What Teachers Make

Now that the legislature has voted on, and passed a bill (known to educators as “the Death Star”) that will allow school districts to decrease teacher pay in 2012 over what they are earning next year, decrease teacher compensation with up to six days of unpaid furlough for teachers, eliminate seniority protection, and decrease the nonrenewal notification date to just 10 days before the end of the school year, I have to again ask myself why do I continue to teach?

If this is the level of appreciation teachers receive for all of their hard work, why do any of us?

Teaching is considered a profession, yet as professionals, teachers are already compensated at the lowest rate in the nation compared to other professionals.

I guess its at these times I need to listen to Taylor Mali recite his iconic poem, “What Teachers Make.”