As an educator for 10 years, I must voice disgust to the teachers of Bellevue. We, as aspiring teachers in college were all told by our professors, multiple times, “if you decide to become an educator, you will have decided to live broke as well as under appreciated. If that’s not for you, then the engineering, medical and law schools are on the other side of campus.”

As soon as we, at 21 and 22 years of age, walked into our respective classrooms and bandrooms to begin our careers, it no longer became about us or our feelings about what is fair or not. It became solely about our students whom we are responsible for.

We all were hired to instill dreams, inspiration and the knowledge to help them choose and develop what they want out of their adulthood. We already have made our life’s choices, so we must live with our choices, and love it. We could have done anything we wanted people, but we chose teaching.

To see teachers talking about walking a picket line, when I made $19,500 my first year as Mr. Peoples, in 1998, not 1968, living with my new wife and new baby in the same apartment I did as a college junior and senior, makes me think the “unfairness” these so-called educators claim has nothing to do with the school or state board.

Instead, why don’t we all put down our credit cards, get rid of the gas guzzling SUVs, believe in the power of a coupon and live in a more affordable lifestyle? A lifestyle more conducive to our salaries, not to our ego’s.

I live very comfortably with my wife and, industry standard, three kids. We have, along with our mortgage, minimal family incurred debt now and will be able to retire with not a worry, except which exit to take in the Winnebago to get to the Stuckey’s for the collective state spoon. And stuff for the grandkids.

This is just on two high school teachers salaries. It can be done. With time, patience and a stingy wife who’d rather walk a trail than go to Vegas, you’ll never wonder about your salary. Just if one of the kids is the next Lebron.

Get back in the classrooms and do your jobs, now! You have done enough damage to our profession with this. Let’s just hope your actions do not translate into “Teaching Sucks” to these kids and steers away wonderful, much needed future educators from considering this profession.

Shame on all of you.

Scott Peoples