Dear Editor:
I am married to an elementary school teacher (intermediate). My wife chose to become a teacher. She was influenced somewhere along her educational trek by a caring and compassionate person; someone that helped my wife acquire her dream.
My wife has a choice to bring work home or stay at school and work late. Either way, I don't see her. Neither do our boys - because she is dedicated to her job. She often does her report cards at night, as well as marking and journal reading and lesson planning. So for some of you parents that think teachers have "all the time in the world," grab a reality check. These teachers are teaching, not providing daycare.
This isn't all about money. Don't get me wrong, we could use some. But her time versus wages is skewed. She doesn't get paid in the summer, just so you understand; she's not working.
West Vancouver is still in the bottom of the scale for teachers' wages and benefits. Yes it's true. The Liberals need to open their eyes to the future. This in no different from the Socreds of the '80s.
Our kids deserve better. They require smaller class sizes for the attention they need from those teachers. The special needs and ESL also are being left aside, because they can't get the attention they need. My wife comes home frazzled by the day, and often feeling like she hasn't had the one-on-one she needs to give to those who need it. What happened to those class size restrictions in the last contract anyway? If I didn't know better, I'd think that they (Liberals) want the kids to be less intelligent than them.
As for report cards, ask your kid's teacher for an update, not the media.
Let's get some closure on this. A fair, equitable deal for all.
Dennis Lee North Vancouver
