I can only be the only candidate for an election like his original job. I love teaching and I want me I don’t have to leave the class. But increasing demands and frequent expenditure power inspires many teachers who are not in the profession. I am running to be the next president of Boston teachers. I wanted to help the right ship, and then sail back to my port at Boston Latin Academy.
I never tried to be a teacher. My goal is to become a lawyer and maybe the governor of the coming day. I am double in the science of political and classics (both Latin and ancient Greek). Such a combination will surely give me the entry of a competitive law school. Maybe this, if I don’t find that teaching.
In 1994 a Boston Latin Academy teacher decided to expand his maternity leave. School requires a substitute teacher for the last part of the year. I need a job. So my former Latin teacher calls me (texting hasn’t been invented) to ask if I’m interested. If you saw the movie “Opus by Mr. Holland,” then you know my story: Latin instead of music.
In the past 31 years I have taught Latin and ancient Greeks in the usual year; I taught Latin, English, and Algebra in Summer School, and I taught students who were very sick of schooling. There is no better job than helping a young person find the world.
Unfortunately Rent, Loan, Grocery Bills, Student Debt, Utility Supplies, and car payments await us to come from work from work. “Remembering my why” didn’t raise a family, nor a 2% raise.
Within previous three contracts the average residency adjustment costs near 2.5% per year. Such a lovely wage, it’s like low fat milk.
Two contracts later we also gained an additional 1.5% for the reception of the district involvement model. As a parent and a teacher I favors the inconsistency given to the teachers to take the time to meet the students’ needs and residence. The sad fact is that under this model we don’t have to be time. The consequences are overweight and adults, and unknown students. I warned about these results when I voted against that contract – urging that we didn’t hurry to include, but make sure it was doing right.
It gets worse. We have some district schools on what we call long time learning (ELT). Elt should be developing (art, movement, etc.) but in many schools the time was added to academics. Many academics as a good idea, but kindergartenterneriers and elementary schools cannot – and don’t need – sit still. Time to withdraw now is at the time of rushing to many schools. Young students don’t have to sit in traffic an hour at the end of a day day. We can and should be done.
Someone has to give. So I’m ready to leave the classroom to become BTU president to improve our working conditions so other teachers do not feel forced to leave the profession.
My goal is simple: Teachers should pay for all the works they do. Misogyny is a big problem in our profession. (See my March 17, 2025 op-ed). Every teacher you learned takes home papers to straighten at night and make lesson plans at the end of the week, all free. This is not the best way to appreciate teachers. In contrast to public opinion we do not pay for summer or vacations – we are given a time contractual time for a specified amount of time – those filed on school day.
Attracting and maintaining a corps of alternate teachers is important. God bless the alternatives; Their service is required and valued. We only need twice or thrice too much. Perhaps better pay can help?
Each school should have dedicated, licensed, and fully paid professionals to be measured without a partner. Teaching, of 80% woman, deserves the same treatment and respect as other professions are more likely to be dominated by men.
Don’t make mistakes, we’re in a crisis today. Schools do not have enough replacement – some days students replace 3 in 7 classes. I suggest we now work graduate students in education schools to make alternatives immediately. This is a Win-Win: BPS starts, graduate students get experience.
Our students really need field trips. Learning about the world from books or computer screens like enjoying a meal only by reading the menu. To enhance multiple field trips, we need more alternate teachers, more funds, and dedicated transportation.
Some days all we retire (if we don’t always stop at first). If we do this, we are actually in a fixed income. Since teachers are about 80% women, retired women live longer and thus require cost of living changes. Like the BTU president, a noble retirement is a priority. Please note that the teachers gather their own retirement.
Finally we need time in our day to make the job. Now we teachers like Lucy Ricardo work in the chocolate factory. The district runs the conveyer belt faster and faster each year. I got 47 minutes a day to plan, organize, grade, photocopy (claiming that students’ owners have not been able to buy the other.
I’ll leave you where I started: Teaching is the best job I don’t know I want to. Should I choose as President of BTUB, I will come back to class after negotiating the next contract. I believe that a leader must work under the same conditions as his service. After all, that’s what we got Air conditioners in schools. Some years ago I challenged the Mayor and Superintendent to turn off their AC until schools have AC. They do not turn themselves, they are grateful that they put ac units in most of our schools.
Michael Maguire taught Latin and ancient Greek at Boston Latin Academy and a candidate for the Boston union teachers. The ideas expressed here itself.
