“How can you even try to support us teachers, since you are a career administrator?” It’s a fair question. Before I was a principal, I was a classroom teacher for 16 years. I was in the trenches. Once a teacher, forever a teacher. These are the three things I will do for our teachers.
My three commitments
- A higher starting salary. A brand-new TUSD teacher starts at Step 1, which trails Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. If we want to recruit the best and the most talented, we must increase the beginning salary.
- A raise that reaches take-home pay. Our teachers pay out of pocket for their health insurance. Whatever the pay raise is, teachers should actually take that money home. That means working on the structural health premium deficit over the long run.
- Support for a 24/7 job. Teaching is not a nine-to-five job. Teachers grade papers and plan lessons on evenings and weekends. They deserve meaningful, top-quality professional learning, and more ways to show we appreciate them.
Transcript
Jennifer, you worked in administration. How can you even try to support us teachers since you are a career administrator?
Well, first of all, I was a teacher for 16 years. I was in the trenches. Once a teacher, forever a teacher. So these are the three things that I will support our teachers.
Number one, I will advocate for a higher beginning teacher salary. Right now, we’re sitting at $62,000 for a brand new teacher, step one for TUSD, which is trailing behind Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. If we do want to recruit the best and the most talented, we must increase the beginning salary.
Number two, I will also advocate for our teachers’ benefit compensation. I understand that teachers need to pay out of pocket to pay for their insurance, and I think it’s so important to make sure that whatever the pay raise is, teachers are actually taking home that part of money and that we are able to support and compensate their health benefits. I think this is a structural health premium deficit that we need to work on in the long run.
Number three, I also think that teaching is a tireless profession. Teachers spend time during the weekend, in the evening, to grade paper, to lesson plan. This is not a nine-to-five job. It is literally 24/7. So we need to come up with ways to make our teachers feel supported, providing them with meaningful, top-quality professional learning opportunities, and also use more ways to show appreciation.
And once again, I’m going to say, once a teacher, forever a teacher.
See all of Jennifer’s answers on the issues.
