The recent pay dispute in Durham Public Schools and its aftermath has affected not only district employees, but also Duke University students aspiring to become teachers.
Duke University students pursuing North Carolina teaching licensure through Duke University's Elementary Teacher Preparation Program or Secondary Teacher Preparation Program have a front-row view of local government and collective organizing, and many are I gained deeper insight into the turbulent current state of education. .
“Student teaching during this period was really interesting because you could see it in action.” [that] This is the reality of education,” said senior Jessica Ong, who is completing a semester of student teaching at EK Power Elementary School. She said: “It's not always so clean. Sometimes it gets dirty.”
DPS experienced multiple shutdowns at the beginning of the school year as teachers and other staff went on strike and demonstrated to protest changes to the pay model. On Jan. 12, the district announced it was rescinding windfall raises given to more than 1,300 classified employees, which led to protests.
Ong, a public policy major, also talked about how the recent turmoil in the school district taught her a lesson about the challenges she can face in the workplace and the importance of adapting.
“It taught me a lot…about rallying people around a particular cause, whether it affects you or not,” she said. “Seeing how supportive parents are and how people come together has taught me a lot about the Durham community as a whole.”
Not all students viewed recent events so optimistically. Miranda Straubel, a senior from Durham, said she felt the school board's lack of transparency in recent months had led to mistrust among current and prospective employees, including herself.
“It's hard to look at this and say, 'This looks like a well-run school district, this looks like a school where I would be treated very well as an employee,'” Strobel said.
Straubel, who hopes to become a high school English teacher, completed the requirements for her teaching license last semester and is currently enrolled in a service-learning course. She volunteers at Lakewood Elementary School every week.
At Lakewood, one of the tasks Straubel and Duke service-learning students help with is making sure students separate their lunch waste into trash, recycling, and compost.
Professor Strobel said that while composting and the associated reduction in landfill waste produced by schools is a good thing, much of the burden of making sure students are putting their trash in the correct bins falls on administrative staff. He said there was no additional compensation. additional effort.
Straubel, who is also a substitute teacher with DPS, also spoke about the high number of teacher vacancies throughout the county.
As of October 2023, Durham Public Schools had 87 open positions, but given the recent controversy over staff pay, that number could rise quickly. DPS Executive Director of Talent Acquisition and Employee Recognition Michelle Hayes said in August 2023 that the district plans to hire certified substitute teachers to meet continued demand.
Samantha Bernier, a junior in the Secondary Teacher Preparation Program, is currently completing a teacher observation semester before starting student teaching next semester at Hillside High School. She noted that recent disruptions have limited class time due to school closures, hindering the program's progress.
“We've been getting a lot of cancellations, so it feels like we're going to be delayed a week or two,” Bernier said. “… [The teachers] They are trying to find a way to stay on track and make up for lost days. ”
Still, Bernier remains unwavering and continues to pursue his qualifications.
“I still want to be an educator,” Bernier said.
Get The Chronicle delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. You can cancel at any time.
