Hehr Lines

By Dick Hehr

If June 30 comes can August 30 be far behind?

And with that cheery thought let me conclude this year's inane ramblings, which have found their way into Hehr Lines, with the following snippets of information which I have gleaned from a document entitled "The Status of The American Public Teacher" put out by National Education Association and based on 2004 findings. I am well aware that a number of my more enlightened readers may express reservations about any attempts to compare the US public school situation with that in Canada and Alberta in particular. Nonetheless I will take that risk and I am hopeful that the issues selected will be seen to have some relevance for Calgary public colleagues.

The first vignette talks about how American public school teachers shell out big bucks to keep their classroom equipped. Ninety-seven percent (97%), of teachers report spending their own money, with an average of $443 coming out of their pockets. One in twelve teachers spends more than $1,000. I would further point out that in general American public school teachers are paid somewhat less than their Canadian colleagues. However they are of course paid in what my American cousins call real money - US dollars.

The NEA survey goes on to point out that the average teacher spends three more hours a week on the job than in 1961. Teachers in the US have less time for lunch - thirty-two minutes, compared with forty minutes in 1961. For Elementary school teachers, lunch break is down a full twelve minutes from 1961's forty-four minutes.

The survey indicates US teachers spend an average of 50 hours per week on instructional duties. I have seen figures where Canadian teachers spend an even greater amount of time on these tasks.

The survey further states that seventy-seven percent (77%) of teachers participated in system sponsored professional development activities during the school year; more teachers than ever, thirty-five percent (35%), participated in such activities during the summer.

Among the more negative findings of the survey is that only sixty-one percent (61%) of teachers said they would become teachers again if they had to start over - down from seventy-seven percent (77%) in 1961.

For the first time, the NEA survey sought to identify the reasons for teachers not remaining in teaching until retirement. The largest segment of teachers, thirty-seven percent (37%), cited low salaries. Minority teachers, fifty percent (50%), male teachers, forty-three percent (43%), and teachers under thirty, forty-seven percent (47%), were most likely to claim low pay as the reason they will not stay in teaching.

The last issue I wish to share from the NEA survey indicates a profession that is struggling to provide role models of all sexes and all races within a teaching force that is predominantly white, ninety percent (90%), and female, seventy-nine (79%). Since 1981 the ratio of male to female teachers has steadily declined - it now stands at a forty year low, twenty-one percent (21%).

My friends who dabble in the stock market often opine that "the trend is your friend".

Regarding the items mentioned in this article I have concerns about those identified trends. To me they are not friendly. Further I do believe they have relevance for Calgary Public Teachers.

Have a great summer break!