Take that! :)

Some people have told me that if I don't like working in the public sector, I should switch to private. Anybody who knows me has heard me say that I LOVE what I do way before this whole attack on public workers. Kay, I have heard you do the same. We have pride in what we do. We provide a service, and we all know that if you want good services you have to pay for them. If you don't like the service, you complain. All this hoo-hah sounds like complaining to me, and it is hard not to take it personally.

I teach and mentor 123 teenagers per day. When they are absent, I get them caught up (whether they were sick or gone on family vacations); when they are having problems, I listen and encourage them to see the counselor; I give out band-aids, even at the high school level; I give career advice and much more. Sometimes I spend my own money on class projects, and this week I spent 15 hours beyond class time grading papers and planning lessons; sometimes it is more than that.

I am NOT complaining but defending what I do because I have been attacked. People wonder why we are rallying? It's because we feel disrespected and blamed for something we did not cause in the first place. Am I perfect at what I do? Absolutely not. Every year I try to get better. I've got my master's and every summer take a class or workshop to try to get better. So, all you critics out there who think I'm an overpaid whiner: if you are so envious of what I do, come do it and stop punching me in the stomach.

It's time to stop attacking each other and work together.

It's Only Rights

Recently, there has been much unrest in our state and our community due to the sudden introduction of Gov. Walker’s controversial budget bill. We can’t let it divide our community.

We all live in Wisconsin; we all pay taxes; and we all want a good standard of living and hope for a better future.

Upon thinking the situation over and listening to all the talking heads on both sides, the one thing that seems to surface repeatedly is fairness. We all get disgusted with the Wall Street bankers; we don’t like it when we have to pay for something and someone else does not. We are being pitted against one another in this political controversy, and that gets us nowhere.

Unfortunately, this has turned into a private sector versus public sector battle, but we need to realize that we need each other. If public employees don’t have money to spend in the community, the private sector loses, too. I have an uncle who worked for a private company in Wisconsin and belonged to a union. He is now comfortably and happily retired thanks to the work their unions did for him. He agreed that good pay and working conditions attract better workers. He, as well as my brother who owned a business in Madison, voted for Walker so he would balance the budget. Neither had any intention of voting for union busting.

When I asked my uncle if he would have given up his bargaining rights, he answered a vehement: “No---never!” Both my brother and uncle said they would call their representatives tomorrow and tell them to vote no to the bill. The middle class needs to fight for this, or there will no longer be one. Nurses, snowplow drivers, sewer workers, police, postal workers, military personnel, firefighters, teachers, etc. are all rallying in Madison to preserve the rights of the middle class. These people may be you, your family or your neighbors.

We are all in this together. Don’t let this controversial bill pit us against each other. Please write emails and call your legislators throughout the state and voice your opinion today. They work for us, both private and public employees of the middle class.

Letter to P'ville Journal 2/20

Editor,

The faculty and staff of the Platteville School District would like to thank the parents and community for their support and understanding as we struggle to uphold our commitment to our students and our profession. Many of you have expressed your support directly and through your children. Again, thank you.

We are doing our best to come to school and do our jobs as teachers, counselors, secretaries, librarians, cooks, aides, custodians, coaches, advisors, and mentors while our minds and hearts feel the pull of duty to support our fellow Wisconsin educators in Madison who are rallying to preserve the long-standing quality of education for the students of Wisconsin. As you may know, many of us have taken personal days and spent our evenings and week-end making the trip to the capitol. We strongly believe this is necessary to uphold the quality of education in our state and our community.

Education and children are our priority; we work in the schools because we know these young people are our future. We teach them to stand up for themselves when they truly believe in a cause, and we are now modeling that behavior.

Platteville has always stood up for education; we are not going to sit down now. We would appreciate your continued support.

With sincere appreciation,

Mark Ludlum, President

Platteville Public School Educators and Staff