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Sarah Ziesenis of Thornton writes:

I challenge the superintendent, his staff, and the school board to teach a unit in a classroom for one week. I challenge them to give up their nights and weekends, not to get paid more, but to build relationships with students so that they might be willing to work in class. I challenge them to make a positive difference in a life. The superintendent, the school board, and his staff may have visited classrooms, but they have not run one. They do not understand the amount of planning, time, energy, and out of pocket expense that goes into running a successful classroom.
I am an experienced DPS teacher who does not believe the district’s unsubstantiated claims that it wants to retain quality, experienced teachers.
I have two families ­ my family at home and my students at school. These students depend on the stability of a school for their lives; often this is the only stability that they have. Many people have said that we, as teachers, need to step up to the plate and spend as many hours each day and as many days a year as it takes to raise our students to grade level. We already do this. Very few teachers I know spend only 8 hours at school each day and work only 181 days a year. Most teachers stay at school long hours, bring work home, and work throughout the summer to keep their classroom a safe, secure, and healthy learning environment. Most teachers are constantly honing their craft, making sure they are up to date on the latest in teaching practices, much less in their content area.
We do it for the students.
Our administrators count on that dedication to run their schools. They know we will do it for the students, no matter the pay or workload. The students are our priority and we make sure they get what they need to succeed to the best of their ability, no matter what that may be. Unfortunately, this is teachers best and worst attribute. Many times teachers will discuss working only an 8-hour day, to show administration what would happen, but no one can commit, it might hurt the students. What if a student asks for help on an assignment, needs a caring person to listen, or a safe place to “hang out” after school? Most teachers cannot say no to these needs ­ this is what we do! We love what we do, we would just like to be respected and compensated for our work.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Bravo, and thank-you.

Thank you Sarah, your letter says it all! As a private tutor and aspiring teacher I know what lies ahead of me...and I'm ready to meet the challenge. However, the districts don't want me nor do most private schools. People wonder why American schools are in such disarray; the answer lies in the fact that administrators don't want the best and brightest, they just want the most cost effective teachers.

Here, Here.

Ms. Ziesenis makes excellent points and throws the gauntlet down to administrators that appear to want to do nothing but give teachers the short end of the stick. However, I believe that this challenge should be extended to all the people that think the schools should do a better job; especially the proponents of vouchers, charters and privatization.

I’d like to see a private school deal effectively with all the problems and issues that the public schools must contend with. The fact is that private schools don’t have to take everyone- they get to choose their students. As such, they don’t deal with the problems that the public schools see.

I agree 100% with what Sarah stated in her letter.
I was fortunate to get the most brightest ,caring,dedicated and extraordinary Teachers for both of my children this year.
We made them very special tote bags and bought them beautiful day planners for next school year. I wish I could do more. I wish I could demand the Administration reward these two Teachers with at least $50,000 bonuses.My children had a great year and I am so thankful.

That being said.There are Teachers that need to be fired. They are the drain on the system. They are getting paid for not being even a good teacher.

Example: When my now 1st grader went to kindergarten last year,before she stepped foot in the class she was reading 1st to early 2nd grade ,she knew the 100 word sight list and how to spell them.She new how to count to well more than 100,she knew how to count by 5's,10's,20,backwards from 100 and was doing 100 addition and subtractions sheets from 1st grade in 5 mins.She knew how to write stories,though her handwriting was a little sloppy.She could count money and identify all the coins and make change.

Her kindergarten teacher denied my request to give her harder assignment .She wouldn't let her read books past what they were doing in class. I volunteered in her class and often did the monthly assessment. Only 4 kids knew their alphabet,upper and lower case out of 26 kids.

I went to the principal and showed him the work my daughter was doing at home and how far ahead she was. He brushed me off with an excuse telling me her teacher said my daughter could read but couldn't comprehend what she was reading. Even though she was writing short book reports on what she was reading. They thought I was going to go away.

I went to the school board and filed a complaint stating all the facts above and the very next day she had a special testing teacher at the school testing her.

As I had been telling them all along she tested one full grade level above her peers.This was in December of the school year.They promised me they would step up her program but it never happened. Her Teacher retaliated against my daughter and me.She treated her different in class.She told me if my daughter was bored it was my daughter's fault.She told me she tested at a kindergaten level in reading ,but when I compared her test number to a testing chart from when my other daughter was in 1st grade she actually tested late 1st grade.This teacher allowed a problem child in the class to bully my child everyday and when I asked her to do something about it she told me ,the boy was harmless and didn't know what he was saying.
I finally had enough and went to her and demanded she move this child away from my daughter or I would report her for not stopping the bullying,because there is a no bullying policy and she was not following it. I also said my husband and I would hire an Attorney if she didn't stop this behavior immediately.The next day this kid got a lecture from the Principal,his parents were called and he was moved far away from my daughter.The stuff she pulled was incedible.
I helped with the end of the year assessment. Very few actually tested higher than when they came in.

I have spoken to about 20 parents who have complained about this teacher. The majority of their children are far behind in 1st grade and need tutoring and extra help. The principal is a moron and a liar.

I have to fight to get my kids educated.Why? Because they don't fit into the tiny out of the box teaching program. They are way ahead. As I said earlier I got two extrordinary Teachers this year.It is a hit or miss. Now I interview Teachers for my children next year school year and tell the Principal who I want.

This horrible kindergarten Teacher is teaching 2nd grade now. I have left explicit instructions that she not be around my daughter.She broke her spirit,crushed her self esteem and her 1st grade teacher worked extremely hard to give that back to her.

There needs to be a way to get bad Teachers out of the classroom.
That is what is dragging salaries behind and making so many students behind.The parents should be proactive and see to it that ther children are suceeding by any means they can.

I agree teachers need to be paid more money. I'd be willing to pay more taxes,but not until the school system weeds out the bad teachers. they should not be benefitting from the excellent Teachers in the school system.

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