Right now is not a good time to be a teacher in the public school system. They want to go with Charter Schools. The pay for Charter Schools starts at $21,500 and caps at $30,000. It took me 5 years to get my degree and I also have my masters. I have been teaching for 6 years and earn $40,800. I work 60 to 80 hours per week. In the summer, I still work about 40. This year, I was told I was 'slated for elementary.' I have been teaching math and science in our middle school for the past 6 years. Now, I don't know where I am working, what grade I'll be teaching, and I found out tonight they are laying off 7 more people. I'm afraid that I don't have a job now. Please pray that I trust God to carry me through this. I know He is in control and I need to trust Him. Thank you, Betsy

work is not going well. I am a teacher and we are under fire from every corner. State coming down with a mandated web-based student achievement test. That's fine. However, their isn't any financial support to make the necessary changes to our technology and so to follow this mandate, teachers have to go...could mean me. But for anyone still in the classroom, it means larger class sizes (30 to 35). At this point, it is no longer teaching, just babysitting. Whether I have a job or not, I know God is in control. My main concern is the students...how are they supposed to learn in this type of environment? Thank you for your prayers...