This letter is in response to the column “School Districts Face a Moment of Truth” by Greater Media Newspapers Managing Editor Mark Rosman.
I am a relatively new teacher. I changed careers in my late 40s. Prior to teaching, I worked at a large telecommunications company for many years, earning a very good salary. Now I make about $45,000 per year. In all my years of working, I have never worked as hard as I work at being a teacher.
It is time-consuming to plan and grade lessons for my students (I spend in excess of 10 hours per week outside of school to plan and grade), and my work engages an enormous amount of psychic energy to work with so many students every day and tend to their educational needs. And I love doing it.
I live in Monmouth County, which is an especially expensive place to live (and) $45,000 only just covers daily living expenses in this county. Fortunately, my husband still has a job at a big telecommunications company, which is how I can afford to be a teacher.
Why would Mr. Rosman direct his ire at teachers? I live in a town where some people think nothing of paying $25,000 a year in property taxes, because their houses are worth in excess of $1 million. They take in bonuses of $500,000 a year.
Why are we not focusing on that demographic and what they can contribute to the bottom line of New Jersey’s state budget? Why is Mr. Rosman going after $45,000 employees?
Sandra Talarico
Little Silver