Letter: Teachers feel alienated by administrators

Thursday, June 3, 2004 | 9:09 a.m.

The issues include: low teacher and support staff morale, employee transiency, teachers retiring prematurely, continual turnover of new teachers, teaching vacancies remaining empty while newly created administrative positions are filled and an ever-growing chasm between the salaries, benefits and retirement packages for administrative staff and those of the teachers and support staff.

Unfortunately, our school district power brokers have established a "My way or the highway" mind-set, which appears to have been adopted by most of the district's administrative cadre. Our annual electronic message of praise during Teacher Appreciation Week, and the Christmas card enclosed with our December paycheck, seem to have lost their special motivating touches.

Many of us would rather see a little more equity in treatment and respect by our administrative colleagues. Many of us would rather feel valued by an administrative body that genuinely listens and then acts accordingly. Many of us feel a good show of faith would be parity of salary/benefit/retirement package with our administrative colleagues.

Our school district administrative leadership must address these critical issues and come up with solutions that are long overdue. Our children, families and schools deserve this.

BART BOULTON

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