A double whammy for CNMI teachers

Throughout the globe, teacher salary scales tend to be based on experience, education and classroom effectiveness. The PSS scale calls for a salary increase after 15 graduate credits, and another upon master’s degree completion. Two previous cohorts of master’s degree students received their increase as per the PSS salary guide, but now that it is my turn, I have to go around, “hat in hand” and spend my time pleading for what I am supposed to get automatically according to PSS’ very own salary scale. The excuse, as always from this fly-by-night government, is “the economy,” but how come “the economy” didn’t stop $200,000 from being appropriated for Inauguration Day, or to implement a double-dipping 30 percent bonus retirement sweetheart deal, or to give World Resort a tax break, or to pay the MVA director not to work for six months, and so on and so on. How come “the economy” didn’t apply in those cases?

On Education Day two years ago the board gave teachers a 5-percent increase if you had worked two full years. I was only there about a year and a half at the time. After my second year I inquired as to where my 5 percent was, and I was told I started in the “wrong year,” whatever that means. How is it that I’m supposed to get the stick in the eye on both experience and education, yet money is found for all other types of nonsense?

We have a new governor now, and in Monday’s paper he said he supports education, and indeed I hope so. He can start by rewarding the teachers completing the Praxis tests and finishing their graduate degrees according to an already existing scale, and not keeping them “on hold.” I hope things like PSS, DPS, DEQ, and DPH take priority over things like Public Information Officers and appointing a new undersecretary to the restroom attendant in this bloated bureaucracy. Sadly, I’m only being a little facetious in that statement.

If you started three years ago, as in my case, you have never received any type of salary increase, though in the high school instructional time has increased from 270 minutes to 320 minutes, and teachers now need to pass two expensive Praxis tests.

There are currently two groups of approximately 25 students each working on their master’s degree in Education via Framingham State College. The CNMI Scholarship Office isn’t even considering graduate school students, and the SHEFA Board didn’t even consider us full-time students until recently, even though we are on pace to complete 36 graduate credits and finish our degree in one year and two months. I need and planned for this mandated increase to pay for my classes.

The class I recently took is a graduate course on instructional strategies on how to teach students to read. I’m a language arts teacher. What could be more vital? I’ve already completed both Praxis tests—didn’t just “squeak by” on either—yet now that I’m due for a one step bump, I’m “on hold.” I got shortchanged on the experience part of the salary scale, and now the educational part of the salary scale.

PSS will blame the central government, the central government will blame the economy, and I’ll just have to choose whether to get cheated, move to a private school or leave this island for a place that meets their financial obligations. If I choose the latter, I would imagine some of the teachers/students working on their MA’s will also consider this given the recent turn of events, the public school students will end up with a teacher, possibly just a substitute, that I’m sure will be without an MA, Praxis completion and three years experience here on how to teach our students how to read and write.

I have already e-mailed the commissioner, the associate commissioner, and I have talked to the board chairman to explain the situation, and I really hope, and believe, they will help us by throwing their weight around with whoever made this boneheaded “on hold” decision that damages PSS’ reputation, and will hurt recruitment efforts from the mainland. The first thing an overseas teacher looks for is the likelihood that the employer will meet their obligations, and these teachers look for first-hand accounts from actual teachers on what it is like to teach in that place. Sadly, this very necessary letter, which will be available via Google into posterity in this Internet age, will give pause to teachers from the mainland considering the CNMI, and recruitment may become even more necessary once the Praxis requirement goes into effect next school year.

I consider this “on hold status” to be a default on my proper paycheck. Everyone talks a good game about wanting to help education, but in the end, you can’t get a Corvette paying for a Chevette. This needs to be fixed right away. If you feel as I do, please email me at turbittj@yahoo.com. Priorities can be set and choices can be made. People voted for a change, and they got one. I hope Governor Fitial makes the tough choices and implements needed changes to give us an island with a bright future. It can be done. We are counting on you Mr. Fitial.

Jeffrey C. Turbitt
As Lito