Faculty of Nettleton School District are appreciative of the recent bonus provided to them. All faculty members contracted under Nettleton were recently awarded a bonus, the amount depending on their role as either support staff ($2,500) or regular staff ($5,000). 

Through interviewing various staff members of Nettleton, some insight can be gained on the many opinions on this bonus. Some questions asked were what faculty thinks about the bonus, if it was a good use of money, what else it could have been used for, and more.

Every interview that was conducted was filled with appreciation and praise when asked how they feel about the bonus. But upon being asked if this is enough compensation, the general answer was no, it’s not. And there’s more that needs to be done for people working in the school industry. “It’s a show of good faith,” answered a librarian when asked if they believe the bonus is a step towards the right direction or not. She believes this bonus is a great one time thing, but that there is still a major problem to be faced with underpay. 

When I inquired about what would be the best compensation if this isn’t it, many different answers were given to this question. One teacher believes there should be an entire change of structure, giving teachers more time to plan, grade and maybe even “office hours” to call students in to be able to work one-on-one, which would help take a major load off of teachers and help students succeed. Some faculty mentioned better health care being needed as a form of compensation. Overall, there was a desire for better pay, but there seemed to be more desired ways to provide compensation to teachers and staff.

When introducing the question of where the money could have been used, if not for bonuses, the main response was that the bonuses were the most prevalent need for the money. There could have been other areas improved, yes, but the most demanding issue was the teachers and staff needing a form of compensation that had yet to be supplied.

Some students wonder why teachers aren’t angry with the school, why they don’t fight for better wages and working conditions. Well, many of the decisions made for school budgeting are above the individual school’s principals, so what good would it do to be angry with someone who can’t even help? Some decisions are above even the school district, on a state level. 

While this bonus was, in many ways, deeply appreciated, there was an overwhelming majority that believed there should be more done and this bonus is a “Temporary fix to a long term problem.”