I am sitting here in pain with an infected tooth. I don't get paid until Friday. As usual, it is a paycheck to paycheck life I lead and I am trying to figure out what I can do.
I try not to let the swirling mass of Nevada citizens anger get to me. The LVRJ has done a good job of stirring the hate and passion of Las Vegans. Continually writing about what fatcats we are-how we have the cushy job with no oversight. The LVRJ has relentlessly pounded on our retirement benefits and step increases.
I wish it were so-I wish life were as cushy as Sherm paints it-for us teachers.
So many women teach. You know the old joke, "those who can't teach?"
Ironically it is us-who can-teach others who will be able to in the future.
That doesn't take care of my tooth, though.
Last year I worked three jobs. I never took a vacation. The cost of living in Las Vegas was horrible. I didn't have a twenty thousand dollar credit card limit-I have a one thousand dollar limit.
I did not take out a second mortgage, I could barely keep up with the first.
One of my jobs tutoring dried up as the school district and the union took over the Title I funds for remedial education from private tutoring companies. The Teacher's union then used their private foundation to provide tutoring and pay teachers half of what private companies paid.
This year there are no private tutoring companies for Title I schools. It's all processed through the district.
As private citizens complain about losing jobs and pointing fingers at public school employees-they need to remember-during the boom-teachers took a paltry 2% increase. Over and over again. With the promise of a 4% increase after three years. My first two years teaching we had no increases.
During the boom, utilities increased prices, groceries, especially meat and vegetables became ridiculously expensive and we had faux shortages increasing prices on eggs and milk. Gas prices prohibited even a trip to California. I bought anything I needed for my house from Craigslist. Savors and the Goodwill are two of my favorite stores. I even learned to sew so I could make clothes for myself.
Many of the teacher resources I have are from Goodwill and Savors. This year we were told we had no supply budget. I followed the sales before the school year and bought enough crayons, colored pencils, erasers, pencils, paper, journals, markers and folders to provide 25 students with supplies for the entire year.
Did you offer to donate anything to your child's school?
Of course not! You believe the district is a wasteful, uncaring, greedy mega institution.
Sadly your anger only hurts your children. Teachers and most Principals love their students and my bosses, like many in the district, began brainstorming early on ways to cover the supply budget. We all did. Long before those doors opened. We collected money(teachers) at our school to make sure our kids all had uniforms. We wrote grants and begged organizations for donations.
I hope Albertsons goes bankrupt. I really do. They played that scarcity scam so many times I quit shopping with them.
The local Wal Mart grocery store started out cheap enough-now it is as bad as Albertsons.
Do you know where I shop?? The 99 cent store and Fresh and Easy. They always have sales and runs on vegetables and fruits.
Did you know the RJ is also sold at the dollar store on Sundays for a dollar?? Dirty little secret.
So what am I going to do about this tooth?
I am going to take a needle, heat it up, pour alcohol over it, stick it into the gum and try to drain it. Then I am going to use an antibacterial mouth wash and hope I can hang on till Friday.
I don't have a choice.
