Teacher greed is not the issue here

I have read and heard several times in the past weeks about teachers’ greed and the statement that they didn’t consider children first. Since I am married to a teacher and have six teachers in my immediate family, I take great exception to both of these comments.

We have been driving older model cars. These do not exhibit greed. We take a yearly three-day vacation to the Oregon Coast – nothing extravagant with that. We live a simple, good life where things are valued, but not sought. I usually expect my wife will spend approximately $1,500 a year to enrich and subsidize classroom materials. We have always done this willingly and happily. Not wanting to take a cut in pay does not exhibit greed to me.

When I come home, I usually find my wife with stacks of papers to grade or books to study. When Marysville spokesperson Judy Parker says this isn’t student contact time, I believe she is in great error. My wife has each child in her mind and heart as she labors over assessing assignments. This takes place nightly and on weekends. Her students’ parents have her home phone number, which they are encouraged to use if they have questions. How is she compensated for that? She does it because she loves her job and the students she teaches.

This strike is about much bigger issues than money. I regret the fact that parents have daycare problems and children have a delayed first day, but teachers are considering what’s best for children. The present situation in Marysville is not the best.

Marysville