What is the value of a teacher’s time? In a recent letter to the Marysville community, Dr. Linda Whitehead argues that local levy money is better spent on the purchase of programs and curriculum rather than to compensate teachers for their hours spent beyond their defined work day. Is a teacher’s time outside of the classroom really not as valuable as the time spent in front of students? Teachers only have a small window of time to spend with their students, but to make it effective they must learn, create, research, plan and assess outside of the classroom.

The recently awarded federal grant of nearly $500,000 is just one example of what teachers can, and do accomplish during the hundreds of hours spent beyond the contract day. Marysville teachers’ dedication, passion and enthusiasm make a difference in our students’ education – not a canned program or curriculum.

Imagine an attorney walking into a courtroom without having read the briefs, reviews and legal precedence for his case. Imagine a brain surgeon performing a radical new procedure without receiving the necessary training. Imagine Edgar Martinez stepping up to bat without hours of practice. None of these professionals do their jobs without hours of preparation, training and practice. Why is it then that the Marysville School District does not value the time and energy of teachers as they train and prepare for their students?

What is the value of a teacher’s time? How about $500,000?

Marysville