Our Teachers Deserve Support and Respect

By Scott H. Finley

Our teachers are on the front line for our children each day. They are entitled to fair compensation within the bounds of our available resources.

Being an educator is not an easy job. It requires patience, understanding, compassion and preparation. In our schools that have year-round schedules, the usual pressures of teaching are complicated by constantly changing facilities assignments. Teachers routinely give up evenings and their own financial resources to assist with their students' educational needs.

I believe that our teachers are entitled to fair compensation that recognizes the important work that they perform. I believe that it is the responsibility of the Board to ensure that as much of the District's budget as is fiscally prudent can be allocated towards teacher compensation.

There is an inevitable tension and a delicate balance between the demands of teachers and the remainder of the needs of the District. I believe that the District must do as much as it can to see that teacher salaries are "market rate". That is, the District has an interest in seeing that teacher salaries are high enough to retain experienced teachers and attract new teachers as they are needed. I am committed to this goal.

At the same time, a Board member has the responsiblity to ensure the long-term viability of all of the programs and needs of the District is preserved and to watch carefully to see that on-going financial commitments do not compromise future needs. This is most important when the future facilities needs of the District are growing and the future funding sources to support those needs are uncertain.

I support compensating our teachers as the professionals they are, while preserving the long-term fiscal integrity of the District