In West Virginia, the Politicians Fail, and the Teachers Rise
- 6 years ago
In West Virginia, the Politicians Fail, and the Teachers Rise
On Friday, our state legislators refused to take action on a bill
that would, over time, give West Virginia teachers a proposed 5 percent raise, and so the statewide work stoppage continued for a seventh day, with 250,000 students out from school as a result.
And now we see it in education, where teachers, the single most valuable resource available to children in this state, and therefore the most powerful influence in guiding us toward a prosperous future, were presented with a health insurance plan
that amounted to a pay cut, all while senators, who receive hefty checks from gas and energy companies, could have funded education needs had they passed a modest tax increase on these companies.
As students remain at home, and families struggle to find alternative forms of child care, teachers have to trust
that West Virginians will do what West Virginians do best; lean on each other.
It is rooted in a history of West Virginia politicians putting the interests of outsiders looking to
make a quick buck off the state’s beautiful land before the needs of the people who live on it.
That’s why when James C. Justice, our Republican governor, announced Tuesday
that he had reached an agreement with union leaders and told teachers to go back to work, with nothing more than a good-faith handshake, those on the ground thought better of it.
It’s easy to feel like West Virginia’s teachers are gaining national momentum when the state’s name has appeared in national headlines this week.
We’ve seen it in flimsy safety and environmental regulations, which have resulted in the deaths of countless miners, and in the chemical spills
that have plagued surrounding populations, leaving citizens without drinking water and living on poisoned land.
On Friday, our state legislators refused to take action on a bill
that would, over time, give West Virginia teachers a proposed 5 percent raise, and so the statewide work stoppage continued for a seventh day, with 250,000 students out from school as a result.
And now we see it in education, where teachers, the single most valuable resource available to children in this state, and therefore the most powerful influence in guiding us toward a prosperous future, were presented with a health insurance plan
that amounted to a pay cut, all while senators, who receive hefty checks from gas and energy companies, could have funded education needs had they passed a modest tax increase on these companies.
As students remain at home, and families struggle to find alternative forms of child care, teachers have to trust
that West Virginians will do what West Virginians do best; lean on each other.
It is rooted in a history of West Virginia politicians putting the interests of outsiders looking to
make a quick buck off the state’s beautiful land before the needs of the people who live on it.
That’s why when James C. Justice, our Republican governor, announced Tuesday
that he had reached an agreement with union leaders and told teachers to go back to work, with nothing more than a good-faith handshake, those on the ground thought better of it.
It’s easy to feel like West Virginia’s teachers are gaining national momentum when the state’s name has appeared in national headlines this week.
We’ve seen it in flimsy safety and environmental regulations, which have resulted in the deaths of countless miners, and in the chemical spills
that have plagued surrounding populations, leaving citizens without drinking water and living on poisoned land.