applying for a new job tomorrow, feel like a jerk.

[ulysses]

The financial position I'm in with my school (my take-home right now is a little over $15k/year, and that's before the stuff I have to buy myself, like copy paper) is rapidly becoming untenable. I just found an open position, starting in January, for a Geometry/Algebra teacher with a much larger, much more established private school, and I'm faxing my resume tomorrow. I don't know that it'll pay much more, but I'm betting that they'll at least pay me for 40 hours per week, as opposed to 35, for an actual working week of 45-50 hours.

I don't feel too bad about the position in which it puts my current school's admin, but I hate it for the kids. We've made a lot of progress together and absolutely I love them to death. The school's had a hard time finding math teachers, and I hate the idea of the kids falling back into a situation like they had last year when they were allowed to languish.

Then again, I'm not much good to them if I can't afford the gas to get up there from here.

sigh...

[GOPisEvil]

1. You've got to be able to put food on your family...

...that's your primary responsibility. You won't be able to give your all if you're concerned about things other than teaching. Hopefully your current school can find a decent replacement.

I always say that life would be so much easier if I could just have a conscience-ectomy.

[ulysses]

2. heh

I've almost used the "make the pie higher" line in a discussion of graphing. I doubt they'd have gotten it.

I'd have been good at so many lucrative things if I hadn't had the need to have *some* kind of interest in what I do...

[dreissig]

3. Conscience-ectomy

I understand that some Republicans are looking into getting conscience implants. It has to do with fitting in after they've made their money.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Uly it's a private school

If the parents and admin gave enough of a shit about the kids, they'd pay you a living wage so that you could continue to make progress. It is total bullshit that you are having any guilt.

[buddhamama]

7. i was thinking the same myself

it being a private school and all, you'd think they could pay you more.

you are a teacher it is natural that you care about the students, but there is only so much that you yourself can do. if they languish, it is not your fault but the school's. i, myself, feel bad that you are feeling bad. you needn't feel like a jerk. you're not.

[ulysses]

9. the ones I feel badly about

are the ones whose families can't, I don't think anyway, pay more than they do already. There's a little Latina girl in my youngest class whose mom speaks almost no English, but who has herself pretty much mastered the language in the last two years. She's six, likes math, and is doing very well. Her mom cleans the school buildings to help pay for her tuition.

The school is largely full of kids whose parents could easily pay more, yes. Those aren't the kids that I stress about - they already figure they're born to rule anyway. Maureen, among others, I'll miss.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. I think it's wonderful that you have a conscience and give a shit

don't get me wrong....but I am SO TOTALLY OVER this...if you worked for a prison they'd pay you a living wage. Why not a fucking private school?

[ulysses]

14. don't make me go start

another round of private/public school threads in GD. :) (not that they wouldn't sink like stones given the Gore/Dean stuff tonight, but hey...)

Kidding aside, there's a lot to be argued here in terms of education policy, vouchers, etc. My principal drives a Jag.

[kanrok]

5. I have to say I admire what you do

Tough job. Good teachers are worth their weight in gold. Doing what's right for your family is important. Probably the most important consideration from a practical standpoint. But loving what you do is difficult to replicate. If you get the same satisfaction with better working conditions, so be it.

[LynneSin]

6. It sucks we don't pay our teachers more

Seriously - we can spend billions on a war and yet our teachers are struggling to make ends me on their salary (much of which goes to buying supplies they can't get from the school).

What's that old but true bumper sticker slogan:

I look forward to the day when teachers get paid a decent salary and we have told bake sales to raise money for the pentagon!

[SOteric]

8. No part of you is a jerk.

Good role models don't make financial martyrs of themselves.

There's a message that those who run the school send the children about the worth of an individual and self-respect. And there's a message you'll send the children about individual worth and self-respect. Which is the message you'd want your own child to have?

[ulysses]

12. funny how that's an unstated realism, isn't it?

role models making financial martyrs of themselves. Good point. Still, it's hard to break out of that mold.

Honestly, I don't expect the school administration to get the point as regards the worth of the individual. The kids, I expect, might wonder where I went for a month on the outside, but I don't imagine that they'll even consider anything along the lines of self-respect (as much as some of them pin their own identities on their parents' incomes) until much later if at all. Hell, the language teacher left for a better job in September and the kids got told that she'd moved out of state.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. what a lousy position to be in

This is a private school. They wouldn't be in business if someone wasn't making money on the deal. Parents send their kids to these schools because they think they will get a better education, and yet they school won't pay enough to keep a good teacher.
You can't feel guilty about this though I know how hard it is to leave them. I couldn't stand to leave my first grade students after only 7 weeks and I knew I was leaving them with a good teacher.
Get your credentials and get into the public schools.

[ulysses]

13. yeah

Get your credentials and get into the public schools.

Working on that.

[KG]

15. good luck, bro.

[Overkil]

16. Do what ya gotta do and don't feel bad about it

[davsand]

17. Nobody does what you do and gets rich.

But it would be nice to at least make enough to eat AND pay the bills--eh?

I'm gonna be daring here--come to Illinois! I'm betting we can find you something in the public schools that will pay better and still let you love those kids! Our cost of living isn't too bad if you get out of the big cities! I know for a fact that Special Ed teachers are needed big time if you want to get the certification

Laura

[brook]

18. When the world...

gets it's damned act together, maybe we'll recognize the value of a good and dedicated teacher. I wish I knew what it'd take.

Don't know where you are, but here, in some counties anyway, the School Board politics aren't too bad and the pay's tolerable. Here being California. Come to think of it, through my grandaughter,I know some dynamite Math teachers...if you think I can help, pm me.