The Walk-out = The Strike
I am not a teacher. I am a mom who appreciates the work that teachers do.
I am a mom who understands that teachers want a raise, since 2008 zero raises.
Seems like everything that goes in our country divides us and becomes a political issue, such: race, education, perhaps the list goes on.
RedForEd is not the exception. For it, against it. How about in the middle?
As a citizen, I am in the middle.
Monday will be the third day of no school, which means three more days of school at the end of the year. It also means making arrangements for our kids.
Thinking about others; the single mom, single dad, the working parents, the legal guardians. I get that teachers or the school are not places to babysit, yet that is the place where our kids spend the majority of time.
In the perfect world, everyone could make decent wages to support the family and have the option to homeschool or have better education.
From my perspective, we are in the era where we use different names to avoid calling things how they are. An example: Walk out (when it is indeed a strike).
Teachers are on strike, by doing that they are breaking their contracts but because they have not received raises in 10 years, the ends justifies the means.
I continue to ponder about someone going to their boss and asking for more money and make other demands otherwise that someone leaves the job with the expectation that the boss will listen and fulfill the demands. Would that really work?
Maybe in this #RedForEd movement is different because of the numbers, it is not only one worker, it is thousands.
What is our youth learning?
To strike (pout) to get what you want.
To stand up by the masses to get what you want.
The requests remains:
- 20 percent salary increase
- Restore education funding to 2008 levels
- Competitive pay for all education support staff (I would like to know what does this means in dollars)
- Permanent salary including annual raises
- No new tax cuts
I am still unsure if they want all of the above met before the teachers go back to work or if they would be willing to go back to work once they get their raise, or a combination of some of the requests.
It is a wait and see situation. On the mean time, the working families with children will need to figure out what to do with them. A new babysitter, perhaps another organization willing to care for our youth, leave the kids alone at home, etc.
As for me, my desire is for the perfect world. Politics and humans don’t have the answers. Humans are imperfect, humans are in charge of politics.
What are your thoughts? What is your desire? Are you a teacher? Are you a parent/guardian?
Thanks for reading.
Monica Evans
Many Hats Monica 