Marin Voice: We must tear down walls that stop those who want to teach

I was a teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District for more than 30 years. I loved it.

I don’t remember one day when I felt I was going to “work.” I don’t believe there is a more important or satisfying career than teaching. Parents, grandparents and guardians entrust their most valuable treasures and our country’s most important resources – our children – to teachers.

With the exception of a few autodidacts, no child becomes a great writer, surgeon, lawyer or teacher without a good education.

I don’t believe there is a shortage of people who want to be teachers. Thousands of qualified experienced teachers no longer teach or want to teach because of the lack of respect, low pay and overwhelming class size, as well as because of parental and political interference. Many younger people looked at the above and chose other career paths. Teachers are expected to:

• Enter a room full of children with well-prepared lessons that will inform and further development, peak curiosity and instill a love for learning

• Check for signs of antisocial behavior, neglect, malnutrition, abuse and any physical or mental deficiencies

• Check for weapons, drugs, bullying and cheating, while raising each child’s sense of self-esteem and personal pride

• Teach patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play in a political climate exhibiting little of it

• do all of the above with a whiteboard or a piece of chalk, dated textbooks or newer additions that may alter the reality of history

• Wear a big smile and exist on a starting salary that could qualify the professional teacher for governmental aid.

According to my research, the starting salary for an entry level teacher in San Francisco was $38,931 earlier this year. That’s $3,245 a month, which leaves little for food, clothing or housing when the average rent for an apartment in San Francisco is $3,397. Some teachers even have children and pets to care for.

Without an alternate source of income, teachers seldom live where they choose, savor the smell of a brand new car or find out what it feels like to fly first class.

In a recent world survey of how teachers are valued around the world, Egypt  ranked highest, followed by Asia, Taiwan and Russia. The United States placed 32nd.

The different perception across countries in the way teachers are valued by the public is important. Respect and compensation affects the quality of job they do,  which ultimately affects how they encourage the best from each child.  What kind of parent would hand their child to someone who is not credentialed, undervalued and barely eking out a living?

The average size of a classroom is 1,024 square feet and intended to comfortably house 14 to 15 students. I taught five classes daily, in addition to hosting a homeroom class. My classes averaged 33 students for 198 student contacts a day.

If I gave a class assignment, homework or a quiz and spent one minute grading and writing comments on my students’ work, that came to about three hours a night.

Some parents and politicians try to stifle truthful discussions on a myriad of educational issues. I suspect that the parent who favors banning books had poor teachers and never learned or understood the magic and power of a book.

I worry that teachers may soon be asked to qualify yearly to carry firearms as part of “professional growth.” According to a new federal report, more school shootings with casualties occurred in each of the last three years than in any other year since data collection began.

There is no shortage of teachers or people that would love to teach. Our society should take a long hard look at how teachers are treated. A child’s education is one of the most important experiences of their lifetime. When you entrust your child to a teacher, what is taught and how it is taught will affect your child for the rest of their lives.

Doesn’t everyone want the most qualified, dedicated and skilled person for that endeavor?

Tucker Spolter, of Greenbrae, is a retired teacher. Read more at tucksplace.net.