why am i even in this profession? its bad enough only making a couple grand more a year than a mcdonalds manager. the student debt from my masters degree actually makes me poorer than a mcdonalds manager. ive never taught at a "normal school", its only been gang intervention/behavior charter schools and now im teaching in a prison. helping the most disadvantaged has its spiritual rewards but being so publicly maligned for it is whats really killing me. fuck man, we need a real social safety net in this country but we cant even give these (lets be honest: poor) people a decent public education. seeing the worst parts of the permanent underclass is killing me. capitalism has its untouchable caste just like those in india. theres no hope from leadership and im struggling to keep my head above water. i feel kicked in the gut. this country is going to hell. i went to a socialist alternative meeting last night and there was a petitioner getting unaware people to sign a petition for "school reform/choice", the nerve of these demons. even most of those interested in SA were unaware of the threat to education that privatization brings. and where are the national unions? how the fuck did they let this happen? why didnt they call for at least a national sick day? why didnt they coordinate with the other unions for a general strike? theyre just as bad and in bed with the education corporations. they cant even poll their members for the democratic primary. we need a new union or something. i dont know enough about how to reform it from the inside, but we need an activist grassroots union, not the insiders club that is content with the way things are going. if youre not a radical teacher, youre not educating yourself on whats really going on. we're being sold out by our own. get pissed and get involved with your union and educate your friends on why their politics suck. sorry that im not sorry for being unprofessional and hyper political on this forum. im just pissed off.