FLIPSIDE - Good ol' public schools

I met a lady today who was a retired teacher from the Detroit Public School district. She was talking about her bills and how she had to stay ahead of them because as a retiree her money was limited. That's understandable, once you retire, you become a little more frugal with money considering that there is a substantial fall off of income after retirement. This retired teacher's story was a little different.

She had retired, but then had to take on a job as a substitute teacher. She explained that this position made considerably less than she made as a full time teacher, but it was the only way she was going to be able to keep her medical benefits. She went on to tell how the last contract that the teachers signed, didn't allow for the continuing of their health benefits post retirement.

Now she says she is substitute teaching and not only is it making less money, but there is also no income over the summer for the retired DPS teacher. Despite her hardships, though, it remained obvious that she still loved the children of Detroit. Throughout her gripes about how the school system was being ran, she kept going back to one thing and that was how the children are the ones who suffer from the whole mess.

I don't think they make many teachers like that anymore. With hardships and issues of her own, she is still one hundred percent in it for the sake of our children's education. I would love to tell all who reads this, who it is exactly that I speak of, but since we were just having idle conversation, she was obviously unaware that I might write about her the same evening. I will say this, if you are anywhere near Marcus Garvey Academy in Detroit and you mention this story, you may get to meet the spirited retired teacher that inspired this piece. Catch ya' on the FLIPSIDE.