Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 28, 1994 TAG: 9412280076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
No longer can a teacher be just a teacher.
That's one reason that Roanoke's teachers want higher salaries and changes in the working environment in schools.
In urban school systems, the job of a teacher has expanded, said Mercedes James, president of the Roanoke Education Association.
A teacher has to be a mediator, counselor, referee, truant officer, psychologist, negotiator, ringmaster and advocate, she said.
``We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, find homes for the homeless, provide counseling for those in despair, repair damaged relationships and do many other things,'' James told the School Board recently.
In urban school systems such as Roanoke, there is a greater threat of violence, a high rate of teen-age pregnancies, a high dropout rate and many other societal ills, she said.
Roanoke's teachers say they face much more stress than their counterparts in Salem and Roanoke County, yet their salaries are lower. Roanoke's average salary is $33,722, nearly $2,000 below Salem's average and about $500 below Roanoke County's.
James said that few, if any, teachers in nearby localities would want to trade places with Roanoke's teachers because of the lower salaries and the higher stress.
The teachers' organization also has complained that the School Board has ignored its concerns .
``Many of our teachers feel that not only don't you listen, but that you don't really care,'' James said.
Board members said they care about the teachers. But school administrators said there isn't enough money to give teachers more than the average 4.2 percent raise proposed for next year.
Gary Stultz, executive vice president of the Roanoke Education Association, said the teachers' group favors a 4 percent across-the-board raise for everyone instead of the average of 4.2 percent. Under Superintendent Wayne Harris' proposal, some teachers would receive less than the average.
School Board member Don Poff persuaded the board to authorize a survey of teachers to determine their morale and attitudes on salaries and other issues.
``I think we need to find out what things are not working,'' Poff said. ``We need to know what the people in the trenches are thinking.''
James said some teachers are so burdened that they are unable to take a one-hour, off-premises lunch break.
``Many times, we aren't able to take a 25-minute, duty-free lunch,'' she said.
James said board members can't fully understand the conditions in schools until they talk with teachers.
``No one can tell you better what goes on in a classroom than a classroom teacher and those who work in support positions,'' she said.
``I hear the stories of fights that break out simply because there are too many students in one class at one time. I hear the stories of students being intimidated and threatened.''
Students can't learn when there are external forces blocking out the messages that teachers are trying to send, James said.
Gary Waldo, executive director of the Roanoke Education Association, said some anxiety and fear is left over from the years when Frank Tota was superintendent.
Harris has tried to remove the anxiety, but Waldo said some teachers still are apprehensive.
Teachers need reassurance from school administrators that their work is appreciated, and a raise is one way to reflect that, Waldo said.
James said teachers need a boost in spirits. She urged the board to work cooperatively with the teachers to resolve the salary increase issue and others.
``The last thing our children need is for us to not be able to exchange ideas and solutions,'' he said.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***