There is no substitute for care and concern. Students who do not get care and concern at home, will look for it from other adults. If the adult who cares about them is a teacher, chances are they will do well at school. If, instead, the local gang leader pays attention to them, they will go that road. It's very simple in theory, but it takes time to manifest care. As a teacher I spend every afternoon emailing or calling parents or guardians of young adults who are having problems at my school. I spend my lunch hours tutoring- and not just my subject, other subjects as well. Because I put so much time in, I find I can only work part time, and I spend a lot of money on my classes. For my BA in Biology (summa cum laude) and my JD in law, I am paid 22k a year (gross). It's a labor of love, and I do love it. But I can't see too many people like me going into the profession in California- since teachers can't buy houses even on the full salary in expensive markets.
Young people are our greatest resource- and every one, even the most difficult students, are precious. The students we leave behind don't just ruin their own lives, they often tear away at the fabric of our society. It seems penny wise and pound foolish not to spend the money on them. I know people think that education is the only area where money can't buy quality- but that isn't so. In our society, for the most part, money buys good quality, and poor salaries buy schlock. I have an almost missionary zeal about teaching, but that is absent for the most part in the public schools. I'm sure the Catholics feel something similar to what I feel- but we can't make every school Catholic- and the secular God of our society is money, and to get good secular teachers, you will (for the most part- except for exceptions like me) have to pay for them. |
