Teachers and the new budget cut (373)

Imagine that you’re working at your part time job on a weekend and your boss asks to you to work another shift. But the catch is that you don’t get paid and if you say no then you are fired. Teachers technically get paid 7:30 to 3:30 every day and with 30 extra students there will be 30 more of each assignments to grade.

                This is how one of my teachers explained their view on the new seven period schedule next year.

 Instead of thinking about how it is only impacting students, some often forget that the load put on teachers is gaining also. Teachers face longer hours (more students means longer hours grading), a shorter prep period (even though there is an extra class to prep for), and some even facing unemployment. This seven day period is our districts way of saving money by cutting teachers.

To try to have a voice for our students, a group of high school kids from our district (including 21 Kennedy students) ventured to Des Moines to speak to representatives about changing our funding. They came back humiliated. They were led on a tour around the capitol that they weren’t even there for and in all only got about 40 minutes to talk to people. From what the people who said that went, the representatives pretty much didn’t care at all. Of course they got tons of pictures with the kids though to show that they care, right? 
I don't think the governor really thinks about how this is going to impact teachers. More kids means more supplies and teachers can barely afford the supplies that they provide with their own money let alone for 30 more kids. Each year we have to bring in tissue boxes just to have enough to get through the year because we don't have enough money.
How are teachers with kids supposed to tell their children that they got laid off because the state of Iowa doesn't care enough about education? What if this budget cut limits the amount of passion and success a student gets to show because they are taught that education is not important enough to be funded by our own state.
Wouldn't that be a shame.