On Monday, June 22nd, the Haverhill Education Association held a “Rally for Respect” outside City Hall while negotiations between teachers and the School Committee took place inside. Tom Jordan, a teacher at Haverhill High School addressed the crowd of teachers, secretaries, ESPs, parents, students, and concerned citizens who attended in support of public education in the City of Haverhill. Below is Tom’s speech.
Teachers, clerical workers, support staff, friends and families of Haverhill, Welcome to the Rally for Respect. My name is Tom Jordan from the High School and we are gathered outside City Hall today in support of our fellow educators who are inside City Hall today working yet again to get us a fair and just contract. On 3, let’s give them a cheer so loud, that they know we are out here for them.
I could start with an anecdotal story about a teacher who works hard all day, in an overcrowded classroom, short on supplies and prep time, who then goes home, only to sit down to more hours of work preparing for the next school day…but it’s toolate for that. I could list for you all of the insulting statistics that paint a picture of clear economic disparity in this district… but Tim will tell you all about that. But I am here to tell you this. The school year may be ending, but we, the hard-working educators of this great city of Haverhill, we’re just getting started. We’re just warming up. Because our cause is a humble one. It is rooted in the simple American premise that those who work hard, deserve respect and a decent living wage. Sadly, so far, the School Committee has offered us neither. We need to talk about respect.
Many times over the past few years, and as recently as last week, the leaders of this district have written to us, telling us how grateful they are for our hard work in the classroom. How important it is what we do everyday. How respected we are. And I for one am glad they’ve noticed. However…However…when we put these letters and emails aside and turn our attention to the changes they would like to make in the language of our contract…we begin to suspect the sincerity of their earlier words.
When you propose to takeover a teacher’s prep period, the one time of the day when we as professionals can prepare the effective lessons of the day…is that respect? NO!
When you propose to lengthen our school day with no compensation… is that respect? NO!
When you propose to increase our teaching time through mandatory tutoring with no compensation… is that respect? NO!
When you scoff at even the idea of sick day buyback or tuition reimbursement… is that respect? NO!
So we must ask ourselves… Will we reject, out of hand, any contract with this kind of language in it? YES!
Will we reject, out of hand, any contract that attempts to take away our autonomy in our classrooms? YES!
And will we be at every meeting and on every corner and in every living room in this city until we get a fair and just contract? YES! Because all we want is for the money and the language to reflect what they’ve so often said to us these many years. We simply want their actions to mirror their words. And let’s all be clear: We aren’t out here today because its fun. There are finals to be corrected and kids to be picked up. And no one wants to be standing out in a parking lot at 7 in the morning holding signs when they could be inside setting up their room for the day.
We are not here because we like it. We are here because we must be here. We have no choice. When the contract being offered is neither fair nor just, there is no other place we can be then right here right now. And in standing up, as one, for what is just, we will get that fair contract. But stay focused. Stay engaged. Make the calls. Write the letters. Talk to your friends and neighbors. And in closing, know this: if we don’t have a contract by the end of the Summer, I will be ready, you will be ready, we will be ready to continue this campaign for however long it takes because Justice is on our side. Justice is on our side.