Hello everyone! I recently emailed Mr. Miles, and brought to his attention all of the issues I mentioned in the petition, and even gave him the link so he could look at it himself. It would be inappropriate for me to share his complete response with you (especially with the confidentiality clause used on DISD email as I discovered) however, in summarization the email hinted that I am uninformed, and did not understand the complexity of teachers’ salaries. For whatever reason, it seems the other issues I mentioned plague our district were overlooked in this initial correspondence. Below is my response to his email: “Mr. Miles, As per your email response to me yesterday, I acknowledged your suggestion and decided to educate myself additionally on the facts you stated to me in your last email. According to the Dallas Morning News, the average pay this year for DISD teachers is $52,806, and even with the 3% raise they received over the summer, DISD teacher’s salaries are still lower today than they were 4 years ago. I discovered that while we, as you stated, have one of the highest average pay for teachers, DISD has by far one of the lowest starting salaries for teachers in all of North Texas. Also, at the end of your first year, there were more than 1,700 DISD vacancies, double the average vacancies that DISD had seen in previous years. Although DISD may have a high competitive salary for its teachers, that’s only because of the large number of veteran teachers that retired after you were hired. And even with this decrease in employees, DISD still has the one of the lowest starting salaries in all of North Texas. The Dallas Morning News recently quoted you as saying, “We want our principals and executive directors to have the most competitive salaries in North Texas, and we are moving in the same direction for teachers. We have a lot of work to do as school district, and I have very high expectations for every member of our staff, particularly those in leadership roles. They routinely work long hours and are on call 24 hours a day.” Interestingly enough, I think almost every teacher would agree they are on call 24 hours a day. Teaching is by no means a 9-5 job. Grading papers late into the night and showing up to school for early morning meetings would make their day seem more like a 7:30am-10pm kind of a job, wouldn’t you agree? And while no one would disagree that being a principal or executive director is not a taxing leadership role, teaching is the first profession that comes to my mind when I think of a “leadership role.” Teachers lead/educate 150+ students daily, as well as stepping in and providing emotional support and structure to already vulnerable students. And this is on top of the already stringent regulations you have burdened them with. I do not wish to fixate on DISD’s interesting “range” of salaries, as that was only one of the many issues I brought up in my petition. Almost immediately after you became superintendent, reassignments and unfair terminations, and mass retirements became the norm with even my main mentors leaving the district. The teacher to student ratio is larger and larger, with many TEA waivers requested, and there is less one-on-one time in the classroom, a time I had grown to cherish. Now, teachers are becoming discouraged. They would not dare say anything to us students, but I keep up with the news enough to know about the heavy-handed changes you have made. Our classroom environment has become incredibly anxious, and students stress levels have at a minimum doubled with the knowledge that how we perform on standardized tests will decide how much our teachers are paid. Also, mandatory DOL’s and in-depth lesson plans are taking up teachers already valuable time, which was previously spent tutoring students one-on-one, or creating CREATIVE lesson plans. Instead, they are forced to make lesson plans that fit the mold you gave them so students can pass your unnecessary standardized tests. And with all of this, I would have to respectfully disagree with the email you previously sent me. I may not be the most qualified adult/person on this topic, but I feel that I had (and now even more so) educated myself an acceptable amount. And should you still disagree with that statement, I have over 1,400 people that are already showing their support on this pressing issue. Many of the petition participants include retired teachers from DISD, as well as other national school districts. Again, it is my desire is to have an open discussion with you and other board members in a public forum. I would also add that you not request questions in advance. I would like to see you answer on the spot if your methods are proven as you would have us believe. It is my hope that you will give consideration to my humble request. As a concerned student, I hope that we can come to a mutually beneficial understanding designed with teachers, students and your success as a superintendent alike. Thank you in advance for your time.” I am not willing to back down from this injustice without our voices being heard. My fearless and persistent spirit is the aftermath of countless amazing teachers. The determination they have instilled in me is what’s driving me forward in the countless uphill battles I have ahead of me.. including this one. On a positive note - I have contacted all of the school board trustees, and have gotten a few responses back. I am currently setting up a meeting with two of them, and intend to bring to light all of the problems Mike Miles has caused the district. I will keep all of you updated. I can’t thank you enough for standing behind me on this issue. I have felt a large sense of community throughout the past 2 weeks, and I know if we all stand together, we can make a difference.