Editor's note: This is an open letter to John Huppenthal, Arizona's superintendent of public instruction.
Mr. Huppenthal,
I sent the following message to your office one month ago and have yet to receive a reply.
After speaking with — in succession — my department chair, the school administrator assigned to assess my performance, and administration in our district office, I have been referred to contact you. I am currently in my fifth year of teaching at Basha High School in Chandler.
I love Basha; I love my students and co-workers, and I am even more passionate now about teaching history then I was when I was first hired in 2008. At the time that I was hired the district’s original salary schedule was still in place, with the promise of increased compensation according to experience in the profession and professional growth.
I was fresh out of Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree and, with a belief in the importance of improving my abilities as a teacher, I signed up for a master’s cohort with the district. I earned my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Northern Arizona University in 2010.
Though I am not a perfect educator by any means, I have consistently worked, from day one on the job, to help students make connections to the past and understand their responsibilities and opportunities as future citizens of our nation and state.
I have also made an effort to learn from my co-workers, gleaning successful classroom activities and professional behaviors that I strive to implement in my classroom.
As a result of my hard work, though I am young in the profession, I was entrusted by our department chair and administration with teaching advanced placement world history in only my second year in the profession, and I have been teaching AP world history ever since to our freshmen at Basha, helping to build the reputation of the course which was first offered the year that I was hired.
Over the past four years the number of students taking the AP world history test — and the scores they have earned — have increased each year. I also serve as the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity girls tennis coach here at Basha and have worked in that capacity since 2009.
I am also a participant in career ladder and have moved my way up the ladder throughout my teaching career. As a personal side note, shortly following my hiring, my wife and I purchased a home and welcomed our first son to our family in 2009. In 2011 our second son was born.
I apologize for the length of the prologue to the central question of this e-mail, but, as I am seeking a definitive and clear answer, I thought it best to share some of my background in order to emphasize the earnestness of my question.
My question is this: When, if ever, will I be fully compensated for my professional growth and gained experience in the profession?
I understand that, with the economic recession and state political climate in general, and the recent failure of the budget override and prop 204 more specifically, salaries have been virtually frozen with the exception of a 1 or 2 percent increase here and there. Is there any hope that I can give to my wife that we will see a more significant increase in my pay (as the primary provider for our household)?
A further prompting for my question is the fact that I was hired at the same time as two of my esteemed colleagues who, at the time of our hiring, both had already earned their master’s degrees and, consequently, their initial salaries were several thousand dollars greater than mine.
As previously stated, I have since earned my master’s degree and I have the same exact amount of experience in the district as they do, yet they continue to make significantly more money than I do.
I do not state this out of jealousy or envy; I believe that they deserve every penny they are paid. However, you can understand my family’s frustration, especially when my salary stagnation has been coupled with increased health insurance costs specifically and the rise in the cost of living in general. Any insight you could provide for me and my family would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Charles Johnson
Queen Creek
Ateam1 posted at 9:08 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Charles: Welcome to the real world. You must realize the Arrogance Of these Government agencies. There is no way you will find fairness when dealing with govt. They make there own rules,legal or not!!! And the unfortunate thing, We cant get rid of them! Good luck.
Arizona Willie posted at 9:13 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Although I greatly sympathize with Mr. Johnson's problem, I have a feeling he will soon be looking for a new teaching position.
I hope he found one before he went public with his complaint.
I have long advocated for greatly increased teacher salaries, but going public is < probably > not the best strategy for getting a raise.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:51 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Mr. Johnson,
The teaching field, either Grammer School, Middle School, High School, Community College, or State University has never been know for high salaries paid to it's teachers or professors.
You knew when you got into this professions that the benefits were a very large amount of time off from work (Summer Vacation, Spring Break, Winter Break, every Local, State and Federal Holiday, 2 Weeks Vacation and 10 Days Paid Sick Leave). You would never have to work a Swing Shift or a Graveyard Shift. You would always, always have the Week-Ends off.
You knew what you were getting into from the "Get-Go" so why are you whinning and moaning now about your "situation"?
"Man Up" Mr. Johnson, "Man Up"...no one forced you to become a teacher.
Irons1 posted at 10:14 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Ceniceros,you obviously have absolutely no clue what happens in a public school. You continue to write the same drivel over and over again. I have never had a summer off, I have to go in on weekends. Spring break and winter break, please remind me about what they are because I am in working. You sir, are a total idiot, who absolutely refuses to see anything other than tea party garbage that you spew. Man up, Ceniceros, man up, no one forced you to become a troll, but yet you are. And by the way, learn to spell. Whining is the correct spelling and since you do it so well you should know how to spell it.
valleynative posted at 10:16 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
I believe that a big part of the problem is that teachers have never allowed their salaries to be based on individual evaluations. When you choose to be paid the same as the "average" teacher with a given level of experience and a given education level, you're only going to be paid what you're worth if your performance is average or below.
mesateacher posted at 10:22 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Sorry, Charles. Won't happen - not in the US and certainly not in AZ. There's only one thing that's going to dramatically raise teacher salaries, and that's a severe shortage of them, and that's not likely. Did you know that schools are scrambling to find math teachers? You'd think they could negotiate higher salaries, but they can't because schools are actively recruiting math teachers out of state. That's the sorry truth. And yes, you knew what you were getting into when you went into the profession. If you don't like it, leave. It will never get better.
sockratties posted at 10:29 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Mr. Johnson,
I have a friend who is a teacher. He is also a "roofer" during his summer vacation which pays better but is very hard work. His benefits from his "government" job help so his annual income is sufficient.
As with any civilian job, you can quit any time you don't feel you are earning enough. What your colleagues make relates to the deal they made when they took the job and is really none of your business. You also agreed to do a certain job for a certain amount.
You have probably earned the disrespect of your administrators (they'll never trust you again) and your fellow teachers (who will not back you up in public but will encourage you in private for personal gain).
BTW... Because you’re a teacher you may wish to know that “then” is a relationship relating to a time before “now.” You probably meant to say “than” which relates to a comparison.
downtownresident posted at 10:33 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
You were at a disadvantage from day one. No Masters, no higher pay.
Now that you have the masters degree you have seen the ugly reality of the real world.
Things are not fair.
What does school/district/state policy say about advancement? Does acquisition of a masters degree trigger a raise?
Armed with your credentials now, maybe it's time to try another school district in the area.
Irons1 posted at 11:31 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
It is always interesting to note that the "things are not fair" crowd comes from those who either seem to inherit their money or who have things given to them that they did not earn. May not always be the case, but it is more often true than not. By the way sockwhatever, it is interesting that you want to correct the English of the letter writer, but not one word to Ceniceros. I suspect that is because you agree with his drivel.
Mike McClellan posted at 11:34 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Downtown, to answer your question, yes, acquisition of a master's degree normally (except with salary freezes) triggers a raise.
Almost all districts has a salary schedule, that pays teachers based on years taught in that district plus education. So a master's gets more money and a master's plus 30 more hours of college graduate credits gets even more.
Mike McClellan posted at 11:36 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Which means? If an experienced teacher wants to move, he or she better do it early in their career, because if they wait too long, they can't afford to move.
Mike McClellan posted at 11:36 am on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
As far a results-based compensation's concerned, I've yet to see a workable plan proposed.
In my perfect world, I'd make firing bad teachers easier, pay the rest good money, and give principals (assuming they could more easily be fired if they were awful) a discretionary fund to reward their best teachers, based on gains in scores, principal evaluations, and peer evaluations (peers generally know who the good teachers are, who the bad ones are, and who the "put on a show for the administrators" are).
sockratties posted at 1:12 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
ironwhatever... leon is a troll and beyond help. time spent reading or responding to him, except for personal amusement, is time waisted. I agree with your response to his comment.
I noted the correction to Mr. Johnson's use of a word because such carelessness in a public, and important to him, letter may be more indicative of his performance as an educator than his plea for equity.
I expect nothing from leon but I would expect perfection in Mr. Johnson's letter. It's kind of like mispelling the recipient's name on a resume.
mesateacher posted at 2:46 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
I noticed the THEN in place of THAN, but let it go. But now that it has come up...
I've noticed this error creeping in to the language at an ever increasing rate. It's not uncommon anymore. And you see it by supposedly educated people. The offenders most usually are under 30 and as far as I'm concerned is the result of lousy public school teachers who didn't correct students for one reason or another. When writing teachers deal with 35-40 students in a class, how could they be expected to catch every mistake the students make. Nonetheless, THEN/THAN is a symptom of problems in the teaching of English. We need to get back to spelling tests, diagramming sentences, and other things that worked well for so long. There are many other grammar errors that are common today, and it's probably hopeless to eradicate them all. Chomping at the bit. Irregardless. Different than. This is me. Ugh!
JMJ posted at 3:31 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Charles, you will not find any sympathy from anyone mainly because, unless one is in the profession, people don't "get" the stagnation. Look at the comments above: Find another profession. You knew this when you went into education. Etc.
It's true that, unless you make a move to another district early in your career, you end up an indentured servant and you won't be able to afford to move to another district in the future. Since you're so new to the profession [years-wise], this might be a good time to get out.
Do you feel the least bit appreciated by any of the commentors? Probably not. You're still young enough to find another profession. Run as fast and far as you can. The profession of education will never pay you well enough to afford your family, unless you are able to rise within the ranks and become an administrator, and you sound far too competent for that.
This is from my own jaded point of view, almost three decades in, retired several years. Your credentials sound great; you're obviously a go-getter.
If you experience backlash from "going public" as has been insinuated in some of the comments, fear not. Hold your head up, keep your spine straight, and NEVER bend in the wind. Those are characteristics that are championed by those who mysteriously rise to the top in my experience in education in the state of Arizona. They want puppets, in most cases, who will just fly under the radar and take it. Man up? That's not the problem. The problem is you will never be fully appreciated, nor compensated for your experience or expertise in a state that does not appreciate its educators.
Best of luck. Encourage your kids NOT to become teachers, as I did mine. Funny, they have left the state of Arizona after receiving a stellar public education, are not looking back, and have become marketable, productive adults who make a boatload more money than I ever did, and they can afford to raise their larger families.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 5:46 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Teachers in the 1940's, 1950's and the first part of the 1960's earned a good salary and garnered the respect of a grateful Community.
Then the "flower-child", radicals and socialists started creeping into the Profession in the Colleges and Universities and now they have infected (or infested) our Grammer, Middle and High Schools (TUSD....[wink]).
Now parents have to worry every day if not only their young girls but more and more their young boys will be preyed upon by their teachers or coaches. Everyday, you open the Newspaper or turn on the TV and there is another "perp" shot of a teacher.
Katydid52 posted at 6:06 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
You sound like you might be the kind of teacher a taxpayer might want to pay more than you get. Unfortunately, teachers have agreed to get paid off a chart instead of for performance, and I'm not talking about test scores.
There are always teachers that stand out above the rest, and sometimes they don't have a masters. Sometimes they are just amazing, but to pay them more taxpayers are forced to pay all teachers in that district more, and we all know too many teachers that we would rather fire than give a pay raise.
Rich posted at 6:24 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
What I find a bit scary here is that Mr. Johnson teaches history to kids. He doesn't know it well enough to know that his letter, released publicly was a bit unwise?
Peace and love to you too, Leon.
JMJ posted at 7:00 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
I am sure Mr. Johnson knows the Bill of Rights far better than most due to his profession and passion. Don't take your guns, but don't gun your thoughts or mouth, eh?
Chairman Mao and Hitler and Mussolin and Franco might have needed to be feared for speaking out. But, this is America, remember? Free speech is allowed.
And, the truth has been spoken. His letter is questioning what every teacher questions every single day.
Charles, find a profession that appreciates you, and a public that will pay you for your services. You took on a mission when you became a teacher. Altruism doesn't pay the mortgage, nor does the beautiful sunset. Living in Arizona has its aesthetic benefits--teaching is not one of them.
JMJ posted at 7:06 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Leon, weren't you in the movie Comma? Or, wait, was it Coma? Grammer. Grammar. To-may-toe, To-mah-toe. Po-tay-toe, Po-tah-toe. Froot Loop.
Teacher65 posted at 8:47 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Yes Leon, I did know what I signed up for when I became a teacher. I have been at it much longer than the author, but what the public doesn't realize is that many districts have pulled a bait and switch when it comes to salaries. The earning potential I signed on for can never be attained because my district instituted a new salary schedule. Anyone else would call this a bait and switch, but in the "s@#$w the teacher" mentality that exists out there John Q. Public thinks we are just whiny teachers.
Bottom line - any person who believes the job they do has value should be striving to get a raise. If one works without ever asking for a raise (just taking what the boss gives them) then I question how much they value their own work.
By the way, Leon, are you as down on firefighters as you are on teachers? You know they get a lot of days off. What about nurses who work 3 twelve hour days and get paid for 40 hrs. That means they only work about 156 days a year. What about pilots who fly twice a week. Leaves them a lot of free time, maybe you should look into that.
Deddzone posted at 11:17 pm on Sun, Feb 3, 2013.
Of course teachers should be paid more. And in other parts of the world--and even this country--they are valued and paid what they are worth. But here in Arizona our governor does not even have a college education.
Take one look at some of the nasty comments on here about "man up" and "you knew what you were getting into". Those of the types of comments you'd lash out on a person who committed a crime or did something wrong---not a person who picked to educate the next generation.
Ask yourself this---if you drop from a heart attack and end up at the hospital a TEACHER taught that doctor, nurse etc that will save your life. Of course, in Arizona they have to hire the lifesavers from another state, as they don't value them---right??
BeardAfterDark posted at 6:34 am on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
This is the exact same reason I left Arizona. I taught in the public school system there and got feed up working in a state that put little to no priority on education. (Not that many other states give it a high priority). When I entered in to the field of education I knew what I was in for. In fact all future teachers know what to expect. We knew the pay increase was not great but at the very least it was suppose to keep up with inflation. You can not honestly expect people to continue to work in a job field where the pay increase can not even keep up with the current rate of inflation each year. It perpetually pushes people economically lower each year. Many of my colleagues had been with the school for 5-7 years with no pay increase at all and many were getting to a point where it was not financially feasible to continue to teach.
Since leaving Arizona I have found a teaching job in another city where I make over twice as much as I did in Arizona and the cost of living is not much higher than Arizona. As educators realize there are better places out there they will leave Arizona and the state will continue to see a brain drain in the field of education.
And to all of you that keep saying teachers shouldn't complain because they get breaks and summers off, you should try teaching sometime. You'll find that a 40 hour work week is non-existent in the world of teaching. It ranges more on average around 60 hours a week, if not more. For the amount of time I put in to teaching and the amount of compensation I actually received in Arizona I would have been financially better off to go work at Home Depot or Lowes.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 2:26 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Nurses, Firefighters and pilots are whining and moaning...."woe is me...woe is me" all the time like teachers do.
Teachers shouldn't be paid a yearly salary....they should get paid for the hours that they work just like everybody else.....no more 3months off for the Summer, 2 weeks for Christmas and New Years, 4 days off for Thanksgiving and Easter, 11 paid State and Federal Holidays, 2+ weeks of vacation and 10 days of sick time = 8 months work for 12 months pay.
Bluepoet posted at 3:29 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Charles,
Although your letter is convincing and respectful, I have to tell you that, in my view, you don't stand a chance of getting any meaninful raise, in Arizona.
I would encourage you to continue teaching, but perhaps not here, in the State where up is down, in is out, and no one has any money, except people who inherit it, or who trampled on many people, to get it.
Run, Charles, run. See Charles run. (Follow him, Spot!)
Bluepoet posted at 3:30 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
*meaningful (see above).
valleynative posted at 5:26 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Whenever I suggest that teachers need to allow themselves to be evaluated for merit raises, I hear the same argument. It wouldn't be fair, because the administrators aren't qualified or would play favorites.
That's what every other person who calls himself a "professional" has to deal with, and it actually [deleted to test spam filter]. Certainly there are a few who speak well and put on a good show for the boss, but who are unqualified, but they don't last long. What's less common is a good employee who isn't recognized, because any administrator who isn't completely incompetent understands that his own evaluation depends on his ability to attract and retain the best teachers.
valleynative posted at 5:27 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
The phrase I had to delete from the post above, in order to get past the spam filter was "works surprisingly well".
Apparently some imbecile decided that this phrase indicates that I'm making a marketing pitch for some product.
JMJ posted at 7:05 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Valley Native, I would agree with you that any administrator who isn't completely incompetent understands that his/her own evaluation depends upon his or her ability to attract and retain the best teachers. In a time, as recently as three to four years ago, when there were RIFs in MPS, there was absolutely little to no movement for teachers to be able to escape the ineptitide that floated to the top of the heap. "We" were stuck in place, all dressed up with nowhere to go. Many of us opted to retire as soon as we were possibly able to do so, at less than 30 years, but with enough time in to be able to leave. And, guess what? We did.
JMJ posted at 7:06 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
The negative vortex of our mass exodus sucked in young, inexperienced teachers, or, eventually as retirement opened positions, once more, others who were just escaping their present bad situation who needed a change.
And, the schools where that was prevalent have gone down, down, down without veteran teachers to mentor the new, deer in the headlights novices. Through no fault of their own, the newer teachers are not generally prepared to raise test scores. The bubbleheads of whom I speak basically forced out the veterans who were no longer willing to put up with the ineptitude that they presented as a "boss". Those "bosses" were intimidated by those of us who knew they were not promoted due to any stellar educational background...wink, wink, wink.
JMJ posted at 7:08 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
And, yes, Mike McC, the pot of money that you suggest be in the principals' offices would be disproportionately disseminated to "friends" and those young and dumb enough to cozy up to the aforementioned "boss"-types, who were promoted on less believable "credentials" other than being a friend of a friend of a friend. DHS has its history of such recent promotions. And, as history is said to repeat itself, of other problems that seem to repeat in the main office, as in the past. Hearsay, but it is there. Again.
JMJ posted at 7:09 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Valley Native, BELIEVE IT when teachers speak of those who would play favorites, or stack one teacher's class with every behavior problem and learning-disabled student not only as vengeance, but as a way to "get rid of" teachers who know they have more experience and insight, but worse, who LET those "boss"-types know it. There is a lot of insecurity up there in Helium-Land.
JMJ posted at 7:09 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Back to the writer, Charles, if this is bugging you at five years' experience, understand it is the deja vu trailer of the next twenty-five years of your teaching career in Arizona. Basha is a great high school, and Chandler is a great district. You may have some hope by teaching in a better district than some in the East Valley. I don't know. I am hoping those in your district are commending you for voicing the questions that every teacher asks. By doing so, publicly, let's hope that CUSD "gets" that this is only going to drive good teachers out, not keep them in the classroom.
JMJ posted at 7:10 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
s for Huppensmall, don't expect any kind of answer from the Wizard behind the curtain, pulling all the levers, making a lot of flaring gas noises, and hiding from it all.
Haven't changed a word, but the SPAM filter is on overdrive.
Abstract01 posted at 10:52 pm on Mon, Feb 4, 2013.
Here is a suggestion to all you teachers: Try following the example of engineers. Those who have a good opinion of their value frequently shop the market.
After a few years, they will "jump ship" to a different company, and for a higher salary. After a few years, they will do it again.
why? because they know that if you stay in the same place, your "value" to the employer is fixed.
Some side benefits include exposure to new environments, and a refreshing of your perspectives. You will make new friends, and widen your network.
Arizona has a state-wide retirement package, so you can bounce around quite a bit.
The downside is that school districts frown on such because they have a bureaucratic attitude. You will get a reputation for not putting up with their bullying. Is that a bad thing?
This may involve moving from time to time, but when you consider the stagnation that you will not experience, . . .
Your choice!
I may be off base, but the opportunity is there.
Irons1 posted at 6:39 am on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
Unfortunately, Abstract, you are wrong. You can bounce around, but districts will not pay you for your years of experience. The most you will get is about five years. If you have been in a district for more than five years, you will end up taking a big pay cut if you move from one district to another. The only exception to this is if you coach football or are a band director. They can negotiate a higher wage, but that is it.
wdgnas posted at 7:15 am on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
leon: either you found the caps lock or got a new device. i have been saying the same as you for years except when it comes to the amount of money earned and the amount of taxes you pay. don't want to pay more in taxes, don't make as much money.
soricobob posted at 8:20 am on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
CJ you're in the wrong State. I've been teaching forever, and when I moved from Connecticut-to-Florida I took a 30% pay cut. When I moved from Florida-to-Arizona I took a 20% pay cut; that's life. If I didn't like it I'd go back, but such is life. The taxpayers of some States value education more than the taxpayers of other States, and that is reflected in teacher salaries. My Connecticut peers are at the "top of the salary schedule" and make $105,000 a "year" (185 days), while the "top" out here is $60,000 (top=Doctorate + 20 years experience). So, if you want to stay in teaching in Arizona, go to school and stick with it!
JMJ posted at 9:31 am on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
Yes, Charles, go to school so you can max out at $60K. Sounds promising, doesn't it?
VofReason posted at 2:10 pm on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
And in other news, the Superintendent of Gilbert just retired. Guessing he made 100K+ on a yearly basis and didn't spend one moment inside the classroom teaching kids. Perhaps we have found the answer to the problem, Education does not spend it's money wisely. This is why you have teachers who are in the classroom and who likely deserve to be paid better filing legitamate complaints.
chuckles3 posted at 4:09 pm on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
Did anyone else notice the run on sentence in the letter? I stopped reading after that.
Mr. Johnson, you are not an indentured servant. We have this thing called the free market. I am compensated what I am worth. Find a school that will pay you what you are worth. But please, please please-stop whining.
teachyourkids posted at 4:45 pm on Tue, Feb 5, 2013.
I have been teaching for over seventeen years. I knew going into the field that I would not make a lot of money. What I did not know is that I would be frozen on the salary scale for five of the seventeen years. I am pretty sure that I will be frozen again next year because the voters voted down our district's override and Prop 204.
It is sad that the pay has stopped increasing, yet our work load is only increasing thanks to the adoption of the common core standards. Teachers are required to attend workshops, so they can teach to these new standards. These workshops are held at night and on the weekends, and we are not getting paid for them.
I am tired of people saying that the schools are all run by crazy liberals. I promise you that I am as conservative as they come. If the conservatives are so concerned with what is being taught in their local district, they should show up at the school board meetings and demand a change!
Arizona needs to wake up and start supporting public schools and teachers. The teachers hear what the public thinks of them and morale is at an all time low. If the veteran teachers leave the field, Arizona will be in serious trouble.
DonMey posted at 4:48 pm on Wed, Feb 6, 2013.
Irons - Teachers work 180-185 days a year or so. (anything more is either your choice, or you are compensated...such as coaching, summer school, etc) Everyone else works 230-240 days a year. (which is anywhere from 20-30% more days).
Also, you know what would happen if I walked into my HR department and told them I just graduated with a new degree? They'd say congratulations. And then say I'm still doing the same job, and tell me to find a new one if I want more money. (which the new degree would hopefully make easier)
pd posted at 7:54 am on Thu, Feb 7, 2013.
Good luck getting any response at all from John Huppenthal. I don't think he cares. The sad fact is that the state's educational establishment is currently dominated by a cadre of people who send their kids to private/charter schools or home school their children, and have a vested interest in financially starving the public school system so that their more "enlightened" private-sector solutions can take over. They simply think that the public schools are terrible and want to eliminate them. I sincerely hope it gets better for you eventually so you aren't forced to leave education.
JMJ posted at 10:54 am on Thu, Feb 7, 2013.
I heard Huppensmall speak at a MENSA meeting wherein the audience was a bunch of locked-in supporters who thought he walked on water. A colleague and I just sat there and listened to his drivel, which was discombobulated and rambling, but filled a whiteboard with impressive diagrams and arrows. We just laughed. The crowd went wild. THAT was scary. May as well have been DENSA.
And, Irons, that is exactly what happened to the author of this letter. He is fulfilling higher education to advance, but he is stuck because his advanced degree did absolutely nothing for him. And, where does he go? Fortunately, for him, he can make a move this early in his career if he wants to jump districts if another will start him higher on their salary scale. However, other districts are going to look for the best bargain--a new teacher--whom they can start on a lower contract rate.
This teacher is now overqualified to jump districts, likely, and has to stay put. Trapped. That's what educators face in this state. They are trapped, given maybe a max of five years experience if they move to another district.
It is one of the least rewarding professions, anymore. That is not to say that teachers do not enjoy teaching their students. But, when the reality of what, exactly, it means to their own family and its fiscal anemia, regarding sacrifice and diminishing returns, they basically become trapped in the system. That system rewards, monetarily, the airheads who are promoted by their friends, while the teacher base, which supports an entire district and its scores, captures the tiny crumbs of laughable 'raises' that trickle down. There have been no meaninful raises in at least six years for teachers.
Yes, they knew what they were getting into when they graduated. That's why I said to my kids, DO NOT GO INTO EDUCATION. They listened because it was experiental for them. They LIVED what it was like to have an educator as the primary earner in a family.
Arizona is the worst place to try to earn a living as an educator.