I like to think that I received a quality education from East St. Louis School District 189, at least back when that was feasible. It was certainly good enough to take me from a ghetto public school system to an elite institution like Boston University.
So, let me say from the outset that I am a staunch advocate for ESL teachers who, at press time, were on strike after rejecting what they considered to be an unacceptable “tentative agreement” following one year of working without a contract and no pay raises for the past three years.
I’ve always maintained that if professional athletes, entertainers and politicians (most of whom contribute zero to society other than enriching and promoting themselves) can be paid lavishly then, certainly, our teachers (who are shapers and molders of our children’s futures) should be compensated well for all that they do.
I’m also proud of ESL high school students who marched on the school board offices in support of their teachers. It demonstrates a degree of consciousness and sophistication that could easily go unappreciated.
Having said all that, let’s get to the core of the issue. A teachers’ strike in East St. Louis disrupts the education of about 6,000 students, forces athletes to forfeit games and limits opportunities for athletic and other scholarships for students.
It creates disgruntlement and hostility among teachers who will eventually return to the classroom to instruct our students.
Meanwhile, amid budget cuts, school closures, salary freezes and other belt-tightening measures, it does not look good for Superintendent Arthur Culver to receive an annual salary of $250,000, while issuing statements which describe increases to teachers as “fiscally irresponsible” while his hand-picked administrators are handsomely rewarded.
And to hide behind the rhetoric of being “mindful of the district’s obligation to its residents and community stakeholders” is insulting to the intelligence ESL taxpayers. The district’s obligation is to provide a quality education for all students.
An extended strike will only ensure that ESL schools will continue to be the laughing stock of the nation and that her students will be disregarded and considered inferior.
It’s an educational catastrophe of the highest degree and both the school district and the teachers should have been able to come to an agreement during their summer vacations versus waiting until the school year resumed.
As for the teachers’ union, they have maximum leverage to negotiate with the threat of disrupting the school year. But, while the teachers should be paid fairly, it’s not about the school board or the teachers. It should always be about the students, their education and their future which, hopefully, will result in a brighter day for East St. Louis.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
