Doing more with less

I would never be so snooty to think that the teaching profession is the only one that has problems or has fallen victim to difficult economic times. Every job out there has experienced change and has stress caused by budget shortfalls. But Because I only know about the field of education, that's the only one I feel qualified to speak to. In 25 years, I've seen my share of changes to public schools. Most notably is the reduction in the number of individuals used to staff a school building. Bureaucrats will tell you they merely trimmed the fat. They will tell you schools had far too many staff members and it is a luxury that simply can no longer be afforded. As a teacher I will tell you that's NOT the case. Our school has been cut to a bare bones staff. No teaching assistants (in the past these people have offered tremendous support to all teachers). A part-time nurse, part-time librarian, part-time art, music and gym teachers etc... In short, teachers are now asked to do so much more, but are given far fewer resources than before. Bottom Line- Teachers are now doing more with less. This is not a complaint, but a simple observation and statement of fact. It's just the way life goes. You deal with circumstances as they are thrown at you. However, the big deal is this--- the government still demands results. They put more and more on your plate, give you less support than ever before and threaten punishments and sanctions if you don't deliver. No pressure there, eh?

This picture says it all:

Row faster doggone it!