Chris Gable is a beloved teacher of language arts and social studies in Asheville, North Carolina. People consider him not just a good teacher, but a great one. And he is leaving North Carolina.
Teachers’ salaries have sunk so low that Gable can’t afford to stay in North Carolina.
Yet Gable, whose low salary qualifies his family for Medicaid and food assistance, finds himself on a path toward financial ruin, in spite of his education and hard work.
“I feel guilty,” said Gable, who is quitting his job on November 26 and leaving his beloved Asheville for a more promising financial future teaching in Columbus, Ohio. There, he figures he’ll make close to $30,000 more than his current salary, which is $38,000 for ten years’ experience and a master’s degree.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from parents and peers about the fact that I am leaving. I want to continue to serve this community, but the state legislature has made it impossible,” Gable said.”
North Carolina doesn’t want great teachers. The legislature would be happy to have constant turnover, which keeps down costs.
“From the start of his teaching career, Gable says he was totally overwhelmed with the amount of work he was asked to do. For the first couple of years he regularly put in 12- to 14-hour days, leaving him emotionally and even physically burnt out. One night he landed in the emergency room with a bronchial infection that wouldn’t go away.
Gable’s teaching friends in Pennsylvania and Ohio are shocked to learn the things he and his colleagues are asked to do. Each week, Gable serves as a bookkeeper, counselor, gym teacher, lunchroom supervisor, and in other roles in addition to his primary duties that involve teaching and grading papers.
“We’re asked to do a lot of things wouldn’t have to do, I think, if we had union representation,” said Gable.
This is a sad story. It gives you the distinct impression that North Carolina policymakers want to drive away their best teachers.
– See more at: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2013/11/14/outstanding-teacher-reluctantly-leaving-north-carolina/#sthash.f0Akq18W.dpuf
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I remember the years when “Keep them barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen” was the formula for treating women. Now, it seems, the attack has shifted towards keeping teachers everywhere except in the classroom. Is the end result designed to drive away the dedicated teachers and keep the kids uneducated? Teachers, firemen, and policemen serve the public daily and with unstinting devotion. They are, of course, the most underpaid and least respected because they are not wealthy. There’s a paradox for you. Let’s start a Common Sense Movement.
Subtitle: Education Rheephorm in Action.
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Aka Bad ERA. Not to be confused with Good ERA [Equal Rights Amendment].
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Attacks on teachers and their unions have made the profession of service to children and their communities a profession with no respectable future. Corporations and do gooder non profits (ex. Gates, Rhees) have begun the end of public education. Whether they do it for profit (corporations) or for misguided public policy both entities within the Arne Duncan framework are ruining public education. For Shame!!
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
I spent hours carefully writing my resignation letter last week. Policy from bureaucrats and administrators who have never taught is too much to take. They have removed any fun (including taking away recess) in the pursuit of higher test scores. Teachers in my building are required to plan with an administrator, turn in our plans, all teach same content at same time regardless if our students are comprehending. Mandatory 3 week assessments from the county to measure if we are doing our job and weekly walk through to police our work. While other schools in my county receive extended play and weekly trips to a nearby park for fun days, my 98%FRL title 1 school is punished with less playtime and shorter lunches just so the kids can catch up with their peers who come from affluent homes. No one will ever address the problems these kids face daily outside of school. Until that changes things will not improve. Sad to leave but my job offer in another state is $38,000 more than I currently make here. It’s a no brainier.
To the people who are making these policy decisions, the flight of quality teachers out of NC is probably a feature, not a bug. If the NC voting public wants this, they deserve it. If they don’t, they will decide that at the voting booth. My larger concern has to do with the general race to the bottom that will eventually bring down pay for all teachers everywhere, as has already happened in the private sector.
I’m glad I’m a retired teacher. I have a masters in math from Stanford University and had 34 years of classroom experience. Guess how much NC would have said I was worth? Compare that to the other 46 states who pay their teachers more…wow! Who wants their son or daughter to get a degree in education?
“Well it’s cryin’ time again. . .you’re gonna leave me. I can see that faraway look in your eyes. . .I can tell by the way you hold me darlin,’ that it won’t be long before it’s cryin’ time”
If NC would focus on how to keep good teachers instead of how to get rid of the proverbial bad ones, we wouldn’t be seeing this.
I am sorry for our loss.
Me to 😦
I wish we could edit! Me too 😦
Union-busting, wage-cutting, casualisation, forcing teachers to compete as individuals in a ‘free’ labor market – these remain central goals of the ‘reformers’ worldwide.
This is utterly appalling.