The benefits are beyond listing. In Pontiac I had a classroom with questionable heat, no air conditioning and three different active leaks in the ceiling. In Northville I have heat on demand, air conditioning that always works and not so much as a single water stain on a ceiling tile. In Pontiac we had class "pets", a couple of mice who every once in awhile would show themselves but mostly we just saw evidence of their presence. In Northville one school has a large iguana living in the hall and the other has an animal room complete with several snakes, a couple of birds, rabbits and I don't know what all else. In Pontiac my tables and chairs didn't match, half were so broken we couldn't use them and I obtained them by "stealing" them from other classrooms when no one was looking. In Northville I asked for some extra chairs and they arrived fifteen minutes later with an apology because one of them was a different color. The vice-principal then declared three of the desks to be "broken" and had them replaced within the hour (I still don't know what was wrong with them). To get to school in Pontiac I drove for an hour and to get home took 90-120 minutes, requiring a tank of gas a week. My commute to Northville is 15 minutes each way, 10 minutes between schools, and three weeks later I'm still driving on the same tank of gas. In Pontiac I was cussed out almost daily, witnessed some form of physical assault at least once a week and had to remember which student was in which gang to try and prevent fighting in my classroom. In Northville I was consulted on a serious discipline matter: a student liked to talk in class, to himself, not bothering anyone else. I could go on, but I think you get the idea: I'm not in Kansas anymore.
So why, with all of these good things, am I feeling at all conflicted about the change? Yes, some of it is missing my co-workers; my fellow teachers and principal in Pontiac were the best I've ever worked with and I love them, but there is something much deeper. Simply put--I know the realities of inner-city schools and I know how desperately those kids need good teachers. Am I the only good teacher in the world? Of course not. Was I the only good teacher in Pontiac? Absolutely not! Will they be able to fill my position with a good teacher? Possibly. I say possibly because I know first hand the sacrifices inner-city teachers make and the toll that it takes on you physically, mentally and emotionally. It's why those schools are usually revolving doors of new and inexperienced teachers---people who can't get a job anywhere else or are attracted by the higher starting salary (STARTING--there are no raises and it's much lower for teachers with experience) straight out of college take positions and often don't last. We used to joke about how if the newbies made it to Thanksgiving we'd think about learning their names, Christmas we'd consider learning their first name---the sad thing is there are almost more teachers whose names I don't know then those I do. It takes a person with some very specific skills and attitudes to successfully teach in the inner-city. This doesn't make those teachers better or worse, just different and hard to find. It is the most challenging thing I've ever done and the most rewarding. It gets in your blood and the people get under your skin--straight into your heart.
So while I had good reason to leave the inner-city, I gratefully recognize all of the benefits this decision has brought to my life and I don't regret the decision, a part of me still feels as if I have abandoned my post in some way. Many would say I "did my time" or I "did my part" or I "earned" the right to leave; I don't see it that way. I see the time I spent in inner-city schools as a privilege and a time to grow, serve and learn to love. I challenge you today--find an inner-city teacher go and take a moment to thank them and then give them a hug---or better yet a ream of paper and box of pencils, I am willing to bet my fancy new matching chairs and unbroken desks that his/her students didn't have either when they came to class today and that teacher had to buy them out of his/her own pocket.