Maricela Quesada Paredes has been working as a director at a federal kindergarten for 17 years without receiving her official appointment and without being paid according to her responsibilities.
Maricela began her teaching career in 2006, working as a teacher. Three years later, in 2009, she was assigned administrative duties. Since then, she has continued to receive a teacher’s salary.
The director of the Santiago Argüello Moraga preschool, located in the Lázaro Cárdenas neighborhood of the Playas district, recounted how in 2018 she took an exam to regularize her status and obtain her official appointment.
This was in accordance with the General Law of the Professional Teaching Service, which was in effect until September 30, 2019.
According to her testimony, she passed the exam with outstanding results, but eight years later, her administrative profile has still not been officially recognized.
“We need the government to be empathetic towards us. We truly perform a very noble task, but also one that carries a great deal of responsibility, especially because we work with future citizens,” Maricela expressed.
In that regard, she pointed out that the role of school director involves high demands and expectations, since her office oversees student learning and safety.
“It’s a huge responsibility. We are practically responsible for all the children in the school, for anything that might happen, any accident, any situation with parents. So yes, it is a very big responsibility,” she noted.
Maricela also explained that she has gone to the heads of the State Education System under three different administrations, as well as to Section 2 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), of which she is a member, without either entity resolving her case.
However, the education authorities have subjected her to evaluation processes established by law, which she has also passed, yet this requirement has not been considered in addressing her situation.
The principal stated that Section 2 (SNTE) has participated in various working groups with the Education System, where they have been informed that her case has been reviewed and other regularizations have been granted, “however, they tell me yes, but they don’t tell me when.”
On Thursday, April 23, a group of mothers and fathers from the Santiago Argüello Moraga kindergarten held a demonstration in support of Maricela, whose employment situation they had just learned about.
The demonstrators intend to present the case to Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda and plan to attend the governor’s next morning press conference.
Regarding the lack of payment, not only for administrators but also for substitute teachers, Maricela pointed out: “I can’t understand how teachers aren’t being paid, how there are so many payment problems in the state, and how there are so many cases like mine with inconsistencies, where we’re ignored and our problems aren’t resolved.”
Finally, she made an appeal to both the education authorities and the teachers’ union.
“There’s no effective support either; I haven’t received a concrete response. Educational resources should actually be allocated to education,” she concluded.
Source: puntonorte.info
