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Hehr Lines

By Dick Hehr

Teachers are underpaid!
Teachers are overworked!
Teachers get no respect!
And it's getting worse.



The stating of the above self evident truths, agreed with by all clear thinkers having an IQ equivalent to that of Pinocchio, obviously should set a suitable tone for a lengthy, heartfelt, soul searching, gut wrenching diatribe against the dark, evil, sinister and powerful forces presently and perhaps perpetually allied and arrayed together in common cause to keep teachers in a state of servitude, desolation and misery.

However, that is not to be the case. As a matter of fact, your humble servant, perhaps already enamoured and engulfed with the holiday spirit will state unequivocally that we really don't have it that bad. It could be a lot worse. Teaching is still a pretty good gig and let's not forget it.

Even though we live in a province awash with Petro dollars, the Alberta advantage is not being accessed or being made available to everyone. 14.8% of Calgary's children live below the poverty line. An estimated 12.5% of all Calgarians live in poverty and the list goes on.

Spurred on by statistics such as the above and a firm belief that a sense of community concern is pervasive among Calgary public teachers, the ATA Local #38, the Calgary United Way and the Calgary Drop In Centre have recently joined in an exciting, innovative partnership. This partnership will see Calgary public teachers serve lunch at the Calgary Drop In Centre seventeen times from January to July.

The proposal is for ten to twenty volunteers from various schools choosing from seventeen available Saturdays and/or Sundays to spend from one to two hours serving lunch to approximately five hundred less fortunate people at the Calgary Drop In Centre.

I am well aware that there may be a small number of colleagues who might wonder why we are doing this. When they, in the traditional open-minded manner in which teachers address new opportunities, possibilities and challenges, go and serve lunch to the five hundred Drop In Centre attendees, they will see first hand five hundred motivators for doing so.

There are, of course, other philosophical, moral, humanitarian and pragmatic reasons. However, I believe we should do it because it is quite simply a good thing to do.

Contact your Council of School Representative to ensure you get on the list early. You won't want to miss this opportunity.

HO HO HO and Season's Greetings!


Have a comment about this article? Want to write a letter to the editor or maybe an article yourself? Contact ataglance@ata38.ab.ca to find out more.

© December 2005, ATA Local #38 Calgary Public Teachers