To: Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Re: "Woe is me" teachers in "Stand by Me"
Recently, you were quoted by the Associated Press [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Teachers] as saying that a recent survey revealed a "woe-is-me aspect to teachers when asked what they think of their lot in life." I guess you could say that I am a "woe-is-me" educator. I work in an urban elementary school, and 84 percent of the student body is below the poverty level. Most of the teachers in my district are on blood pressure medicine to control their stress-induced hypertension. These teachers are not middle-aged but young, from their mid-twenties to early thirties. The amount of work they carry home while they try to take care of their own young children is unbelievable. Yet, they make time to call parents after school; they spend much of their own hard-earned money for classroom needs; and they take college classes to keep their certification current at their own expense. These teachers deserve your admiration, not your "I know better" attitude.
Most of my colleagues are not members of a union. I have worked in three different states and out of the three, only one had a closed shop. Most teachers would rather believe that the school boards and administration will take care of them. Many, like myself, do not believe in supporting a union, but can understand why there is a need - we teachers stand at the whim of the political wind. The public and our politicians have an unspoken belief that teachers should think of themselves as missionaries of education to the masses. How dare we think that we should be paid more money and have decent benefits to take better care of ourselves! We should be happy with the thought that we are serving the public need by educating American children.
Yes, I do want to help the students of my elementary school, but I also want to be able to take care of my family and retire someday with my health intact and years to enjoy my life. I do not think that is a burden for working the hardest and best that I can for each individual student that is assigned to me.
Paula L. Powers, M.A.
School Counselor
Wichita (USD259), Kansas