Letter to Editor: Divide Tax Money Equally Among Teachers & Support Personnel

Submitted by Colleen Bateman, President Washington Parish School Bus Operators Association

I am writing this letter to you, to ask that All citizens of Washington Parish, Please get with your District School Board Member. Ask them to please be in Support of the Tax Money that will be coming in …. Be DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG TEACHERS and SUPPORT PERSONNEL!!!!!

SUPPORT PERSONNEL means exactly what it says. WITHOUT US, the System WOULD NOT WORK!!!!

WITHOUT BUS OPERATORS, the Children would not be Driven to and from school. We are the one constant person in some of our Students lives that is there for them for Thirteen to Fourteen years of their life!! They become Family to us!!!

WITHOUT CAFETERIA WORKERS, Children WOULD NOT GET FED!!!!

WITHOUT CUSTODIANS, Schools WOULD NOT GET CLEANED, SANITIZED, GRASS AND SCHOOL GROUNDS WOULD NOT BE MAINTAINED!!

WITHOUT MAINTENANCE, The AIR CONDITIONERS, HEAT, ETC…. WOULD NOT BE MAINTAINED!!

WITHOUT PARAPROFESSIONALS, The STUDENTS THAT NEED EXTRA HELP TO SUCCEED IN LIFE WOULD’NT GET THE FULL EFFECT OF THE EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE!!!

WITHOUT ALL OFFICE STAFF, THE SYSTEM COULD NOT FUNCTION ON A DAILY BASIS!!!

No, WE DO NOT ALL HAVE DEGREES BUT WE ARE ALL CERTIFIED AND TRAINED YEARLY FOR THE JOBS THAT WE DO AND THE ROLES THAT WE HAVE IN MAKING EDUCATION HAPPEN FOR THE STUDENTS OF LOUISIANA AND WASHINGTON PARISH!!!

THEREFORE THE MONEY SHOULD BE DIVIDED EQUALLY!!!!

WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE OUR TEACHERS!!!! THIS IS NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE IMPORTANT ROLE THEY HAVE IN ALL OF THIS!!! 

BOTTOM LINE IS IT TAKES ALL OF US TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!

THE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE WITH A DEGREE IS ALREADY REFLECTED IN THEIR REGULAR SALARY BEING HIGHER THAN NON DEGREE PERSONNEL…. THIS TAX MONEY IS BEING PAID THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON PARISH BY EVERYONE AND IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT IT GET DIVIDED EQUALLY !!! 

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE UNETHICAL THAT BOARD MEMBERS WITH IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS BEING TEACHERS…. TO VOTE FOR A TEACHER TO GET MORE THAN THE REST OF US THAT ARE JUST AS DESERVING!!! 

I Will End with this…. As the 1st graders of Enon Elementary sang a song (Spread a Little Sunshine) at the last School Board meeting … I am asking that the Community Stand behind SUPPORT PERSONNEL OF WASHINGTON PARISH SYSTEM and REACH OUT TO YOUR BOARD MEMBER AND ASK THEM TO EQUALLY “SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE “ TO US!! PLEASE COME OUT AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO US AT THE OCTOBER 23,  SCHOOL BOARD MEETING !! THANK YOU!!! SPREAD THAT SUNSHINE!!!