![]() Within the profession, it’s a fact of life, according to Eleanor Blair, author of the 2018 book, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon: Teacher Moonlighting and the Dark Side of Teachers’ Work,” and a professor at Western Carolina University. That a teacher must work a second, part-time job on weeknights and weekends, year-round, more than 20 years into her career, in spite of a master’s degree and a modest lifestyle, is so universally accepted among her peers and colleagues in education that it barely warrants notice. If she were any other highly educated American professional, that might be different. ![]() Rothrock’s story is not exceptional-at least in her line of work, in this country. Would her 13-year-old be able to get the braces she needs? Could they have replaced the refrigerator when it went out, or saved to put a new roof on the house this summer? Could she have repaired the car when it broke down a few months ago, costing her family $3,000 they didn’t really have, even with income from Polly’s? The emergency fund would be meager, if it existed at all. “But there wouldn’t be anything extra,” she added. ![]() She could quit Polly’s today, she said, and her family could make it. Rothrock, 43, ties on her apron at Polly’s, a roadside restaurant. Now, with three kids, ages 8, 13 and 16, the costs continue to pile up. By the time her student loans were paid off, she had added child care expenses to the budget. Then she got married and started a family. Back when she was starting out as a teacher, she had to work a second job just to get on her feet. Rothrock didn’t intend to stay at Polly’s forever, watching generations of teenagers cycle in and out of a job that she was never able to walk away from herself. But with a starting salary of $29,000 and nearly that much in student loans, she didn’t feel comfortable enough financially to leave Polly’s. Courtesy of Polly's FreezeĪfter graduation, she landed a teaching position close to home. She spent the money as she earned it, investing in her education so that she could pursue her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, just like her mom and dad before her. And because her parents-both teachers-couldn’t afford to help out much with her expenses, she held onto her job at Polly’s, commuting two hours home on weekends to pick up shifts. A few years later, Rothrock went off to college in Bloomington, Indiana. All behind the glow of a bright, neon-lit parrot and a sign that read, “Polly’s Freeze.” This story also appeared in Mother Jones She cleaned counters and took orders and ran food out to customers seated at picnic tables. Just before her 16th birthday, Cara Rothrock got her first job working at a 1950s roadside restaurant and ice cream stand, only a few miles from her parents’ house in a small town in Floyd County, Indiana.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |