From: Jason Perry
Columbus
I am so thankful for the veteran teachers I had as colleagues when I was a young teacher. They offered guidance, support, and stability that I needed when I was struggling to begin the only career I ever wanted. They had the wisdom to let me struggle so I could learn on my own, but the compassion to steer me in a different direction when they could see that my plan was destined to crash and burn.
Now, with 24 years experience, I’m the veteran teacher. Young teachers now look to me for direction and leadership. I don’t take that responsibility for granted. I have a professional responsibility and a personal passion to help my younger teaching colleagues develop into confident and effective public educators. I want these young professionals to stay in education (preferably in Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.) for the remainder of their careers and be future leaders for the next generation of teachers.
Young teachers bring creativity and enthusiasm to a school that is so valuable. Great young teachers are a blessing to a school building. Buildings that are saturated with veteran teachers risk becoming stagnant. Buildings full of beginning teachers risk a lack of stability. BCSC schools need a healthy mix of teachers with a variety of experience levels, backgrounds, genders, ethnicity, and interests. What I’m beginning to see in some BCSC buildings is a gap in the middle. The veteran teachers are working their way towards the ends of their careers while a new and larger batch of young teachers come in each year.
We’ve replaced over 600 teachers since 2012 in BCSC. I have seen the same classroom with a new young teacher 2-3 years in a row in some cases. Too many young teachers are leaving BCSC for other school districts or, worse yet, other professions. I have elementary children of my own who don’t even know which homeroom teacher to ‘hope for’ the next year because they don’t recognize any of the new names. Once it was not uncommon for students to have some of the same teachers that their parents had. Now it’s getting more difficult to have teachers that their siblings once had.
BCSC is an amazing school corporation, full of tremendous teachers, administrators, support personnel, bus drivers, and maintenance staff. I am proud to be part of this corporation. Our young talent, however, is being pulled in so many other directions. They are tempted by the fruit of higher salaries in other communities or professions.
Let’s give these young folks a reason to come to BCSC. Let’s give existing teachers a reason to stay here for the length of their careers. Even if you don’t have children in BCSC, a better school district helps every business, neighborhood, and community. I’m voting YES for the BCSC Referendum. There are so many talented young (as well as veteran) teachers in this corporation who need our support. Please join me in showing them that our children come first in Bartholomew County.
