Five Words I Won't Say on the School Board

KELO ran a story Monday quoting Baltic teacher Tara Melmer on the Legislature's 3% increase in education funding. She said (among other things), “At this point any thing's good and we'll take anything. However it’s so minimal that to some degree it’s almost a slap in the face.” Her quote takes on added significance considering her dad is State Education Secretary Rick Melmer.

Fred Deutsch, school board member in Dr. Melmer's old stomping grounds of Watertown, also found Tara Melmer's comments significant... significantly whiny:

Seems to me everyone needs to stop whining. And Tara, how about keeping your opinions to yourself until your dad’s no longer serving in the administration? With respect, your comments only serve to fan the flame, and do little to help education move forward. I don’t see the 3% increase to education as a slap in the face! Rather it’s a political compromise of a legislature that’s busting their rumps to solve a very difficult problem. Too much rhetoric, not enough reality [Fred Deutsch, "Stop Whining!" School-of-Thought, 2008.03.05].

Keep your opinions to yourself... there are five words we should never hear from a school board member. Characterize Tara Melmer's comments as whining and rhetoric, a just stand for decent wages, or whatever you like. You're entitled to your opinions, and so are teachers. More importantly, teachers are entitled not just to have their opinions but to express them, just like every other citizen. Or at least that's what they tell us to teach our kids in our classrooms.

Now maybe Mr. Deutsch's comment isn't a blanket request for a gag rule on all teachers on all public policy issues. Perhaps Mr. Deutsch sees a not a professional but a familial obligation for the younger Melmer (the one actually working in the classroom every day with kids for 51st-in-the-nation wages) not to make her dad's job any harder. But doesn't Ms. Melmer have an obligation to her colleagues to fight for decent wages as well? And isn't Ms. Melmer entitled to make her own decision about balancing her obligations?

Keep your opinions to yourself... Maybe expressing opinions does "fan the flame." But maybe teachers need to fan that flame to get anything done. If teachers stay silent, our Legislature may continue "busting their rumps" on such fringe issues as sonograms, guns on campus, and roadkill and putting off education until the final days of the session. Evidently keeping quiet and doing good work isn't enough to get a decent raise; the next logical step is to follow Ms. Melmer's lead and turn up the political heat. Speak up now, teachers, and vote your pocketbook in November.

Keep your opinions to yourself... Perhaps we see here one of the reasons wages are so low for our teachers and for pretty much every South Dakota worker. Our Midwestern ethos instructs us to take what we're given, work hard, and not gripe. When someone works up the courage to speak up publicly and ask for better treatment, that person gets branded a whiner.

Keep your opinions to yourself... I guarantee, you put me on the Madison Central School Board, and you will never hear me say those five words to a teacher, a student, or anyone else. Tara Melmer is simply exercising her right (and responsibility!) to enter her words in the public discourse, and she has the guts to put her name and face to her words. Keep it up, Tara!

(And fellow teachers, feel free to send Tara a little love with a comment or two here -- teachers need to stick together!)