On Wednesday, I watched thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District staff, students, and families gather in Grand Park. There was a sea of red and purple, a cacophony of bells and whistles, and the reunion of former employees who were happy to see each other again. But there was something else I saw on billboards and t-shirts – the word “respect”.
If someone were to ask me what angers and exhausts so many people in education, I’d say the lack of respect for teachers like me and other key personnel who care for the needs of students in the second largest field. school district in the country.
That’s why I attended the Grand Park rally and will strike on Tuesday in solidarity with the Service Employees International Union Local 99 to put pressure on the district to negotiate the future of our schools. Our schools could not function without the 30,000 employees represented by Local 99, including bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria and other hospitality staff, campus security assistants, teaching assistants and assistants for students with disabilities.
While the issues teachers and staff face go far beyond pay, it is still an important benchmark for our work. Many of our colleagues at Local 99 earn minimum wage for part-time hours, requiring them to take on other work and receive rent and food aid. And teachers earn significantly less than most people with a comparable level of education. With inflation, teachers are making less money than they did in the 1970s. And teacher training programs are starving students because young people are leaving the teaching profession because of low wages.
Educators feel undervalued in many other ways that directly affect our day-to-day working conditions. We are asked to help our students – who have experienced violence, financial insecurity, dangerous migration journeys, homelessness and racism – develop resilience, but the struggles of school staff are rarely acknowledged.
Respect can also be shown by maintaining the infrastructure of our schools. While the district has built several new campuses, there are existing schools that are crumbling. At my school, ceiling tiles fall on students’ heads, the toilets for staff and students are often out of order, and our student shop is surrounded by fences after being sentenced.
Respect can also be shown by acknowledging that teachers are professionals who know their subject well and may know better how to teach children than people who are not teachers. I will not tell my dentist how to do her job just because I have been going to the dentist all my life. Why do so many politicians, business leaders and parents think they know more about education?
That’s not to say that teachers shouldn’t learn how to do better, but all too often professional development doesn’t meet our needs or is just new jargon for things we already do.
As a middle-aged teacher, I worry about my peers who are just entering the field of education and experienced teachers who are trying to raise young families. I see their dedication to their students and their school communities, but I also see their struggles to pay rent, childcare, and other expenses. I wonder how long they can endure the frustration of not being able to meet their expectations because of the stress placed on them by factors beyond their control.
Not only should LAUSD invest in our students, we also need to invest in teachers and school staff. I would say the first step is one simple word: respect.
Ingrid Fey has been a social studies teacher at the Los Angeles Unified School District for more than 15 years.
Source: LA Times
Roger Stone is an author and opinion journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He is known for his controversial and thought-provoking views on a variety of topics, and has a talent for engaging readers with his writing.
