A Goodbye Letter

April 20, 2017

Dear Teachers Leaving Education or Just Oklahoma:

I understand why you are leaving, but it can't be about teacher pay. When I started teaching in 1991, my net pay was $1000.00. After 26 years of teaching, my net pay is $2100.00.  I can't wait for my next small raise. Wait, I forgot! That's as high as my salary will go; I have reached the last step. This cost of living in Oklahoma is so low that I can still buy groceries at Walmart, well just 1/2 a cart for $150.00 compared to two carts of groceries for that same amount back in 2006. That year, there were 6 children in my house, and now, I'm down to one child. It's more expensive to raise this last child than the 5 that came before her. I'm just lucky that my husband does not have a job in education. But, sadly, low pay is the main reason why teachers are leaving the state or the profession.

I understand why you are leaving, but it can't be about class sizes. I have an English class with 33 students.  I never have any discipline problems, they are very quiet, and I never hear any complaining. They do have to share books and Chromebooks because I don't have enough for all the students, but assignments are really easy to grade. It only takes me 7 days to grade essays. I would rather have a bigger class than a smaller one; I can get more ideas accomplished and spend more time helping each student. I wish these statements were true, but larger class sizes don't help the students. Teachers need to have smaller class sizes so that they can pay attention to the individual needs of the students.

I understand why you are leaving, but it can't be about having the summers off. We get to travel the world on our yachts, walk on the beaches, or drive our luxury car. That's an alternate reality. Most teachers have another job, go to several workshops, or work on another college degree. I don't remember a time when I had a free summer where all I did was go on a three-month vacation. It has always been about preparing for the next year; I don't teach the same way each year because I always get a new set of students with different career choices, talents, and interests.

I understand why you are leaving, and I wish you the best of luck on the road you choose to take.

Best Wishes!

Shanna Mellott
English Teacher
Staying in Oklahoma

The Tale of Two Oklahoma Teachers

December 18, 2016

      "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." This line from The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens sums up our state's educational situation. Last week, we heard from Shawn Sheehan and his situation as a teacher. I think it is also important to hear from the teachers who have taught over 20 years in this state. What do they think about education? Why aren't most of them leaving? So here are the responses from two veteran teachers. One response is anonymous, and the other one is from me.

     I am a twenty-four year veteran teacher; all of my years have been done in Oklahoma. I have taught 9-12 English along with three years of direct instruction language arts. My experience has taken me through curriculum and hallways of 6A schools to 2A schools. When I began teaching, my net pay was just $1,275.00. I am a single parent with two teenagers. Today, because my children are not on my health insurance, my net pay is around $3,000.00. After almost 25 years in teaching, my net pay has just gone up $2,000.00. This amount is roughly an $84.00 increase per month. It is incredibly insulting considering the amount of additional responsibilities and demands placed on teachers, like me, each year. I believe that education has lost sight of the basics, and in lieu of catering to statistics and competition, we are neglecting are kids' basic needs---along with compassion, mentoring, and modeling hard work. I stay in hope that one day the people in charge will notice the crumbling foundation, and that it needs to be repaired before we can pile on all the new initiatives that create more problems rather than solving them.
                      ----------------------    
      I am an English teacher who has taught twenty-five years in Oklahoma. I have three college degrees: Bachelor's  Degree in English, Master's Degree in Secondary Education, and a Master's Degree in Reading/Reading Specialist.  When I started my teaching career, my net pay was $1000.00.  Now, after 25 years and three college degrees, my net pay is ...$2,200.00. Wait! I only make this much with three college degrees, and we are telling students that college is the only way to make more money and to be more qualified for a job.  That's a topic for another blog. So, why is my net pay so low with this many years of experience and three colleges degrees? Just browse the teacher minimum pay scale on the OSDE website; then one of the reasons for this low net pay will be apparent. For my first Master's Degree in Secondary Education, I received a $600.00 increase in salary, which means that my pay went up $50.00 a month. For my second Master's Degree in Reading/Reading Specialist, I received no increase in salary. My net pay has remained stagnant for at least the last ten years. If we want students to value college degrees, then when need to show them that a college degree is worth more than $50.00 a month. I have told my students about my situation, and that if they choose the college path, they need a degree that will help them earn more money. Another issue is the price of health insurance, not for me, but for my husband and children. My HealthChoice premium is $1, 167.00 a month and will increase to around $1,200.00 in 2017. Each year, there is an increase, and from 2005, the premiums have gone up  So, why would I stay in Oklahoma? My roots run deep in this state, born and raised here, and I have too many years invested in teaching to leave. However, I can understand why other teachers would go to surrounding states. In my opinion, education should go into a different direction: apprenticeships, college courses in high schools, and literacy across the curriculum. 

      At this point, I don't care about a raise; it wouldn't make that much difference in my pay. A stipend would make a bigger difference than a pay raise. I'm looking for solutions, not problems, for education. I choose the road not taken. I hope our "winter of despair turns into the spring of hope."

       

      

    

I am an Oklahoma Teacher

I am an Oklahoma Teacher

I am an Oklahoma teacher
twenty-five years and counting.

For all students in this state,

I will always remain standing.

I choose the road not taken,
a new way to look at education.

Build classes across the curriculum

with creativity and innovation.

It's not just what is learned, 

but what is done with it.

It's not just about a test,

but commitment and work ethic.

Students are individuals with 

different strengths, interests, and talents.

Teach with these ideas in mind, and

they'll be ready for the challenge.

I am an Oklahoma teacher,
a rebel but not by choice.

Imagining the possibilities

It's time for you to hear my voice.

The Last Teachers Standing

July 10, 2016

Today, I read an article about Oklahoma teachers who went to other states for better pay, but there is another question that needs to be answered. Why do teachers like me decide to stay in Oklahoma to teach? What are the benefits of staying here? We have been vilified, told that schools are failing, and we earn enough money.  I have three college degrees, my income has remained stagnant for over 10 years, and since I'll be starting my 25th year of teaching, my salary cannot move any higher. My husband and I have 6 children, and if this situation had occurred 18 years ago, we couldn't have made it in this state. After all the disrespect and the low pay, why do I teach in Oklahoma?

I stay to make a difference in the lives of all students, all schools, and my state. I want to show my students that I will not give up on them, that they have individual paths to take in life, and that they can make a difference in society. Teachers and schools are the bridge between the current lives of  students and the lives they will have in the real-world. It's my responsibility to make sure they have the reading and writing skills needed to be successful at the college or career level.

I also stay to debunk the myth from both sides of the political spectrum that all public schools and teachers are a failure. If you believe that public education cannot be saved, then you are basically saying that the community, state, and the students cannot be saved. Shame on you! There are people who go into the teaching profession who fail as teachers just like there are some people who fail as legislators, but it's not the whole group. Instead of hurling insults, it's time to work together and make Oklahoma the state that every other state looks to for solutions. There have been very few solutions; only people pushing an agenda. If we sacrifice one school for another, we are not solving the problem, just creating more to deal with in our state.

I am not going to give up on our state, our schools, and our students. Why do you teach in Oklahoma?

A Sonnet for the Class of 2016

Sonnet 2016

Your life is a book filled with memories,

ones to celebrate and ones to forget.

The high school chapter is a summary

of hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

Before the second chapter is written,

make every opportunity count.

Always remember these words of wisdom.

Making the right choices is paramount.

Life is like music with slow and fast beats.

Find your rhythm in life and dance away.

Long, short, staccato, or just a repeat

Focus on mind, body, and soul each day.

The road you want to travel may not be

 the one path you end up on traveling.

There will be obstacles that you won't see.

If one path doesn't work, do more planning.

Now, it's time to take the book and write

the next chapters about your future life.


I wrote this poem with help from Mrs. Wallace and Mrs. Delong.

May the Fourth Be with You!

May 4, 2016

In a classroom along time ago,

      I wore a Star Wars t-shirt to school; it was May the fourth Be with You! I am a Star Wars fan just like my husband; we even have a Star Wars room filled with the action figures and the books written about the movies.  I thought about the other famous quotes said in the movies and how I could apply them to teaching.
     I'll start with Yoda's quote from Star Wars,  "Do or do not; there is not try." I either accomplish the task or fail it; just trying to do something will not bring any results. I wouldn't be able to reflect and make improvements. For example, I am already planning my curriculum for next year. I want to incorporate more formal speaking practice in each unit. The units will revolve around the senior paper and project. I want to push my students to go beyond just giving a speech about what they learned; I want them to create or do something with it by putting the idea into action!
     In the new Movie, Star Wars, the Force Awakens, Finn helped Poe escape Kylo Ren. Poe asked Finn why he was doing this, and Finn replied, "because it's the right thing to do." In education, I have to make choices and decisions that affect my students. Helping students find which path to take is the right thing to do in education. If that means throwing away the traditional approaches and implementing new ideas, I see no problems with it. Offering college classes in high school, having students make portfolios, and requiring students to read and write across the curriculum are just a few ideas. Helping students the right thing is to do.
     Also, in this movie, Finn and Rey say at the same time while they are trying to fix the Millinneim Falcon, "I can do this." I want my students to be independent learners who take risks and never give up. The senior speeches started this week, and I have made a few observations. A lot of the students do not like talking in front of a group, but when they accomplish this feat, they gain more self-confidence. I want them to believe that "they can do this." I want them to understand that failing is a part of learning, and that they must practice and practice to get something correct.
     I want to leave the last quote to you, the Oklahoma teachers, who have survived the negative remarks and insults about this profession.  "May the Force Be with You." Never lose the spirit, the energy, and the purpose of why you are a teacher. One teacher can change a student's life, but a group of teachers can change the world.

The Testing Season

February 13 & 14, & April 9, 2016

Days 230 & 231 as an Oklahoma Teacher

The testing season is almost finished. These tests are supposed  to show if teachers actually taught their students valuable information, and if the students retained the information from the class. I only played the testing game for a couple of years, and that was enough for me. These tests cost too much money. Here are some problems with the testing season.

Problem 1:
The tests take too much time, four to six weeks out of the second semester. Once the test is over
for that subject area, the students think that school is over, and it is difficult to get them to focus on
something else. Also, I have students in my AP class who don't like to have test preparation. Their attitudes change if I have them practice for the AP test. I equate this change in behavior to all the tests they have taken throughout the years. In my opinion, the AP test is the most important besides the ACT.

Problem 2:
I believe that the quality of writing has gone down because the writing part of the EOI limits the creativity and the knowledge of the students. For students, writing is only important for a test score, not for the love of expressing ideas. The purpose of writing has been lost; they don't understand the power of words, what writers say, and what people do with it.

Problem 3:
This one comes from one of my students who wrote his senior paper about testing. He said that more important concepts are left out of lesson plans. In my opinion, he is saying that tests limit the learning of students because some teachers only teach what will be on the test. If a class has higher-level students, does the teacher go beyond what is on the test to help the students? Students become bored with education and lose the reasons why learning is important.


Problem 4:
This student also said that students don't take the tests seriously anymore. They know that colleges look at the ACT scores, not the EOI scores. After students pass their required number of tests, they do not care about the other two they have to take. When testing became a way to evaluate teachers, then the integrity of the tests was lost. Maybe, we should evaluate teachers and schools on how successful students are at the college and career levels.

Problem 5:
Students should be applying what they know to create and to innovate new ideas. Sitting in from of a computer screen for a couple of hours to take a multiple-choice test only shows what students remember. We need students to apply the skills that they have learned to solve a problem. Why are we testing? What do we want students to be able to do? Will these tests help students prepare for college? These are questions to be pondered and answered.