Commentary; Posted: 2/2/05
Good teachers strike the match, nurture the flame
Heather Guy and Paul Wieland
Guest Columnists
As a collective group of teachers, from newly hired to veterans, at Forest Lake High School, we find ourselves frustrated with the lack of commitment from the community to maintain, much less improve, the quality of its childrenís education.
We fear residents do not clearly see the impact their lack of support has on the future of this school district.
Forest Lake High School has long been known for producing high caliber students. However, we are finding that high class sizes are undermining our efforts to maintain this tradition. With recent property tax cuts freezing the amount of money schools receive from the state, we have seen average class sizes explode from 28, only three years ago, to 38 students per class this year.
Education experts recommend class size is limited to 18-20 students to ensure an optimal learning environment for each student. We do our very best to accommodate the individual needs of our students.
However, high numbers make this effort, at best, a challenge. More kids expand correcting time, which means that mistakes take longer to correct and classes move slower while covering less material. In addition, high class sizes bring increased demand for supplies, books and technology.
With the district preparing for another multi-million-dollar budget cut, class sizes and current strains on resources can only increase.
For many years our district has been blessed with excellent, dedicated teachers, many of whom will be retiring within the next five years. While we feel more than capable of continuing their legacy of excellence, we are worried about the quality of the teachers that the district is able to attract and keep.
Currently, our districtís pay scale for teachers is far below the average salaries for other districts in the Greater Twin Cities Area. Any experience level teacher in our district earns less than his or her same counterpart teacher in White Bear, Chisago Lakes or even St. Cloudís school district.
While teachers realize that education is not a lucrative profession, it is naive to think they will work for substantially less money than their peers in nearby districts.
If the district and community wish to live up to its motto of ìInspire the learner! Ignite the Potential!î they should be aware that books and technology might act as lighter fluid, but that good teachers strike the match and nurture the flame.
It is important to note that while communities work and politicians squabble, the brunt of these challenges falls to the students.
They are the ones who vie for a teacherís attention along with 37 other students.
They are the ones who may miss the important skills and knowledge that could ease their journey towards adulthood.
They are the ones who will carry the legacy of this community forward.
For their sake, we encourage you to provide them with the best future possible through excellent, fairly compensated teachers and a high caliber education.
The writers are teachers at Forest Lake High School. All total, the letter was signed by 10 teachers at the high school.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605