A petition for teachers

Hey old friends, new friends, and all you weirdos out
there! This is a very important issue I want to
discuss with you guys so please, PLEASE read the whole
email!!

If you are a registered voter please read, if you
are NOT a registered voter please read and go out and
register to vote!

As many of you know, I have chosen the life of a
pauper in order to educate our future. Um, I'm a
teacher, duh! Unfortunately Gov. Arnold doesn't give
a shit about us teachers because of all the bullshit
initiatives he's trying to pass. He's masking it to
sound like these initiatives will help the kids. I
don't think so! Ask yourself, how do these kids
succeed? A major factor are the teachers and the
governor is trying to screw us over! Please, please,
PLEASE do not vote for any intiative that this guy
tries to pass. Here are the reasons why:

1. If he eliminates Prop 98, which he said he
wouldn't, that will take away $20,000 per classroom.
Considering how many schools there are in Cali, that's
a shitload of $$ he's gaining!

2. He's trying to rid teachers of their pension plan
and put in place a plan that doesn't guarantee us a
retirement. Sucks-ass, doesn't it?

3. He wants teachers to be paid based on merit. What
he means by merit is how high the test scores are. He
fails to remember that standardized tests are bias and
racist and he doesn't factor in that no matter how
hard a teacher works to try and get the kids to
understand this shit, we have NO CONTROL over poor
families, abusive parents, neglectful parents, kids
with learning disabilities, kids that just came from
other countries, and the fact that we don't have
enough money for resources to work with because he
took it all!

4. He doesn't want us protected by the union.
Basically, he doesn't want our rights to be
protected!!!

5. He wants to prohibit districts from collecting
union dues, which will in turn take away the teachers'
voices on educational issues and yet who knows best
then the educators?????!!!!

For those of you who see me regularly, you know how
difficult, time-consuming, and $$ draining teaching
can be. If he gets these initiatives passed I, along
with all my co-workers and many of my friends, will be
completely screwed.

Is it really my fault if my student, who can't
speak an ounce of English, does not do well on the
tests that are all in English? Is it my fault that
some of my students come to school hungry or their mom
just lie in bed neglecting them instead of helping
them with their homework? Hell no!! So why should I
be held accountable for these test scores?!?! I'm
doing the best that I can on a cheap-ass salary and
now Arnold wants to make it even more difficult. I've
never felt this strongly about something before and I
ask that you vote against any educational initiative
that this lying asshole puts on you. If you vote for
these intiatives, you are voting against ME and
putting ME out of house and home. I don't mean to
sound harsh but that is reality. Please send this to
all your friends and family. This means A LOT to me!
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Your
support would be greatly appreciated and loved!! If
you would like the specific names of these initiatives
so you know what you're voting against, I'll be happy
to send them to you!!