I attended my youngest child’s “graduation” ceremony from elementary school today. It was a touching morning filled with awards and a montage of baby photos, girls dressed up in their best dresses and boys squirming uncomfortably in collared shirts. As a long-time parent, I’ve attended quite a few of these affairs.
But at the end came something that was markedly different from any ceremony I’ve attended before. We bid goodbye to a favorite teacher. My son’s beloved part-time health teacher received a pink slip this spring. In good years these “temporary” teachers find themselves with a job again after the budget issues have settled down. But this is not to be this year.
A cheer went up among the children when her name was announced along with the other teachers. She’s a favorite with the kids. My quiet little son, who seldom relays details of his school day, often came home with stories about the great discussions he’s had in her class.
Clearly this is a teacher who is making an impact. And yet we seem to be unable to afford her salary any longer. This is the grim reality of state budget cuts. A family without a second income will be making fewer purchases in the community. Next year’s students will not receive the benefit of her instruction.
It is a chain of ruin with profound impacts on the future of our children and the economy.
I went up to her afterward and assured her she would land on her feet. Unable to find child care today, she had her small daughter with her. She thanked me for my words of support and I could see the tears forming in her eyes.
I think back to the day I watched the TEA Party protesters in Ventura in giddy celebration of taking down the government.
This is the government: a now unemployed health teacher who really gets through to her pupils, holding the hand of her 3-year-old.
Marie Lakin is a community activist and writes the Making Waves blog for the Ventura County Star
My son’s girlfriend worked hard to finish her teaching credential a few years ago. She’s worked hard to be a good teacher. And every year since she started, she’s held her breath to see if she’ll be the next one cut.
After years of college, and a couple more of teacher training. After summer conferences, and nights and weekends of grading essays. After late nights to get the school paper out, and “free” time planning special activities to get the kids excited about what she’s teaching–this is her reward.
When I read of how many new teachers drop out of the profession and how many schools are desperate for teachers who are qualified and care, I think of her.
My school in the San Fernando Valley is losing five of the finest teachers I have ever worked with. They are so enthusiastic and hard working, and I can’t believe we will have to do without them next year. While their lives are shaken, the students are the true losers. They will be in bigger classes, with less help than ever. I am heartsick over the entire debacle.
California is now 50th in the nation in per student spending… below Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi. Hope that Arnold is proud to be depriving local businesses of an educated workforce.
Thanks to Arnold’s budget slashes and the legislative Repubs refusal to raise reasonable taxes, in our small school district alone:
• my daughter’s school loses a beloved high school counselor (thus increasing the load for the remaining counselors for kids applying to college)
• the elementary schools in our district lose their music program and the high school choral program is cut by half
• the middle school loses the 7th period (where kids would start to learn Spanish or French)
• the high school teachers have agreed to have larger classes to salvage the 7th period electives
• the continuation school loses its new culinary program
• half the secretaries and support staff in the district are gone, the school superintendent took a pay cut, the janitorial staff is cut, and schools must raise money to fund basic security and yard duty
Ours is an active district, where parents volunteer in the classrooms, raise $250,000/year, voted for 2 parcel taxes and a school bond issue.
Just imagine what happens in Richmond and Compton, where people live closer to the edge, and parents don’t have the resources to ‘buy back’ services from the state government.
What an outrage!