Dear Source,
I thought you would like to know that ALL teachers are receiving copies of the Temporary Restraining Order issued against AFT Local 1825, from the government of the VI and Department of Education. This is a TEN page document, issued to EVERY SINGLE TEACHER IN THE TERRITORY.
Can you imagine how much paper that used? How much toner for photocopiers? Or ink for printing? Not to mention how much labor for printing, collating, stapling, and getting copies delivered to the schools in a government-paid-for-plus-gas vehicle?
And the government wonders why teachers are protesting?
How can the government justify this when teachers at Charlotte Amalie High School had to charge students money so they could buy paper to photocopy exams?
When schools are collecting money to buy toner for the photocopy machines? When Xerox won't sell a school department toner or cartridges unless the teacher puts it on her personal credit card, because the government owes Xerox so much money?
What a monumental waste of taxpayers' money – and a waste of resources that could be put to educational use.
But once again the BENEFIT of the teachers and students is ignored while teachers are blamed for students not learning.
We are told we don't have the students' interests at heart when we protest for one day.
Then Education issues restraining orders against us and doesn't pay us when we speak out, and then wastes the valuable resources we could have put to use.
Phebe Schwartz, St. Thomas
