Saturday, January 17, 2009

Budget Cuts

The "reality" of the situation, as our school says, is the economy is bad.  Yes, we get it.  But, at  a meeting last week, budget cuts were discussed including cutting/freezing teacher's salaries (of course, this was not said in so many words, instead hinted at and suggested in a 30 minute speech about our "reality").

I work in a private school that barely pays its teachers above the poverty line.  Cuts would put us below.  Freeze would keep us teetering on the edge.  Each year we're supposed to move up in pay by some measly little sum.  In the end, 20 years in private school is equitable to half of what you could be making in public school in 1/2 that time.

But, I am lucky enough to be married and we are lucky enough to make a decent living between the two of us.

However.

I don't know if I can feel comfortable staying knowing that one of the first moves they think about for budget cuts is to think about cutting back an already dismal salary.  I love my school and some of the people I work with.  I love that I have a say in what I teach and the curriculum and so many things.  But, I know a lot of people who aren't coming back next year simply because of money.  I promised myself two years, but... I can't help but think when you already pay pennies, teacher's salaries are the absolute LAST thing you should mess with.

Maybe I'm wrong in this economy.  Maybe I should just be happy to have a job.  But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

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