To the editor:

I am generally a “glass half full” person. Unfortunately, regarding the current situation in Suffolk Public Schools I have a fear that the glass is actually empty.

I love my job teaching eighth-grade English at John Yeates Middle School. I have amazing co-workers, great students, and supportive parents and administrators.

I have 28 years experience in education in Newport News, Suffolk, and as the co-owner of a private school. If I could, I would continue teaching in Suffolk until retirement. Unfortunately, I am a widow with three teenagers and I have to put our needs first.

Suffolk would have to give me an 18-percent pay raise to pay me what I can make in several other Southside school systems. The 3-percent raises for teachers asked for by Superintendent Deran Whitney would barely show up in my paycheck and will not cover the 25-percent increase in medical insurance premium I was hit with this year.

I appreciate his efforts, but it’s a drop in the bucket for those of us who have received nothing for seven years.

So why aren’t teachers showing up en masse for City Council meetings? We did that two years ago. So many teachers showed up that we couldn’t all fit into chambers. The city council heard us and ignored us.

Why aren’t we at the meetings now? We’re home doing lesson plans, grading papers, completing data notebooks and trying to squeeze in some family time. Why don’t we get that paperwork done during planning? We’re attending IEP meetings, 504 meetings, parent/teacher conferences, grade-level meetings, and content-area meetings, in addition to providing remediation for our students and contacting parents.

Suffolk Public Schools is losing experienced teachers who, in addition to teaching their classes, are mentoring new teachers, attending training and then returning to their buildings to train colleagues, head committees and so on.

These are all unpaid activities taken on as additional duties by the experienced teachers.

We are replaceable, but it’s scary to predict how few veteran teachers will be around in two or three years. Not only are we leaving, but the two new teachers I’m currently mentoring are not planning to return next year. The cost of replacing all of these departing teachers will continue to hit the school system.

I fear that regardless of what the Suffolk School Board and City Council work out this year, the mass exodus will happen. Not only are teachers leaving, guidance counselors, administrators, and other staff members are seeking employment elsewhere.

Our glasses are empty, and a few drops of water will just not be enough.

Karen Pierce

Suffolk