PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Local teachers deserve compensation for efforts
by Jennifer Paul, Penn-Trafford High School '05 Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 at 2:12 PM

Opinion piece regarding the current contract negotiations between Penn-Trafford teachers and the Penn-Trafford school board and administration

As a recent graduate of Penn-Trafford High School, I have taken an interest in the current negotiations with the PTEA regarding the salaries and contracts of all Penn-Trafford teachers. After experiencing the workings of an educational institution other than Penn-Trafford, I can tell you that P-T’s staff members deserve to be commended for their teaching efforts.
Currently, I’m a student at Boston University, a private institution that attracts individuals from all over the country and from across the world. As a freshman, I’m required to take a basic writing class; in it, we are supposed to learn how to write professionally, clearly, and concisely. Instead, my professor has spent the last month teaching the class what a pronoun is, what constitutes a participial phrase – we’ve even spent an entire class period discussing the make-up of a subject and a predicate. I’m appalled that my classmates were never taught these basic grammatical constructions at a lower educational level; these are rules that P-T teachers instilled in me since the third grade. By my senior year, I was enrolled in AP Literature and Composition, where I learned to thoroughly analyze classical literature, subject matter that was much more intense than what I am now being taught.
Thus, I think my abrupt introduction to the world of education outside of Penn-Trafford illustrates a clear point; the district is obviously working harder to educate its students than many other schools around the country. However, I believe that the Penn-Trafford teachers need to be recognized for their dedication to learning – they are going above and beyond the call of duty, when compared with their national peers. I left Penn-Trafford with all of the tools needed to move on to university – and more. The P-T teaching staff should be recognized for this, not just with thanks and congratulations, but with a salary that acknowledges their talent in their designated concentration of study and their commitment to the students. I understand the effects a pay raise will have on taxes; however, when living in the Penn-Trafford area, I was also locally employed and a taxpayer myself. I don’t like taxes anymore than the next person, but an increase is well worth it if it allows the district to remain competitive with neighboring schools in the hiring process.
I’d also like to make it clear that I’m not advocating all the views of the teacher’s union. I don’t think that the union’s leadership should be urging its members to perform actions that only hurt the students, especially the current seniors. However, I cannot remain neutral toward the issue as a whole; I owe too much to the certain faculty members who have played a role in my academic and personal development.
In conclusion, I urge the public to keep an open mind regarding a larger increase in salary, benefits, and compensation for the Penn-Trafford teachers – I, along with many other students, received so much guidance and knowledge from talented members of the staff, and I believe that the district’s educators should finally receive just compensation for their efforts.