A New Jersey Teacher's letter to Gov. Chris Christie

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A New Jersey Teacher's letter to Gov. Chris Christie

My cousin, a veteran (read 20 plus year Chat Icon ) spec education teacher from Miller Place sent me this letter. It was recently published in a New Jersey newspaper.

I don't think anyone else could have said it better...

To The Honorable Chris Christie,

I am the enemy. I never realized this until your election to governor.
In a few short weeks, you have made this fact explicitly clear to me. A
large portion of your budget address was about my profession, and how we
have caused the problems this state now faces. I want to thank you for
opening my eyes to this fact. However, I am not sure I understand how I
am the problem or how I have caused the state to be in such debt.

I have been teaching in our public school system for 9 years. I started
at $36,000 a year. My college roommate started as an office worker at an
accounting firm for $75,000. It was the same year. He told me he mostly
made copies and plugged numbers into a computer. I was designing lesson
plans, teaching classes of 30+ students, some of whom had problems with
drug abuse, crime, and depression. After nine years experience I made
$52,000 last year. I would like to point out that this is $8,000 less
than your media relations person. You know, the 25 year old who runs
your Twitter and Facebook accounts. My college roommate? He makes double
what I do now. We both have bachelors degrees. But what do I know? I am
the problem.

You tell the people of New Jersey that we teachers get a free ride on
the pension gravy train. Well, I contribute to my pension. It has been
deducted from every paycheck I have ever received. Thousands. You do not
contribute to my pension even though it is legally and contractually
required. You have lied to the people of New Jersey and your refusal to
pay the pension just puts off the inevitable. Leave the problem for the
next generation, I suppose. I also paid over $6,000 in property taxes.
Its convenient that you leave us to be blamed for property taxes when
we pay just as much as everyone else. You and those who attack us seem
to forget that. But what do I know? I am the problem.

During my time as a teacher, I have volunteered many late
hours.volunteered. Although you seem to think all I care about is
me, me, me, I have coached girls powder-puff football for nothing. I
have chaperoned school dances, plays, and fundraisers. I have worked the
concession stand at football games. I wasn't paid for any of this. I
have bought hundreds of dollars worth of shirts, cookie dough, pizzas
and countless other items I didnt really need because I wanted to help
support my students and their activities. I have canned at football
games to help needy students, stayed late waiting for parents to pick up
kids who missed their busses, and bought classes pizzas and breakfast to
reward them for their excellence. I cooked a class eggs and waffles once
because they brought in over 500 canned goods for our local homeless
shelter. I have been in a dunk tank not once, but twice to fundraise for
my school. I have taken pies to the face and almost had to kiss a ram,
all for my students. My coworker and I once organized a pancake
breakfast for a student battling cancer. We and many of our colleagues
whom you demean were at school at 4:30 in the morning to prepare
pancakes for a school of over 2,000 students. We raised over ten
thousand dollars for that student. I never asked once, What is in it
for me?

You have declared open season on teachers. You have made us the bane of
New Jerseys existence. I know, I read the comments on the APP.com<http://app.com/> and
Press of Atlantic City websites. Teachers are lazy, overpaid,
underworked. We are whiners. I guess that is what I am doing right now.
You have made it okay to bash us. Some of the public are rejoicing that
my colleagues will lose their jobs. Until you opened my eyes and opened
their mouths, I never realized what a terrible person I was.

When I decided to study education in college my mother warned me that I
had better not teach unless it was a passion. She told me if I just
wanted summers off I wouldnt last. She was a teacher herself. She said
I could get paid better doing other things. She told me my efforts would
not be appreciated, that it was only a matter of time before politics
made us the enemy again. I didn't listen. Teaching was a calling for me,
and I thought that even though I wouldnt be paid a lot, at least I
would have good benefits, a pension, and job security. What a fool I
was. I thought I was doing the right thing, helping kids, improving
society. Turns out the whole time I was none of these things. I was the
enemy. I was the problem. My own government has forsaken me; my own
community would like to banish me. For the first time in my career, I am
questioning my decision, feeling my passion diminish.
Thank you for showing me the light. My only hope is that the next
generation does not see the light, and does not listen to you, because
if they do there will be no more problems like me, there will be no
public education. You will have won your war against the middle and
lower class. You will create a society where the rich get educated and
the poor do not. But then again, what do I know? I am the problem.

Sincerely,
A 2007 Nominee for the Governor's Teacher of the Year Award
Ms. Michelle A. Corus, M.Ed., NCC
Grade 7, Language Arts/Social Studies
Lake Riviera Middle School
BTEA Sr. BuildingRep./Co-maternity Chair
OCCEA Executive Board--Publications Editor
NJEA Delegate Assembly Alternate

Posted 4/28/10 7:58 PM