Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Curtis Hier, a 25-year veteran social studies teacher at Fair Haven Union High School who has twice been selected as his school’s Teacher of the Year.
It saddens me that my colleagues at Fair Haven Union High School and our sending schools are seriously considering a strike for this spring. I want the public to know that not all of us teachers are demanding a 3.5 percent raise.
All of us who serve the public should consider it an honor and a privilege. So often we are told in education that it’s “all about the kids.” Today in Fair Haven, it seems that it’s not. In this struggling economy, we should be thankful to have a job. As I see “Support Your Teachers” signs around the neighborhood, I’m reminded that there were never any “Save Our Skyline Workers” signs up as those workers were being laid off. I feel for taxpayers who have seen their property values plummet in recent years but have not seen any property tax relief.
Our union’s “crisis” team is busy organizing and mobilizing. Quite frankly, where’s the crisis? I make $55,000 for doing a job I love. Most of my insurance is paid for. And I get about 180 days off a year.
The real crisis in our community is with people facing layoffs or who have no health insurance at all. The real crisis in our schools is with low student achievement.
It seems like very poor timing, demanding a 3.5 percent increase at a time when our high school’s test scores have fallen dramatically. At Fair Haven Union High School, we saw a drop over the last two years in math proficiency from 41 percent to 28 percent. Writing proficiency fell from 54 percent to 37 percent. Perhaps there should be a crisis team focusing on that.
