Here is the original, sans cuts. It says all the things I want to say.
Will Teach For Fuel
Let me introduce myself. I was born here, attended k-12 at borough schools, got my Bachelor's at UAF, and then went back for a 5th year to get my teaching certificate. I'm a teacher.
I work at a great school with amazing coworkers and wonderful kids. I love my job. I don't know very many people who get up in the morning and are excited to go to work. I guess I'm lucky. If I had wanted to make "big bucks", I'd have been an engineer, or a process tech, but I didn't. Teaching is a calling, not a job, and I felt called. I'm a teacher.
Sitting at Homecoming recently, watching my kids run the ball, cheer, parade their floats, I cheered, laughed, and shouted until I was hoarse. I wanted to be able to tell them on Monday "great pass", or "impressive half-time routine", or congratulate them on winning the float contest. I'm proud of them, and happy for them. Do I get paid for that time in the stands, freezing my tail off? No. That's not why I do it. It's part of being a teacher. Being there for the kids, so they can see you in the stands, cheering them on, is part of who we are as teachers. It's what we do. We educate, we support, we protect, and we encourage. One teacher, a woman I highly respect, walked out with one of the royalty nominees in place of her parents, who couldn't attend. We're teachers.
Problem is, I'm also a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter. I have obligations, responsibilities, and bills just like everyone else. I have to pay for heating fuel, pay my mortgage, my electricity, and the day will come when I may have to make the choice between doing what I love and heating my home. Please don't make me make that choice. The kids can only lose.
How? The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has walked away from the negotiating table. We, the teachers, are working without a contract. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Price Index, what cost $100 last year costs $105.66 this year. (5.66% increase in one year) $100 in goods and services in 2006 will cost you $108.67 today. (8.67% increase over two years) We aren't even asking the district to cover the cost of inflation. I'd like to make the same amount next year in buying power that I did this year, not less. I can't imagine that anyone else would want anything different.
The district's first offer was zero for three years. If inflation stays the same (and it might go up), next year my salary would be worth 5.66% less than it was this year, and again the next, and again. My $100 this year would cost me $117.96 in three years. I can't afford that. The district's second offer was, according to a recent article in the News Miner, 4.25% spread across three years. Please understand why I can't afford 4.25% spread across three years...when my bills will cost 17.96% more. The math hurts.
We're all hurting. Inflation is killing all of us. I love my kids...the freshmen, the seniors, the little seventh graders who are so excited about school. Please don't force me to choose between them and my heating bill. Everybody loses.
Write your school board members and tell them you support fair pay for teachers.
Thank you,
Angela Chiment, teacher
Posts
4 comments:
I loved your letter and would like to see it published. Below is my attempt to reduce the word count without taking away from your message (exactly 350 words):
Will Teach For Fuel
I’m a lifelong resident of Fairbanks, got my Bachelor's at UAF, and then got my teaching certificate. I'm a teacher.
I work at a great school. I love my job. I don't know many people who get up excited to go to work, but I do. If I wanted to make "big bucks", I'd have been an engineer, or a process tech, but I didn't. Teaching is a calling, not a job - I was called.
Sitting at Homecoming recently, I watching my kids run the ball, cheer, and parade their floats. I wanted to tell them on Monday that I'm proud of them and happy for them. I don’t get paid for that. It’s part of being a teacher. We educate, support, protect, and encourage. One teacher, whom I highly respect, walked out with one of the royalty nominees in place of her parents, who couldn't attend. We're teachers.
I'm also a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter. I have to pay for heating fuel, my mortgage, and electricity like everybody else. Please don’t make me choose between doing what I love and heating my home. The kids can only lose.
How? Fairbanks teachers are working without a contract. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Consumer Price Index, we’ve seen an 8.67% increase for goods and services the last two years. We aren’t even asking the district to cover the cost of inflation. I'd like to have the same buying power next year, not less. That’s what everyone wants.
The district's first offer was zero for three years. If inflation stays the same, my $100 this year would cost me $117.96 in three years. The district's second offer was 4.25% spread across three years. I can't afford that either of those offers...when my bills will cost 17.96% more.
We're all hurting. Inflation is killing all of us. I love my kids. Please don't force me to choose between them and my heating bill. Everybody loses.
Write your school board members and tell them you support fair pay for teachers.
Thank you,
Angela Chiment, teacher
You need to get a side thing, that allows people to subscribe to your blog. Just saying, but to comment upon your letter, I really like it and will if you need help, cut it down for you so you can publish it :D.
Rissa
Cheri-
Thank you! That's perfect! I can hardly figure out what you cut. :)
I will send it in tonight!
Hello!
Well, I ready your Letter to the Editor and I must say I loved it very much! I also took time away from somewhat busy schedule today to comment Ms. Dyer's Letter to the Editor. Unfortunately, I had to cut my comment significantly to suffice for the 3000 character limit that I was unaware of. Silly me. I would really like to say that most of the people who commented Ms. Dyer's letter with negative comments seemed to be people with a mind to go out and just make anyone else's lives hell, and because they like having a big red sign over their head that says "Ooooh! Look! Look! I don't approve this because I want attention!" The people who are against this really are pathetic. They don't understand the difference something like this raise would make in the teaching community. Throughout history teachers always have been significant and important to society, and now that a group of teachers need a raise due to inflation, they are treated like dirt by others in society just because of it.
It hurts me as a student to see how people really are when a crisis like this is at hand. And you are absolutely right, if teachers were to walk out because of money problems only the students lose. We have everything to lose in this situation, and trust me, none of us want any new teachers. We love the ones we have.
=D
Post a Comment