Re$pect

The one thing that teachers can be given, the thing money cannot buy is respect. Salaries are not now, and hopefully will never be determined by the administrators of the buildings where we work. I am totally opposed to any sort of merit pay as I know it will never be divvied up fairly. Besides, merit is a quality, hard to judge, with too many confounding variables to complicate the situation. While respect won’t pay my son’s college tuition or my monthly mortgage payment, it is something everyone needs, something that does help one do a good job.

This brings me to a story I heard recently. Mr. G was a long time teacher in an inner city school. He was hard working, well liked by his students and his peers. He always helped the young teachers in his department and many owe their success in the teaching field to him. Unfortunately, Mr. G’s health was starting to fail and he was no longer the dynamic teacher he had once been. Mr. G was not ready to put away his chalk, although teaching was becoming difficult. The principal of Mr. G’s school had a serious dilemma. He knew Mr. G could not go on the way he was. He could have “U” rated him and pushed him out of he building. Instead, he called Mr. G into his office and said, “I see the pain you are in and know that things are not easy for you. I appreciate all the work you have done for Inner City. I promise you a job for the year. I will find someone to assist you in your classes. In fact, I will not only have this person assist you, I will even relieve you of two classes and find as easier assignment for you.”

Mr. G was shocked. He couldn’t believe the principal was being so kind. He couldn’t believe the principal would actually use the school’s tight budget to help him out. Mr. G never expected to receive the help he was being offered. He could not believe the respect he was being shown.

I am a teacher at Inner City. Mr. G is a good friend of mine. The respect and the kindness the principal has offered him is something I will never forget and will always be grateful for. The principal can’t offer me a bonus or a raise for the work I do, but by treating Mr. G this way, he did more for me than any amount of money could do.

Re$pect, something we all need and deserve.