Teaching isn't what it used to be anymore these days

I immensely agree with Frank Watson, Cheney Free Press, guest commentary, May 10, 2018.

There are two reasons I do not teach for a living. One, the Washington Education Association, I didn’t want to HAVE TO PAY an organization I didn’t agree with.

Two, teaching to a test is boring. We wouldn’t need Friday late starts if they were not teaching to a test; they may not even realize it any more.

My dad made less than a first-year teacher makes now when he retired. I knew I wasn’t going into teaching for the money.

We had excellent health coverage. Dad had summers off and all the major holidays. Most of his summer break was given back to the community with the Cheney Track Club, but he had down time too.

All I heard in school (EWU) from the teachers and WEA is how terrible teachers are treated. But I lived with two parents who worked for Cheney School District. I challenged their brainwashing at a seminar and was glared at by everyone on stage for the last 20 minutes as student after student with a teacher for a parent in different parts of the state challenged the premise of the lecture.

The first year I worked as a receptionist at a heating company in Spokane I was so miserable sitting at my desk looking at summer pass by, I went back to school to get my teachers degree. But by the time I finished my student teaching the Legislature was starting to mess in schools (more than before).

I substitute taught while my kids where too young for school, thinking when they got to full time school I would get my masters and go on to a full-time career. I am really glad I decided not to get my masters because I have not missed being a teacher.

All the creativity has been sucked out of teaching. The classroom of my dreams would have been vetoed even if I paid to set it up myself because it would have been too different and my students would expect more from every teacher they had after that.

Carol Campbell

Cheney