OPEN COLUMN
Money isn’t reaching teachers in the trenches

Editor, the Tribune: As a 20-year veteran with Columbia Public Schools, I must respond to the Trib Talk statement of May 21 from the city employee in regard to teachers’ salaries.

In my time with CPS, I have never received a 10 percent raise; many years, it was 3 percent or less. Superintendent Phyllis Chase looked me personally in the eye and said this year I would be handsomely rewarded. The truth is that educators do take on the professional responsibility of educating students knowing that there is little fiscal reward. Then there is constant personal spending to meet the mandated educational requirements of a master’s degree and post-graduate studies to maintain our certification, but we expect to be valued in the same regard as others in our district. Last year, CPS increased the salary of beginning teachers by $5,000. Chase has done many wonderful things in her tenure, but I miss the days of former Superintendent Jim Ritter declining his raise when educators were not rewarded accordingly.

Another huge concern is there are an unusual number of new non-classroom hires this year. My colleagues who have been selected to work in non-classroom positions are highly qualified for their newly created positions, and I am confident that the underlining philosophy in creating those new positions - to improve test scores and instruction - is worthy, but those of us left in the so-called "trenches" are not feeling that handsome reward as we see money flying into a multitude of salaries other than our own.

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Susan McClintic

15210 W. Route BB

Rocheport

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