LETTER: Stop bashing Clark County teachers

Unfair. That’s how I feel about your Jan. 27 editorial regarding teacher pay. Nonetheless, I do agree with you that the district does not reward teachers who are most effective at their jobs. The measurement of such an attribute is difficult.

Now, onto my complaints about your editorial. It appears that you are complaining about the fringe benefits that are attached to teacher wages. Or perhaps you are suggesting that due to the monetary value of such benefits, teachers should not complain about the level of their pay. That argument loses its merits when one considers that most jobs in the private sector come with fringe benefits.

The editorial correctly indicates that teachers work only nine or 10 months a year. You don’t mention, however, that for many teachers, the job does not end when the students leave the building Teachers arrive 30 to 60 minutes before the school day, and many teachers spend evenings reading student essays, grading papers and preparing lesson plans. Most other jobs in the private sector don’t require after-hours follow-up or preparation time.

Moreover, there aren’t many jobs that require employees to provide their own materials for their work. The average schoolteacher spends $479 per year on supplies for the classroom.

Don’t you think it is time to stop bashing the matter of teacher salaries? They deserve our support, our appreciation and, indeed, a boost in their salaries.