking a restraining order, acts of violence and a few other odds and ends. That was mid-year. We finished the year with a permanent substitute (can you say oxymoron?)
Oh! Before I forget – the permanent sub’s son was attacked and knifed – in the heart – by an unknown assailant for some unknown reason.
This year our band director left. I wasn’t crying. At all. He was a short little banty rooster and quite annoying. A band director who had previously worked at my school came back. Sounded good to me. Everyone who had worked with him before liked him and said he was nothing like the little cock who’d just left.
Hang on – did I mention that the band director left the school in thousands of dollars of debt? No? How did I miss that? He did. A candy sale never paid for. Unauthorized instrument repairs. Who knows what else. A really big mess. And the band boosters club who were supposedly watching over the funds? Well, no one will answer the phone. Imagine that.
This year the orchestra teacher seems to be doing well. However the band director has been missing in action for a couple of weeks and last year’s permanent sub has been back. No one was saying why he was MIA. But then the paper came out – and it seems that our band director was arrested (and subsequently suspended without pay) for soliciting prostitution in the local red light district.
Not to be preachy – but I am about to climb up on my soap box. Pick up a chair and set a spell.
Please do not think me a saint. Please do not think that I believe I am perfect or better than anyone else. I am just the same as you or you or you. I am human. I’ve made my share of mistakes and more than my share of poor choices in life. I try very hard not to sit in judgement, but that’s not always easy for me.
One thing I feel very strongly about is professional work ethic. I never give 100%. I give more. I know I’m a bit of a freak sometimes….but I do expect everyone in every job to give 100%. That’s what they are getting paid for. If you don’t want to do the job – quit. If you don’t like the company – change it or join another one.
As a teacher in this county, part of the training is in professionalism and ethics. They are VERY CLEAR about the fact that teachers are held to a higher personal standard than are people in other occupations. Let’s face it – would the store cashier get suspended without pay for soliciting a prostitute? No. (At least not if they did it whil "off duty"). Is that fair? Maybe and maybe not. But life, my little chickadees, is not fair. Teachers deal with our most precious resource – our children. So….realistically, teachers are expected to tread the moral high ground. If it’s illegal or unethical – a teacher is expected to avoid it, whether or not they agree with the law or society’s views. It’s in the job description, folks. You knew it when you signed on.
Should teachers be forced to toe the line? Personal opinions aside, it doesn’t matter. They are – and that’s the fact. Deal with the facts. If you don’t like the expectations, you are free to work to change them. But you are NOT free to flaunt your disregard in everyone’s face. Have some professional pride.
Of course, the subject of professional pride invariably brings up the salary issue. I’m not going to tackle that one today. Let me just say that as a 3rd year teacher I bring home less than $2000.00 per month after insurance, union dues, taxes, social security, etc. Quite a bit less. Look at your expenses…..and do the math.
I am proud of what I do. Not everyone would want to do it. Not everyone can do it. Even all of those who hold the job of teacher do not do it well. I’m not the best of the best. But I’m good. Good for the kids and good for my school.
Understand, please, that the majority of my colleagues are hard working professionals who work overtime trying to provide their students with every bit of knowledge and every advantage they can cram in. But those few that have a total disregard for themselves, the profession, their colleagues and MOST IMPOTANTLY, their students – really pi** me off.
Rant over. Somebody take this dang soap box away before I feel tempted to climb back on.
So THERE is where I left my soapbox after *I* climbed off it! I am not signed in, I have just noticed but this is Patricia {patrisha}
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This is how I feel when teachers go on strike (*ducks to avoid flying objects*) . . . you said it, Sister. True, there are goobs in EVERY profession, but sometimes it counts more than other times.
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You ARE good at what you do, and I don’t blame you for holding your colleagues to professional standards. Every time I hear about a psychologist who’s done bad therapy or broken the law, I cringe. It casts a bad light on ALL of us to have Dr. Phil as the most visible psychologist, so I know that it must make you feel similarly when your colleagues act like idiots.
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i do believe it is a crime what we don’t pay our teachers…
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RYN: Wow. The union here would never in a million YEARS have let the district get away with that. Nor would they let you keep working without supplies. Of course our state’s educational system is a widely advertised public joke, but it’s sure not because of our teachers. I’m with you: there are some careers that you should do for the love of it or not at all. (You should also get paid for it!)
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I bet if teachers got paid more you would see…ummm… an increase in “better” teachers. I now know of 3 teachers leaving at the end of this school year for jobs that pay more, and all 3 of them are excellent teachers.. *sigh*
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It is a sin, what we pay teachers. I am ashamed for all of us. And, yes, I do believe that they must, at least APPEAR to be upstanding and moral citizens. Those kids are watching them.
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yeah true, teachers are a role model for what kids want to do with the rest of their life, so its not fair but right that standards are way higher than the average bum at any convenience store. that said, that band and orchestra teaching position sounds so cursed that its alot like that Harry Potter defence of the dark arts position. *grin*
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i agree. teachers our dealing with our most precious resource *nods*
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I don’t think I’d be applying for the music department any time soon at your school! I think people forget that teachers are people, just like everyone else, human.
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A soap box is a fine place to be sometimes. I felt the same way when one of our nursing supervisors was dragged out in cuffs for narcotic stealing/abuse. Not a proud moment.
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Here here and I am going on my 6th year as a teacher and I bring home way less than $2000 a month. I sometimes have to explain to my students that teachers are not sub human nor superhuman, we are simply human, but they don’t get it. We are supposed to be perfect.r
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You are darned good at it, Sunshine Wolf ! This is one of the best soap box rantings I’ve ever heard.
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I don’t understand why people with such problems would even consider teaching. We have a few nut cases in our school system here, too. Booster money is disappearing all over the country, though. Our newspaper did a large article about that. Most of the theives are parents who run the boosters, which I don’t get either. What are they thinging?!
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Oops. That’s what are they thinking?! Thinking!
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Ma’am, you climb back on that soapbox any time you want. I wish to God there were more teachers like you, with your work ethics. Maybe our schools wouldn’t be so screwed up then. Okay, let’s start with the families first, okay? Not to say “I” am a saint either, but back when we were involved with the Football Club in high school, our son Stevie won the $500 scholarship (it goes to the player with
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the highest academic point average). The check was paid directly to us, so we made sure Stevie used it towards a computer he could take to school with him. (AND I believe I was the only parent who made him write a thank you to the club.) Next year the kid who won used the money towards a motorcycle. Why would his parents allow that????? Because people don’t know the meaning of high standards any
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more. So that’s my little soapbox for the morning. Thanks for giving me the chance to join you. PS — Ryn: Glad you could make it to Dubois, hee hee!
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I can’t do math but I know it sounds puny 🙁 You should get my brother in law in. He’s an ace music teacher and the kids all love him… the best part is no-one will understand his thick geordie accent anyway 🙂
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IMO teachers should be very mindful of morality. It’s important in shaping young minds. I don’t get it.
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I have always said that teachers are not paid NEARLY enough! I agree with your rant 110%
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Cheers. Does Happy Dance. I like your soapboxs as much as mine. *leaves with a dastardly laugh*
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Yes, teachers must have high moral standards; it’s part of the job. It’s basic that the students come first – and that includes setting standards of behaviour for them to follow. But expecting people to work for peanuts tends to bring monkeys into the profession. Sorry to disagree with your noter above, but at times our teachers have struck for better conditions, to our students’ benefit.
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Have you ever thought of writing a column for the newspaper? This was great! I mean, I’m ready to tear down there and ship up the shape!
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well said, now get back on that box and preach a little more. 🙂
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I guess teachers are just put up there as role models, as, sometimes are nurses, lawyers, etc….professionals! People forget we are human as well, but I do totally see your point and agree. Hugz
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Many years ago the principal of the school my kids went to was, er, reassigned, and so was the female teacher he was boffing in the janitor’s closet. Nice role models, indeed. My youngest currently has a teacher she refers to as a “stoner”, for apparently justified reasons. I say kick his ass out of school, if he is. With a sigh…
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it’s sad when you compare the teacher’s salaries to the salaries of the school administrators. Seems like there has always been too much of a difference. I think you should be paid more because I myself could never teach so you guys that can deserve huge rewards.
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*good* teachers are worth so much more than what they get paid. i think. they are part of our children’s future. unfortunately, looking back to my own children’s years, the outstanding teachers seem to be among the minority. something seems so wrong about that.
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Get back on that soapbox any time you want! My mother was a HS English teacher who should have gotten combat pay for what she did. Of course this society expects teachers to be saints, seeing as it holds them to a vow of poverty. And wouldn’t it be great if all professions were held to such high standards? Think of how many messes this country could avoid….
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RYN: I can imagine a huge uproar if striking was prohibited here. When I began teaching we had classes of 46. There were years of strong union action, resulting in far better conditions and maximum class sizes of 25. Teachers were reluctant to strike, but did, because they could find no other way to get the government to improve conditions for students. It worked.
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RYN: Is RAP the violent stuff and Hip Hop a sort of, ahem, social commentary? Honest question, I don’t know the difference.LOL.
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You’re kewl when you rant. Thanks for the tip re Tolle. It doesn’t surprise me – he’s got to be the most relaxed man in the world.
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Wow! Did Lord Voldomort try to get the into the musical department and get denied? It sure sounds like it. Burnt out teachers or just bad teachers are terrible for children. Having a poor teacher, especially at a young age, can change your whole outlook on the rest of your school career. I’m glad you’re a good one. We need more good teachers!
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Holy crap! Maybe you guys should start filming Desperate Music Teachers. Oy…a much needed rant.
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ryn: Oh, but the sprouts were YUMMY!!! Tender little delicious sprouts….how can you dislike them? Don’t you hate when people ask you that, when you obviously dislike something? I hate when people comment when I remove stuff from my salad and either give it away or set it aside. I always ask them what they dislike, then say, OH BUT WHY???? IT’S SO GOOD!!!! Heh heh.
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Hey, maybe that’s why I don’t have any friends!
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At least he wasn’t soliciting sex from a student. We hear about that all the time in this area of the Bible belt.
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