After Washtenaw County school enhancement millage failure, a Thanksgiving promise
That is, I already know what I’ll say before we nosh, when the kids ask what I’m thankful for this year.
I’ll say, “Well,” and then my daughter will interrupt to tell us that she’s thankful for friends and her cell phone. And my son will say, “How come she gets a cell phone?” And then we’ll prod him back toward the original question, and he’ll still be pouting when he answers, “I’m thankful for football. And I’m thankful I don’t have to sit next to Sister.” My husband will begin a gentle reprimand, but then someone will spill cider, and I’ll clean it up, and someone else will say, “I’m thankful that Mom cleaned up that mess.” And when everything is dried off and quieted down, I will say this:
I am thankful for your teachers.
I’m thankful for every teacher you’ve ever had.
The teacher who keeps extra Halloween costumes in a box, for the kids who forget.
The teacher who called three times to check on you after you broke your arm.
The teacher who stands outside the classroom every morning giving high fives.
The teacher who said she always teaches summer school, because otherwise she’d miss the students.
The teacher who let you do a goofy dance to celebrate the new pencil sharpener.
The speech therapist who coaxed the word “backhoe” out of you by buying you that tiny one at a garage sale.
The fifth-grade teacher who soldiered bravely through sex education.
The first-grade teacher who said, “Your children may forget the time we spent together, but I never will.” I’m thankful that they work in our public school, which is warm and pretty and just down the street.
I’m thankful that they get to school early every morning (when I’m still brewing coffee in my pajamas) to make sure everything is ready for you.
I’m thankful for every e-mail and newsletter they’ve ever sent, because when I ask you how school is going, you say, “Mumble.”
I’m thankful that they took you on a field trip to the gravel pit, and that my attendance at that particular field trip was optional.
I’m thankful because they give you things that I just can’t—All of that energy! All of that math!—and I’m thankful because they take care of you when I am not there.
I am so very thankful [at this point, I’ll try to restrain myself from climbing onto the table and assuming an inspired pose] that I would give them just about anything they asked for.
If they need cupcakes, I will bake cupcakes! If they need something Xeroxed, I will be the Xeroxer! If they need big bottles of hand sanitizer, I will buy the kind with aloe!
If they need me to go on the gravel pit field trip … well, hopefully we’ll be able to reach some sort of compromise!
And if they need my time and money, I will hand over my watch wrapped in a wad of tens and twenties.
When I’m finished, my daughter will say, “Wow, Mom. Long answer.”
If I’ve climbed onto the table, I will smooth my skirt and sit back down. I will put my napkin in my lap. And I will say, “Well, I’ve been working on it ever since Election Day.”
Heather Heath Chapman is a writer and a mother of two. You can reach her at heatherchapman1@me.com.
Comments
crayzee
Wed, Dec 2, 2009 : 9:27 a.m.
I agree with the points made by 'aataxpayer' but think s/he is missing one key point: it is not simply about getting school employees to acknowledge prevailing economic conditions, it is about recognizing that all teachers were not created equal and should not be paid as though they are. At the company where I work, the better employees get paid more and advance faster, regardless of seniority. We do have some tremendous teachers in the AA district, and I would be in favor of *increasing* their compensation even in today's economy -- but my kids have also experienced some true duds, and they simply shouldn't be paid as much.
stunhsif
Mon, Nov 9, 2009 : 11:06 p.m.
PaperTiger, Well said, spot on brother!! I have been looking forward to this day for the past ten years. Why is it that the only folks left with " gold plated benefits" are public employees whose salaries and benefits we pay in taxes. I will not rest or sleep until all public employess are under 401K's just like you and me. These insane benie's and pensions are going to go the way of the Dodo bird!!!!
PaperTiger
Sun, Nov 8, 2009 : 6:52 a.m.
I am thankful - thankful that the millage did NOT pass, so now I can afford that turkey dinner for my family. And, it did what it was supposed to do - to make people think about HOW schools are funded and to look for a better way. Nothing would ever get done to change the way business is run if the millage passed. Unfortunately, it would just continue to be business as usual, and next year they would just be further in the red, and ask the taxpayers for MORE money. Vicious circle.
YpsiReader
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 11:12 a.m.
This was a beautifully written tribute to some fine teachers. My children never had the privilege of going on a field trip to a gravel pit, but all three of them had phenomenal experiences in Lincoln Schools. The doors that were unlocked by superior teachers have enabled my children to become extremely successful after graduation. They were given a gift that I gladly paid for with my tax contribution and I am willing to contribute more so that other children will have similar opportunities. Lincoln, as well as Willow Run and Ypsilanti, teachers have taken concessions in both pay and benefits in order to help balance district budgets. Teachers have larger class sizes and fewer materials. Support staff has been decreased. Through all of this, I believe that the majority of teachers continue to epitomize those depicted in Ms. Chapman's wonderful essay. Thank you!
larry
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 10:20 a.m.
I think we need another new school in SE Ann Arbor...
Maggie
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 10:20 a.m.
Beautifully written and very moving, Heather. I've passed your post on to many friends of mine who have either been struggling to find teaching jobs in the area, keep their teaching jobs or have given up and left the state. They found your words very comforting and are equally appreciative for parents like you.
Jon Saalberg
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 9:08 a.m.
Wow. The anti-millage folks got what they wanted. Less money for our schools. Yet they can't even believe that good teachers exist, and even question the veracity of what's written here. When our schools have been decimated, and they will be if the state doesn't step in to help out, will you still be happy you deprived children of a quality school system? How can any anti-millage people be happy with that? Also, quit with your whining about teacher's pay. If you want a sub-standard school system, by all means pay teachers at that level.
beachbaby
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 7:52 a.m.
gosh you're lucky to have gotten such awesome teachers by chance. at my school you only get "those" teachers if you have an inside track (like the teacher requesting you're family) or making a letter request to the principal (even though he tells you not too). i can see why you are so grateful, i would be too.
larry
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 7:35 a.m.
It's great to be thankful to the teachers - we all are. But perhaps you should be grateful to the corporations that produce all the money necessary to feed into the school (and government) systems. Please keep in mind that without this we couldn't afford to pay $12,500 per student (most places in the country and the rest of the world manage on a LOT less). And there are many people that work 60 hours or more per week in the corporate world. I'd rather not list all their activities and hours in detail... Yes, we need to thank our teachers. But let's not forget the people ultimately producing the necessary wealth, either.
justwondering
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 7:09 a.m.
This is a very nice piece. Thanks for writing it! I think there is an awful lot to feel good about with the teachers in the Ann Arbor School District. I continue to be impressed by the quality of the teachers, their level of involvement, concern, and extra time they put into our children's education. It's amazing how bitter some of the readers out there seem to be. Their attitude seems to be that if they've encountered some sort of difficulty then, by gosh, they're going to make everyone else miserable as well. I guess that when they're happy again, then we can all be happy, too! As a person who has gone through a lot of cost-cutting myself, I need to point out that "slashing and burning" salaries isn't the way to go. There is a lot of spending and expense occurring that may no longer be the most efficient way of doing things. Circumstances change over time, and now is a good time to re-evaluate everything. There is probably a lot of efficiency to be gained by simply revisiting current processes to make them more efficient. We can all make it through this downturn with a bit of collective and cooperative effort. Let's leave the bitter firebrands in the corner where they can continue to spin themselves into an uncontrolled hysteria for as long as they want. Maybe we can throw a blanket over them to muffle the noise? Again, a great piece. Thanks for writing it. It brightened my morning!
Mr. Underhill
Sat, Nov 7, 2009 : 5:36 a.m.
Thank you. This was cathartic for those of us who voted for the losing side last Tuesday. Don't sweat the comments from those who want to mock your gratitude. They're miserable, so they want everyone else to be miserable too.
Indicat
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 10:12 p.m.
I am thankful for so many great teachers. For all of those who say they have taken pay cuts, etc., I wonder how many of them spend THEIR salary on items for work. So many teachers spend their own money on items for their classroom and items for their students.
MikeMartin
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 9:35 p.m.
Wow, that was incredibly touchy feely- with a lingering aftertaste. More than a little romanticized. But, if that is truly what you are thankful for at Thanksgiving, that's fine I suppose.
Bill Wilson
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 7:39 p.m.
Heather, If you and your children's only experience with teachers has been positive and every one of them has gone beyond the call of duty both inside and outside the classroom, then I agree with your letter. Hats off to them! However, the reality for most is pretty much the same: by the time a student has completed grade schools, he/she will have encountered some 30-40 different teachers. Of these 30-40, the student will be able to count on one hand the number of good teachers he/she had. I remember well the best teacher I ever had. His name was Robert Foster, and he taught American history at O.W Best Jr. High in Dearborn Heights. He began his class promptly when the bell rang, and the student had better be prepared with paper and pencils to take notes on his lectures. At class end, he would write the reading assignments and preparation material necessary for the next class on the chalkboard. You quickly learned to come to his class prepared. Bob Foster taught every student how to teach himself, and we all left him much better off than we were before taking his class. Alas, there are very few Robert Foster's out there. I never had another like him. If you've had nothing but teachers like this man, you're indeed lucky.
stunhsif
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 7:07 p.m.
Oh my Goodness, how biased and mushy can someone get? Well I just saw it right here. What I have to say about all your quotes is this: "You are talking about a teacher that is doing their job well and goes above and beyond. My Dear Heather, that is no different than most of us who work our butt's off, work extra hours and kiss out bosses behind to keep our jobs. Only difference is the teacher's have not had their pay cut 10-20% and they have health care and pensions after their retire, we don't. I am sick and tired of the teachers saying, "the kids are the ones that will suffer". I say baloney to that. It is time for the teachers,administrators etc to feel the pain of paycuts, dumped pensions and going to 401k's etc like the rest of us. If the teachers really care about the kids they will "suffer a bit" so the kids don't have to!!!
earthchick
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 5:36 p.m.
Thank you SO MUCH for this article. It was so inspiring to read this after reading so much negativity in the comments sections on the millage for the last few days. I am grateful beyond words for the public school education my children are receiving. (p.s. I am sick to death of reading comments calling for pay cuts for teachers. I am glad we pay our teachers what we do and I only wish we could/would pay them more.)
Pam Stout
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 3:49 p.m.
And oh yes--I'm thankful I escaped that gravel pit field trip too--twice so far.
Pam Stout
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 3:47 p.m.
I want to play! I'm thankful for: The public school teacher who visited the home of every child in the class before school began. The student teacher who planned the coolest poetry slam I've ever attended. The teacher who took children out to dinner as a reward for working hard in school. The principal who hosts "open mic" talent shows to make lunch time fun. Let's make this the list of what's right in our schools.
KirQ
Fri, Nov 6, 2009 : 3:06 p.m.
H - most excellent. Thank you for so eloquently "penning" what the rest of us D-moms wish we could remember to say.