Originally Posted by
DetroitTeacher
I take exception to your statement. I AM in the business of educating kids...all kids. I put more of MY money into my classroom than DPS does, with the extras that I purchase [[novels, paper, pens, etc). I see no city resident donating anything to my classroom nor do I see many parents who make sure their kids have supplies needed for class. I am supposed to supply their children with the tools they need to do classwork. One parent told me not to assign so much work and I wouldn't need to supply so much stuff! REALLY?
I grew up in the city because of the residency requirements of the firefighters. Dad lived and worked in the city. When residency went out, we left. He ALWAYS put his heart and soul into his job to protect the city and his fellow co-workers, even when he didn't live in the city. He lost good friends to the job [[who died protecting the city and its residents). He later opened a business in the city, after he retired from the DFD. Living or not living in the city doesn't mean that you are going to protect it and its residents any more or less. I probably teach harder in the city and face many more issues than I would if I taught in the suburbs. I didn't even apply anywhere else, I always knew I wanted to give back to the community in which I grew up. Living in the city has nothing to do with my dedication to my students. I do, however, want to be safe and not have my stuff stolen and broken into...one teacher I know had her house [[in the city) broken into 5 times in a month and was forced to walk away from her house because never once did the police show up, despite the alarm being sounded on her house. She was afraid that someone would break in when she was home and kill her. I also like to have my trash picked up and I have no desire to live next to a vacant, burned out house with trash strewn about. I live right on the border of the city, though, close to the neighborhood where I grew up. Maybe, just maybe, if the city offered a little more to its residents, I would move back.
My childhood home was recently in foreclosure and was up for sale and I did think about buying it but then thought of all I would be giving up by moving back: higher insurance for my car, lack of city services [[my streets get plowed in the winter, garbage is picked up), police who are here in 2 minutes or less, fire department with WORKING equipment, ambulance service that is responsive and quick about it, I don't hear gunshots, I can leave my windows open at night and not worry about an intruder, parks that are clean and safe [[have you seen Rouge Park after a weekend? it's atrocious...does no one take trash bags and dispose of their own trash anymore??), ordinance codes that require my neighbors to cut their lawn and keep a clean environment and they are enforced...[[and yes, we all agree to abide by those codes if we want to live here), no stray dogs creeping about and holding me prisoner and if there are, animal control is here in about 10 minutes[[happened to a teacher who couldn't leave her house because of a stray pitbull that refused to leave her front yard and was viciously barking at her), and I could go on and on.