( Editor’s note: The comments made in this opinion column are those of the writer and not necessarily the views of St. Landry Now).
After encouraging some younger teachers of St. Landry parish not to leave for another Parish, I spoke to several others in and out of the Parish and combined their remarks. Lets see if I’ve got this right.
“They want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning. They want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride. They want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play , and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job and make sure that they all pass the final exams. They want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. They want me to do all of this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps. Now, when we appear on TV and complain about how uninformed the School Board is, the governing body in Baton Rouge wants to see if we deserve a $1,500 a year pay raise.. One teacher raised a good point—I can go to a truck driver school and make between 50 to 60 thousand a year, great benefits and see the world without speaking to ONE person during the entire day.”
My only reply was ” you are correct—-BUT continue to pray because TEACHERS MAKE OTHER PROFESSIONALS POSSIBLE.”
Very Respectfully,
Link Savoie
Father Of A Teacher
648 Thelma Drive
Sunset, LA 70584
Home # 337-662-7283
