Health

My classroom had NO WINDOWS! Most of the classrooms didn't (1970s modular design). My first year in one had me and my 1st graders so sick by Oct that we were showing each other how to use inhalers and I had to sleep sitting up due to the black mold from years of stagnant water in the ceiling. The tiles were buckled there was so much. The district only cares about $$$....if they tell you otherwise they are full of BS. They gave me a can of Lysol and a fan and told me to keep the only door CLOSED and there "were more contaminants outside than inside". By Dec I went to the union since I already had used up three years worth of sick days and 17 more! The union had real health inspectors come out and that week the classroom (and 7 others) were ordered to be torn down, they were too awful to save. When I went in to get supplies, since I had to teach in the cafeteria, the two workmen in my room told me I could only go in for three minutes. One of them told me he would never let his own kid in that room for one day. While I was in there I saw the ceiling with the tiles removed. The guys poked a hole into the plastic liner into the water that collected. It was the color of coffee and filled up the trashcan in 30 seconds and they had to get the 4' tall trashcan to catch the rest (from that one area). I have permanent respiratory damage and was sick 90% of the rest of my teaching career, which ended 13 years later after my doctors made me leave teaching due to the my ongoing bad health. No pension or health insur either since I wasn't there long enough. That is my story. Share it. That is the same district that is in the 2nd half of my post. As the current union rep said, the districts do NOT have the funds to hire more teachers, build barriers, protect staff and students, clean properly etc. I know this is true...I have been there. Teachers are already turning in their notices to retire early and get a pension if they are forced back.