In regard to the teacher contract troubles in Auburn, I believe teachers deserve much better. They are underappreciated and underpaid.

Think of the requirements. They are required to have bachelor degrees in education, take national teaching exams, go through a demanding two-year probationary period, set yearly professional goals and engage in continuing education for the duration of their profession in order to maintain certification.

On a daily basis, their job is highly demanding and very stressful.

Their measly salaries are based on a specified number of hours per day for a specified number of days per year in school. They then spend hours upon hours regularly outside of school on their personal time, researching, planning, preparing, correcting, etc., because they do not have remotely enough time at school to accomplish what they need to in order to do their jobs. Then administration officials keep piling more and more on without additional compensation. They literally behave as if they own all teachers’ time, that it’s theirs to determine, at will, how much will be spent professionally and how much will be left over.

What other profession expects that and more, especially for such low pay?

Shame on Tom Morrill and administrators for calling teachers unprofessional simply because they are entering and leaving the building according to their contract hours during this time. Shame on them all for taking advantage of these wonderful people the way they routinely do.

Pete Letourneau, Lewiston