Educators leave, students lose
Just nine years into a second career as a technology teacher in Pontiac, Candice Ridley is union president and senior staffer in her building. Anti-educator policies drove out veterans.
Data shows Michigan also experienced a nation-leading 70% plunge in the number of aspiring educators enrolling in teacher preparation programs during Gov. Rick Snyder’s reign — from a peak in 2010 to a trough in 2017. The numbers are now starting to recover.
Ridley explains how students pay the price when educators leave. Staffing shortages eliminate classes in the arts and world languages. Under-qualified teachers get assigned to math and science courses. Extra-curricular programs go away.
“The point of education is not just to teach information but to broaden horizons, to expand minds. If you want a healthy school system, you need educators who aren’t skipping doctor visits and having to work second jobs on their evenings and weekends.”
Teachers in Pontiac recently approved a new contract after a two-year struggle. But a big frustration remains for Ridley when she hears politicians blame educators for problems that are systemic. She urges MEA members to get as politically engaged as possible.
“Look at our world. Are you happy with how our world is functioning? One of the ways we can change that is with our vote.”
QUOTABLES
“Every secretary and custodian we have is from a third-party (employer), so they’re no longer local people who are dedicated to our community. Someone from another place comes in, stays for a year or two, and moves on.”
Kendra Rodriguez, library paraeducator and union president in Capac, is a captain in MEA’s ESP Bill of Rights campaign to fight for a return of pay and benefits all education support professionals deserve for their work assisting high-need students and keeping schools operating.
Read all of the stories in our special report, ELECTIONS MATTER >> by Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor:
