Dale Lee: Cracks about teachers reveal lack of understanding

Published: November 27, 2011 4:39 PM
By Dale Lee, op-ed Sunday Gazette-Mail
 
Dale Lee: Cracks about teachers reveal lack of understanding
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- WVEA has said for years that administrative salaries, particularly those of county board of education central office administrators, have risen disproportionately to classroom teachers and other school employee salaries. The "Super-Sized Salaries" article in the Nov. 20 Sunday Gazette-Mail was not new information.

The discrepancy in salaries is one of the reasons WVEA advocates vigorously for significant salary increases for educators each legislative session.

For our schools to excel, it takes a team effort. Superintendents, teachers, support professionals, administrators, etc. must all work in tandem for students to achieve their full potential. Everyone has a role to play, and one part of the team should not be valued more than the others.

I was surprised at the lack of understanding displayed by some of the individuals quoted in the article. In particular, Martha Dean's remark that "teachers only work 7 1/2 hours per day" shows her lack of knowledge. It is a common perception with outsiders who attempt to judge teachers without understanding what they do.

Few, if any, teachers "only work 7 1/2 hours a day". There is so much more to the craft of teaching than simply being in the classroom in front of students during school hours. Many are in school hours before class begins and others are there for hours after students have gone home. In addition, they are preparing lesson plans, taking classes, attending professional development trainings, sponsoring school activities, grading papers, meeting with parents and helping struggling students.

All of this occurs outside of the time students are present in the classroom. Those who discredit teachers as working only 7 1/2 hours a day without considering all of the hard work and dedication that occurs before school, after school on weekends and throughout the summer should be ashamed.

I do believe the job of a superintendent of schools is a difficult, time-consuming job that deserves competitive pay and respect. Our classroom teachers deserve competitive pay and respect, too. The argument about attracting and retaining the best superintendents with competitive salaries is also true with teachers.

Keep in mind, our public schools could be successful with a mediocre superintendent and great teachers but our schools cannot succeed with a highly paid superintendent and poorly paid, poorly equipped, mediocre teachers. I personally don't know a superintendent in the state worth the combined salary of three or four classroom teachers.

We are blessed in West Virginia to have great teachers who are dedicated to their students. More than 72 percent have a master's degree or higher and many have completed their national certification. Yet, they are paid at a rate that ranks them 48th in the nation and dead last when compared to their counterparts in neighboring states.

Comments such as those by Dean and others are hurtful to educators and contribute to the lack of respect given to teachers. I am surprised they chose to justify superintendent salaries by disrespecting teachers and the work they do.

Educating our children is difficult work. It is made even more difficult by divisive comments and untruths.

Dale Lee is a special education teacher at Princeton High School in Mercer County.  He is currently on leave to serve as president of the West Virginia Education Association.

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