High teacher morale is very important to the health of a school district.
Last year, after summer school teachers had signed their summer contracts, a new two-tiered system of pay for summer school teachers was added to the Employee Handbook. Summer school art teachers and music teachers were notified that they would be paid less than science and math teachers, for example.
Teachers who decided they did not want to teach summer school if they would be paid less than their colleagues were told that they must honor the contract they signed, even though they were not notified of their pay scale until afterward. Teachers were told they would face penalties if they did not teach.
The Oregon board has tried to keep this decision-making hush, hush, but community members are talking about this. Obviously, teachers are not happy with the two-tiered system of pay. Once the Oregon School Board is successful in implementing a two-tier pay scale during summer school, what will stop them from doing the same during the school year? What will that do for teacher morale? How will we retain excellent teachers if some of them are valued less than others?
The Oregon School Board is moving backwards. Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences has been widely recognized in the field of education. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, Linguistic Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence, Musical Intelligence, Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, and Intrapersonal Intelligence are all needed for students and developing adults to function in society.
Teachers know that all of these intelligences are equally important, just as they know that all subject areas are equally important to the growth of their students.
I am voting for candidates who support teachers and students. I am voting for Feeney, Maitzen, and Uphoff on April 1.
Irene Umen
Village of Oregon