“Those boards that are willing to raise millions for new buildings but not for attractive salaries are putting the cart before the horse”
As a 15-year veteran of teaching most subjects from elementary through high school, plus a decade of training and mentoring teachers, and as a parent of children who have gone through the system, I would like to applaud the two main points that Mrs. Schwartz made in last week’s Inbox letter.
First, she said that money talks. Some teachers are so idealistic that they would accept a lower standard of living in order to be able to teach. Most potential teachers would not. The bottom line is the bottom line. Those boards that are willing to raise millions for new buildings but not for attractive salaries are putting the cart before the horse.
Second, she said that appreciation matters too, and encouraged readers to take a minute to email your children’s teachers a word of appreciation. If any parents are reading this: Speaking for myself, but perhaps for many teachers, we don’t need gifts, but a “Thank you” at the end of the year would mean a lot. Some of us put our hearts and souls into our students, yet I can literally count on one hand the number of thank-you letters I have received in 15 years of teaching (that includes emails). People are busy, but parents — if you care about the future of your child’s school, do your part to make the teachers feel appreciated.
But higher wages and more appreciation aren’t enough. In addition to receiving a good wage and feeling appreciated, every self-respecting teacher wants to be successful. Teaching isn’t easy, and better teacher-training would make a difference. Unfortunately, out of desperation, most Jewish schools routinely hire new teachers who have no formal training. What else can you do when you have a slot to fill and it’s already the end of August?
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