For Thursday, May 11, 2000                                      Drummer Column, Gibbs, 720 words

 

 

Rally I do

 

 

     Benicia teachers went on a field trip last Monday, without any students. We all flocked by busses, trains, and automobiles to Sacramento to rally for better school funding. More than 7,000 teachers over-filled the steps of the Capital, making it look much like the average California classroom.

     We all donned yellow t-shirts, our symbol of brightness and unity, and gathered in a sign-wielding sunrise around the front podium. Lots of folks spoke concisely. They shared facts and feelings and used catchy phrases that made us whoop. Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg said we were striving for "world-class standards on a Third World budget."  That got us going. A little girl told us about her school -- its mice and overflowing toilets. That created some upset. Politicians came out and made some promises. Teachers chanted back, "We want Davis."

     Most of the signs people carried were coined and stamped by the local unions, but many teachers carried homemade signs. You can bet the grammar and mechanics on all of them were flawless. No wild apostrophes on plural nouns here.  Stamped signs said things like "More Money, Fewer Strings!" "Our Working Conditions are our Students' Learning Conditions," "Fund Schools Today or Prisons Tomorrow," and "Students Deserve Well-Paid Educators." Homemade signs were often more pointed. They said things like, "Prisoners = $21,470; El Granada Students = $3,588,"  "Pay Dirt, Get Dirt" and "Give us a fighting chance!"

     The right thing about it all was this: The rally was over quickly. We wrapped it up in a couple of hours. That was possible because the facts are clear and the situation is obvious. Schools are in need and the budget surplus is over $10 billion dollars. Put more money into the schools. It does not require a lengthy debate, or point-counterpoint. Gray Davis has been boasting about being the education governor; this is his chance to prove it.

     California is 40th in per-pupil spending, $1,000 below the national average, with a glaring teacher shortage. We are 49th in average class size, 50th in computers per child, and 51st in library services. If we don't act soon, the poorly trained students of today will become tomorrow's teachers.

     After the rally all 7000 of us walked peacefully and orderly back to our busses, trains, cars, boats, planes, and went back home. Benicia teachers went directly home because just before we left Benicia at 3:30 p.m., Maria ,our beautiful secretary at BHS, climbed aboard our bus and admonished us, "Don't have so much fun that you miss work tomorrow. I was short two substitutes today."

     I want to go on record right now as being in favor of increased funding for public schools. I promise not to waffle on this issue or switch sides with changing political winds. Read my lips…wait, my lips aren't moving … read my words…Show me the money. If anyone thinks we don't earn it and deserve it, remember that Maria is still looking for substitute teachers.

     I am now in a reverie imagining a new, improved school system. With more money we could, of course, raise teachers' salaries, remodel classrooms, and expand our choice of resources. We could spread this technology training through the middle and elementary schools, where it belongs. I believe that learning computer skills is much like learning a foreign language -- it sinks deeper when you start younger.

     Presently, most high school freshmen are learning PowerPoint, spreadsheets, and desktop publishing for the first time. This could be happening in 3rd grade. Imagine a future freshman's technical expertise if he or she came in with six years of experience.

     If we make a fundamental switch from paper to digital publications in our classrooms, our ability to update textbooks, or whatever we call them in the future, will become cheaper and quicker. Our resources will be forever up-to-date. 

     I must close by saying, all I need is a tall rock to sit upon in a grassy field and a ring of eager students sitting cross-legged and alert, and I can teach. We can learn like the Greeks in pastoral symposiums, and discuss philosophy and theology. We can except for these small problems: I have a truck payment, a house payment, and I'm supporting my mother, and the pupil philosophers will have a hard time finding jobs.