Protect those who inspire our children; Vital need for Compensation of Alabama Master Workers: OP-ED

This is a guest opinion column

Many of the roles that education employees play every day go far beyond the teaching of mathematics, sciences or social studies in the classroom. In fact, most of the days, teachers are juggling with a dozen other tasks, such as administering shared travel lines, bus service, excursions, sporting events related to school property and disagreements of soothing students, which can put us in physical danger. These may seem routine responsibilities, but education employees are voluntary for them due to our dedication to students we see every day.

Last year, on one day like any other, I was in the car service. There was a second fraction between helping students to their cars and bedtime, injured and with agonizing pain. The accident was paralyzed, and I’m still dealing with the injury. But what surprised me most was discovering that, as an employee of the Alabama Public School, I have no protections or support from the State to help me recover from this accident. In addition, Alabama is the only public school system in the United States that has denied the composition of employees of public school employees. This includes: teachers, administrators, maintenance, custody personnel and cafeteria workers.

The physical and financial toll was immediate and weakening. I suffered five fractures on my foot, broke and retracted on tendons, and I kept a lot of permanent and non -treatable injuries. Without compensation of workers for education employees, they let me fight to cover the medical expenses of the co -payment, deductibles and the medical team necessary to take care of myself. A load with which it still can until today. I immersed myself in personal savings to load all my expenses related to doctors and trusted friends to help me navigate this process. The stress of medical invoices aggravated my physical pain, and asked me: how could a system that depends on the dedication of educators not protect us when we are injured at work? There are many stories such as mine who have suffered injuries at work that broke their well -being and left them with a permanent disability, financial loss and loss of employment.

Fortunately, there is a solution: one that legislators on both sides of the hall are taking seriously. Senator Sam Givhan has presented SB1, a bill that would provide compensation coverage for workers for full -time public school employees. SB1 would finally provide educators and educational staff the same protections as other public employees, ensuring that when we hurt to support and educate our students, choose between our health and our financial stability is no longer a requirement. Teachers take care of the future of Alabama, our students and now is the time for Alabama to take care of their teachers.

Unlike other state public employees, full -time public school educators in Alabama are not covered by workers’ compensation. If a firefighter is injured in the fulfillment of duty, his medical bills and the lost wages are covered. If a police officer is injured while protecting the community, he receives the support he needs to recover. But when a teacher is injured who performs school tasks and supports Alabama’s children, we are forced to assume the load alone. This is not

Simply unfair: it is a cruel failure of the system to recognize and protect the same people who dedicate their lives to educate our children.

The support of SB1 has been widespread and bipartisan, and the Alabama Education Association advocates the compensation of workers for years, but there is still work to be done. To parents, students and community members: their voices matter. Contact your representatives and make them know that education employees deserve the same protections as other public and private sector employees. If we hope they continue to go beyond our students, we must make sure they are protected when they do.

Working in education is more than a job, it is a vocation. But that call should not come with the risk of financial ruin of an injury in the workplace. Alabama’s education professionals deserve something better. It is time to spend SB1.

Beth Holloway Is and Alabama Pathusing Pathology and defender of public school speech.