I woke up at 5:30am this morning with knots in my stomach. Reality hits me in the face every day as I get up and put my red shirt on and report to my picketing station while crossing my fingers that today is the day we will reach agreement and I will get to be back in my classroom soon. I am surrounded by turmoil all day and then I get home and my kids are wondering why I'm gone so much and why I'm on social media talking to people all the time. They don't fully understand the significance of the stand we are taking, or why I would want to educate people in our community about why we are doing what we are doing.
But with all the stress Pasco teachers are under and all the truth that has come out about our district, people have to wonder, why do we stay? Why not go to Kennewick or Richland? I know principals in both districts and have the qualifications needed. Why not go? Are we all just gluttons for punishment? Does Pasco just attract "bad" teachers that can't get hired anywhere else?
In the spirit of David Letterman, here are my
Top 10 Reasons I Can't Quit Pasco
10. Pasco has THE BEST authentic Mexican food. Have you been to La Fama or El Sazon? Try it. It's life changing.
9. Dust Devils play at the TRAC in Pasco. Russell Wilson was a Dust Devil. I love the Sea Hawks, therefore I love Pasco.
8. The traffic on Road 68 still pales in comparison to 5 o'clock G Way traffic.
7. It's easy to get to the airport.
6. I like football and I like winning. #Riverhawks #WeAreChiawana
5. I like money. We bought a house with a little over 2000 square feet and I know the same house would sell in Richland for at least 20k more. My parents raised me on a budget and I love a good deal. No way could I pay more than something is worth just for the name brand or label, unless I believed it was truly a better item, which I don't. We have five kids who all go to Pasco schools and three of them will be at the school I'm teaching at this year. Plus also when you do unpermitted work on your house it is harder to sell so we aren't going anywhere.
4. Pasco has some things to brag about... Did you know some of our schools have better test scores than some Richland schools? Did you know we actually have higher graduation rates in Pasco? Did you know Pasco has four STEM elementary schools and they are the only ones in Tri Cities? Did you know many Pasco graduates leave school speaking two languages fluently? We are doing more right than wrong.
3. These are my people. I was raised by a field worker and factory worker. My parents went to school as adults to become a land lord and preschool teacher. They worked hard, and continue to do so everyday of their lives. I got free lunch when I was in school but the rest of what we had my parents worked their butts off for. That is ingrained in me. I'm a teacher, my husband works in IT, we are middle class. My kids wear hand me downs. They didn't all get new shoes for school this year. Pasco is filled with people like me. People who work hard and are proud of what they have.
2. Diversity. There is no better place to be a half Mexican with half Mexican kids married to a borderline albino man and his blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids. There are so many Hispanic people with Caucasian last names and Caucasian people with Hispanic last names. Diversity is applauded here. Plus if you need a pinata, party supplies, or a reasonably priced formal gown, downtown Pasco has you covered.
1. The most important reason... We, as educators, have a responsibility to the parents. Now that the truth is known and we have parents' attention we owe them to see this thing through. We have all heard the complaints and whispering. We know our district is labeled and seen as "failing." We are standing in agreement and saying "Yes, there is work to be done," With integrity, we now owe it to the parents to fix what we are pointing out as broken. I cannot "quit Pasco" knowing I have made this commitment to the parents and community that I call home.
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