THE EDITOR, Sir:
MR. ANTOINE from the Board of Education in New York City was interviewed for a report that was printed in The Gleaner on Friday November 16, 2001. The Gleaner report gave only a one-sided view of the reasons 23 Caribbean teachers recruited to teach in the New York City Public Schools returned home.
Insufficient salary, low-performing students and indiscipline in the schools are not the main reasons Caribbean teachers returned home.
Chief among the reasons for the trek home is the fact that teachers are frustrated at the fact that their expectations in August prior to arriving in New York City far exceeds what is the reality. The teachers were led to believe that they would be paid for their years of service. Every teacher who was recruited by the Board of Education has at least five years teaching experience. Therefore, no teacher expected to be get a salary of less than $34,463. Those who worked for ten years expected to get at least $46,885 annually. Of course, teachers who have a Master's degree and at least five years experience were expecting no less than $38,598.
This was not to be. All teachers were told that they would be receiving the base salary of $31,910 regardless of their years of service or degrees earned. True, this was the figure on their immigration forms completed by the Board of Education of New York City but the teachers thought that as soon as they entered the United States of America this would be sorted out. Instead, the woes increased.
As if the low salary was not enough to baffle with, teachers were placed in jobs in boroughs for which they were not recruited. Elementary school teachers with seven years experience teaching Grade Six students in the Caribbean were told to teach nursery rhymes to kindergarten students. An accomplished Secondary School English teacher was given the task of preparing middle school students to pass the state-wide Math examination.
Many teachers teach one to two hours away from where they reside. That is, they suffer the trauma of being underground, in the subway, for at least three hours per day. Many Americans shy away from the subway at a threatening time as this. But, how else are these teachers going to get to work on time and they don't have cars? If this is not a recipe for frustration then what else is? I guess there is one more thing the Board of Education could do to stress Caribbean teachers.
In seeking to boost the teachers' unexpectedly low salaries, the Board of Education let teachers sign to be exempted from certain taxes. Because of their status in the United States, teachers are exempted from paying Medicare and Social Security. Have they been paying those taxes anyway? Yes. Some teachers have received five pay paycheques since September and are still paying Medicare and Social Security. They also pay federal tax which amounts to approximately $350 per month. These are just a few of the issues Caribbean teachers are faced with and are still scoring big points with the Board of Education whose chancellor praised them for the work they have been doing in the classroom. Will their concerns be addressed? Maybe, that is, if or when bin Laden is found, as this seems to be the primary focus of the government at this time.
I am etc.,
LINTON
rappalinton@aol.com
Brooklyn, New York
Via Go-Jamaica
