My Greatest Job

A year ago I had to quit the greatest job I ever had, teaching at Deltona High School. I remain in touch with my students, continuing to get calls, emails, text messages, and Facebook comments. Some are to tell me how they are doing; others are to ask for my help. I had over 160 students and I taught four periods of Honors Chemistry and two periods of AP Environmental Science.

Working as a teacher gave me insights I never could have imagined. Teachers spend more time with our children than most parents, they are the most important asset our country has, but as the economy has worsened teachers have become disposable targets. Now, I watch with dismay as local municipalities nationwide are struggling to meet their budgets and newspaper reports show thousands of teachers being laid off. No system is perfect, as the local contribution of property taxes first flows to the state capital and then is allocated back to the local school board by complicated formulas.

The budget consists of two parts: operating and capital, about 40% and 60% respectively. The capital budget funds buildings and debt service whereas the operating budget has sustained most of the cuts. I believe schools have focused monies incorrectly on “technology in the classroom” and buildings where hundreds of millions of dollars built new schools, rivaling the nicest hotels and office buildings. Schools now have IT departments, equivalent to dot-com companies, but have cut arts, music, and after-school sports. But, salaries and benefits make up the bulk of the operating budget and must be managed to bring the budget in line. I would focus first on top-heavy salaries and then closely examine the unionized system where longevity and mediocrity are rewarded instead of performance. Disparities of $50,000/year exist due to tenure and length of service, not quality of teaching.

Through all of these problems, I believe our local schools do an excellent job. For example, New Smyrna Beach Middle School has been an “A” rated school two years in a row and about a one-fourth of the students managed to make the Honor Roll throughout the entire year. Principles like Jim Tager navigate these times by keeping the focus on students and receiving outstanding parental support through PTA. Our future is our children and we need to protect them, not deny them the best possible teachers and education.