A teacher notes that the tragedy in Newtown has allowed the nation to see who teachers are and what they do. She says, please don’t forget. Don’t let the teacher-bashers take control of our image to distort our reality. The author is Lisa Myers.
She writes:
Dear America,
It feels strange to hear your voice praising teachers for their selflessness, dedication, and love for their students. We’re listening to what you’re saying, but we must admit that we are listening with tilted head and quizzical eye. Why? Because we’ve become accustomed to hearing a very different voice from you.
For the past few years, you’ve been certain that most of society’s problems stem from our schools, more specifically the teachers in those schools. We are lazy and useless, we are only in it for the money, we only teach for the vacation time, we don’t possess the intelligence to teach anyone much of anything, our demands for a respectable wage are selfish, we don’t teach students respect, we are leaches sucking the blood from State coffers, we don’t even work a full day like everyone else, and the most hurtful one of all – we don’t care about our students. Concerned citizens have even documented these ills in grossly successful movies that take the worst of us and use it to convince the public that teachers are deserving of nothing but disdain.
Yet, in one weekend, with one horrific tragedy, your voice has changed. The general indictment that has been assigned to us has seemingly been lifted. All of the sudden, America is looking to us with respect, admiration, trust, and something that looks a bit like… awe. It’s puzzling, really. We are the same people we were last Friday morning, doing the same job we’ve diligently done since choosing our career.
Of course, we do realize what has happened. Something horrific occurred last Friday, and as a result, America saw the uncensored soul that resides in the vast majority of teachers. There were no special interest groups telling you what teachers are really like, no businessmen or women proffering data-driven solutions that will fix every instructional problem, no politicians pontificating about the grading of teachers based on the value they add to students. No, what you saw was the real thing, teachers who love America’s children so much that they dedicate their all to their welfare.
No, for most of us our all does not include a sacrificial death, but it does include a sacrificial life. It means working a full day at school then continuing that work at home well into the evening as we grade papers and prepare materials that will lead to authentic learning in the classroom. That’s our surface work. At a deeper level, however, we also do the following:
•notice our students’ hurts as well as joys so we can be sure to validate them with our comments and actions
•communicate with our students in a manner that conveys regard for them, even if regard isn’t shared for us
•advocate for services that will improve the likelihood of students’ success
•volunteer for extra-curricular activities so children will know we care about their whole life, not just what they do in the classroom
•coordinate numerous fund raisers in order to attain the resources needed to teach students
•spend our own money where fundraisers fall short
In truth, our souls are just about as self-sacrificial as souls come, and it is this part of us that you witnessed last Friday in Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, and Victoria Soto. Yes, they paid the ultimate price, but we want you to understand that what they did on Friday was a natural outpouring of what they were already practicing: a dedication of their lives to your children. It is generally true that if one is going to die for another, he or she is first willing to live for that person. These women did just that.
It is inevitable that days will grow between last Friday and the present, and thoughts will turn to memory. However, we pray that you will not forget this glimpse into the souls of teachers this tragedy afforded us. Please do not return to lumping us together into a rejection bin after seeing a few examples of teachers who do not belong in our ranks. Realize that you will find no greater advocate for America’s students than in us. Appreciate our efforts, and in so doing, create an atmosphere of respect for what we do. In short, simply treat us with the dignity that you’re displaying today. We might find that many answers lie in that action alone.
Lisa Myers commented:
I am the writer of the above letter, and I am thrilled that Dr. Ravitch chose to post it here. It has been read in over 100 countries and shared hundreds of times. My heart is that every American community will reconsider its treatment of our profession because changed thinking leads to changed behavior. I know it is a tall order, but it is my goal.
lisamyers.org
OK…read this one, Lisa. Hear! Hear!
Sent from my iPad
I love teachers, but really, this tragedy isn’t about you and shining light on how wonderful teachers are. Selfish
Are you kidding me?! Why would you say this? This tragedy IS about the wonderful staff who saved so many families from the heartbreak the 20 angels’ families are going through. All of America is mourning with them. So is the author. The heroes who are now also angels deserve the respect of all of us- and they should have gotten the respect before they gave their lives for their students. THAT is the point. Don’t wait to respect them after they sacrifice themselves for their students. Teachers all over sacrifice in smaller ways each and every day. It is not “selfish” to point that out. This is a wonderfully worded letter. I am a former teacher. My husband is a teacher. My sister is a teacher. I have met some teachers that were not as wonderful as others, but each and every one has cared about his/her students. Why else would they put up with the occaisional incompetent administrator, school board or parent? Most parents would not believe all of the recording, planning, buying, grading, special considerations, etc. that all teachers are expected to perform. More and more is expected each and every year. Your comment and a couple others here are exactly WHY this letter was needed. Shame on you.
So said the problem!
tina tina-You mean it isn’t about the teachers who saved the rest of the children? You are a very selfish person without a heart.
You my friend missed the point. And, evidently are exactly the kind of person she is referring to. But, we will still give all we have to teach and need be protect your child. Thanks!
I am sure Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin agree with you. Why not contact them with your Fantasyland musing? Or you can just go back to blaming a teacher for the child who reads below grade level… the child in his/her class who this year has been in three schools, four shelters, and doesn’t have enough food in his stomach.
The response from the public made it about teachers, this is just a response to that.
Tragedies that happen within the walls of schools are not usually about teachers, but they can exemplify the dedication of career educators and the unspoken demands/expectations placed upon schools-demands that aren’t often acknowledged in the tsunami of criticism and standardized testing devastating education for the majority of students not protected by wealth and social (status) security in private schools and gated communities..
Being a teacher doesn’t automatically mean you are more likely to or more capable of protecting children in dangerous situations. It doesn’t mean you are more willing to take work home, field phone calls from irate parents and/or become familiar with stories about despicable ones that don’t deserve their children and certainly aren’t doing their futures any favors.
Being a teacher doesn’t mean your relatively low-paying job should be publicly placed in jeopardy based on these same students isolated performance while sitting silently for hours filling in bubbles and writing down their thoughts on texts they have little connection to.
Being a teacher SHOULDN’T mean that you can be slowly raked over the coals by the disingenuous reform movement and its leaders (public and covert) knowing that if they can bully and hobble unions, frighten and eliminated dedicated educators, and institute a cheap and profitable mouse-wheel of testing for the growing lower-class of learners, then your union will be irrelevant, you will be easy to control, and education outcomes for the masses will not threaten “the market”.
But being a teacher means all of this, and still it is the chosen life for a gifted and dedicated group. We should be respecting and nurturing the profession that nurtures and respects our future citizens.
Shame on YOU tina tina.
Does Tina Tina know how many lives were saved by teachers? 2years ago in a Virginia college students were saved by the directions of a professor. What do you think those teachers were doing at Sandy Hook… Protecting children and saving lives.
This is a beautiful letter, but the problem is that pretty much the only people who will see it are people who already understand what teaching and teachers are like. I wish there were a way to get letters like this (and many of the letters to Obama) into wider circulation, but mainstream newspapers don’t publish anything longer than a few brief paragraphs and most other venues tend to be very partisan and/or narrowly focused, so either you won’t get published or you’d be preaching to the choir.
I agree with you. If the masses could read these eloquent letters and the other truths found on Dr. Ravitch’s posts and links, the “curtain would be pulled back” on the “reformers” and they would no longer have influence.
I have sent this and other letters/posts to my school staff members, local and state politicians, school board members, and central office staff. Comments I have received show that these powerfully written letters can change minds.
My children call me an “iPad Paladin”. I like it. 🙂
In “sharing” this letter to all my friends and acquaintances on Facebook, there will be many who have never thought about any kind of view of teachers who will see it, and hear what you have to say. Have faith. It will make a difference.
janet….thank you for the well spoken and true words. we deal with the tina tina’s of the world each and everyday. they just dont get it.
I can help you share this.. I write for Chicago Now and I run my own education magazine, ED News Daily. I have a high amount of readers on both sites. Please let me know if I can share this article..it needs to be heard.
Here are the links to my site:
http://www.ednewsdaily.com
http://www.chicagonow.com/educators-diary/2012/12/post-it-notes-in-school-how-one-group-of-girls-did-something-extraoridnary/
Please share it in as many venues as are available to you. Thank you for helping me get it out there!
I will! It is beautiful!
What a beautiful letter!
And thank you to the heroes of Newtown and all the men and women who choose to dedicate their lives to the service of children. I believe the American people will come through for all of you.
I am the writer of the above letter, and I am thrilled that Dr. Ravitch chose to post it here. It has been read in over 100 countries and shared hundreds of times. My heart is that every American community will reconsider its treatment of our profession because changed thinking leads to changed behavior. I know it is a tall order, but it is my goal.
lisamyers.org
Thank you, Lisa.
How do we get the AP to pick up your letter so it is printed nationally?
Diane, do you know how that can happen?
Linda, I would love to, but I am unsure how that happens. Any help from here would be appreciated.
I wonder how you could get this letter to Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN…fairly sure he would read it on air.
I don’t know.
I wept while reading the entire letter. It is all so true!
It is very sad to think that six educators had to lay down their lives for the public’s mindset to be altered.
Sadder still is that it will not last.
Is there a link directly to the letter anywhere?
Yes, http://lisamyers.org/
Also, the dailyhowler web site has lately featured many relevant articles on teachers and how they are perceived and the demonization of union teachers——> http://dailyhowler.blogspot.com/
Daily Howler cites an article from the Baltimore Sun:
BALTIMORE SUN EDITORIAL (12/19/12): The heroes of Newtown:
Our view: The strength and courage of teachers and school staff—the kind of public employees so often scorned of late—are the revelation of Sandy Hook
As the nation continues this week to deal with the grief and heartache left behind by the murder of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, let there also be a moment set aside for exultation. Let a banner be raised for the heroes of Newtown, Conn.: the educators who sprang into action to protect the young students in their charge.
We don’t know how many lives were saved by the alert and brave actions of the faculty and staff at Sandy Hook, but we suspect they were many. Yet how many among us should stand ashamed today for showing so little respect for such public employees—mocking teachers, in particular, for their cost to taxpayers in salary and benefits—and failing to appreciate how willingly many educators stand prepared to lay down their lives for our children?
In a slightly saner world, educators would not be required to lay down their lives for their students. But the sliming of teachers has been a disgrace, whether practiced by the billionaires and their handmaidens or by the likes of Gail Collins.
I would just disagree with one thing–my wife is a teacher and the extracurriculars aren’t optional, they’re required.
Yes, Mike, you are correct, and I should have been more clear. I was referring to volunteering for extra-extra curricular activities (if you will) when students request teachers’ presence or help.
First off my thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected by this incident. Ms Myers Thank for this wonderful article. I was never a great student, but I will always remember how much effort Teachers would put forth to help me. I am forever in gratitude to my Teachers than and now. Thanks to all the Teachers out there who rarely are shown appreciation for their hard work. I was told by some Teachers I was not going to amount to anything. I thank those who saw different Thank You So Much.
Retired (Marine)
Gene Nuesca
This letter is so perfectly written. It needs to be printed in every newspaper across the country. Newspapers are so quick to print the negative and it is truly unfortunate that is the information the general public relies on. The truth in this letter needs to reach the public’s attention. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Beautifully said, Lisa, and so true! Proud to say I know you personally and know that you truly are one of those teachers who sincerely cares about each and every student. God bless our teachers!!
Please can this teacher send the article with his/her name, address, phone, e-mail to my employer, the San Francisco Chronicle, as an op-ed submission? E-mail it to Lois Kazakoff, lkazakoff@sfchronicle.com
Yes, Caroline, I will.
I’m a little confused by this letter. Is the author’s point that teachers shouldn’t be held accountable for their performance because when confronted with a homicidal maniac their inclination is to save the lives of children? If so, go ahead and repost this inane rant everywhere. Not only will it confirm the widely held view of teachers as lazy, selfish incompetents, it will reveal their delusional narcissism as well.
Wow, Victoward, did you completely miss the point of this letter. If you read it closely, it mentions how not all teachers should not be within the ranks but many teachers, like these amazing teachers, sacrifice so much for their students. There is no narcissism in this letter and a good teacher is worth their weight in gold. Shame on you for turning this letter into something that is both degrading and completely puerile.
victorward…all i can say to you is God bless ya. wow. and melinda, dont waist your time girl.
pudin…the fact that you used the wrong word for “waste” is proof that you didn’t listen to your teacher. i don’t know about the rest of the country, but here in California, the teachers CANNOT teach properly because of the dumbing-down of America by use of standardized testing. I know many teachers…and they give and give of themselves, their time, their OWN money when funds run out…they often put YOUR children before theirs. Their biggest, saddest complaint is that so many parents are too lazy to carry out their responsibility of disciplining, nurturing, teaching their children at home…they push it off on someone else, respect is not taught or supported in the home, so what do your expect in the schools? Used to be that if a kid got bad grades and detention, the parents were dishing out penance, grounding, taking away privileges, until that child learned to work hard, listen in class, and do their best. now teachers are “lazy” because YOU won’t take care of YOUR kids? you try fronting a classroom of 35 lazy, electronics-addled, entitlement-minded kids whose parents are ready to litigate if you demand respect and hard work in your classroom!
The author’s point was not that teachers shouldn’t be held accountable for their performance. The author’s point was that most teachers should not be accused of having no care for their students. Lately teachers have come under fire for asking for good working conditions (which are also good learning conditions, especially with smaller class sizes) and raises. When teachers ask for these things, they are accused of not caring for their students, and that is what the letter focused on. I would hardly call the sacrifice, living or dead, that teachers give to their students to be “delusional narcissism.
Let me clear it up for you Vic, the author’s point is that teachers are dedicated to their students and their profession. It has been politically fashionable of late to vilify them for the purpose of advancing privatization of public schools (as if somehow profit margins will make better students). Suddenly, in the wake of horrific tragedy, public perception shifts 180° with the reality of teachers giving their lives to protect their charges and America seems to once again realize the actual humanity of the people they have been villainizing for far too long. I am not a teacher, but I was raised to respect them and they gave me an excellent education. If you have a problem with teachers, which it would seem that you do, it is because your parents, were not proper teachers, after all a child’s first teacher is his parents. If your child does not do well in school, it is not the teacher’s fault. It is yours. It is the parents who are lazy, selfish, deluded and narcissistic. You are confused, you have that part right.
This tragedy hasn’t changed the perception the public has of the failing public education system and the people running it. We admire the bravery of the teachers that didn’t run and hide, but confronted their attacker but it ends there. Bravery isn’t going to change the awful test scores, Americas lower standing from a world perspective, or the social engineering agenda millions of us find so revolting.
My next book will change that absurd narrative. Only a fool would believe that the greatest, most powerful nation in the world has a failing education system–apparently failing for about 50 years, maybe 100 if you believe the critics.
Do we have to wait for your next book? LOL. You couldn’t offer maybe just one shred of proof right now perhaps?
And if not maybe you could address the social engineering agenda?
The U.S. is the clear leader in total annual spending, but ranks 9th in Science performance and 10th in Math.
http://rossieronline.usc.edu/u-s-education-versus-the-world-infographic/
You could read Yong Zhao for now, Keith Baker, Pasi Sahlberg.
We were in last place in 1964. Never in first. Did it matter?
I have no idea what letter you read, but I don’t know how you came to this appalling conclusion. I’m sorry for your delusions.
Still more evidence (as if needed) that the biggest teacher bashers also have the weakest reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Hmmm, I wonder if there’s a connection…?
I would love to hear your opinion after spending one week teaching in a public school. Usually, I find that the ones who criticize teachers the most are the ones who have no idea what actually goes on in a classroom and the incredible demands a teacher has to face on a daily basis. As far as I’m concerned, teachers are everyday heros.
you go dienne!!
The point is that these people give of themselves every day, and sadly it seems to take a gun before someone notices. Your narrative does not match the reality.
Victoward, what job do you hold? In what form of employment do you spend your days or nights?
Thank you, Lisa. I am honored to be a teacher myself, and I totally agree with your reasoning. I am proud of the teachers who gave their lives fOr their students. But I am also proud of the daily sacrifice of those great teachers who strive to be the best they can at teaching the future. Unfortunately, the heroic actions of the majority of teachers has been hidden by the hate and rhetoric of the extreme right. Indeed, case in point is the post immediately above by Victoward. Despite such hateful disrespect, many teachers toil on. Since Columbine in 1999 I have to have considered my actions in the face of grave threat to my students. My choice has been to sacrifice myself if necessary for my students. This is not a trivial decision since I have a family of my own, but it is the right thing to do. The right thing for the public to do Is to recognize and honor the heros in our midst. Get informed, get active, and thank a teacher. Most of us are fantastic at what we do, and fortunately we do not display the hate towards our students as the far right has towards us. Thanks again!
It saddens me you have to add a hateful comment in your paragraph. I was a dedicated teacher for years and I am a conservative and, you might say , extreme right advocate. Extreme right to me is respecting innocent life, adhering to the constitution, taking care of our suffering fellow Americans, supporting prayer everywhere, and self reliance, All I seem to hear these days is whining from those on the left and total lack of responsibility. I was a JFK Democrat and loved his take on life. ‘ Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather, what can you do for your country”
Brava!
Thank you for this letter. You truly speak from a teacher’s heart.
First I want to express my heart felt gratitude for All Good Teachers! Unfortunately they can be lumped in with the teachers that really are there for the vacation time! These are the teachers that are lazy & send home so much homework that the parents are expected to teach they’re own children! When my youngest, who is 20 years old now,went to school. I could count on one hand the teachers that actually were good teachers. I blame some of that on the financial support from the government that requires the school system to meet “grade requirements” in order to receive financial help. I also believe that we as Americans have our priorities messed up. There’s too much focus on sports & entertainment & not enough on education.
I firmly believe that teachers pay should be performance based. Good teachers should be rewarded for their excellence! That would help weed out the bad apples & then teachers would be paid a decent wage! Then the school system should be compensated for more appropriate smaller classrooms! Then maybe our children will have an excellent education & our teachers would be recognized for their excellence much the way we as Americans idolize prominent sports figures!
I am not a teacher, just a concerned parent & grandparent. I have always felt that our teachers should be given a decent wage & respected. They really have the greatest responsibility in all of our lives. Their love of our children & their job is the ultimate commitment! They hold our future in their hands! God Bless Our Great Teachers!!! 😉
You should probably read this blog a bit more before posting. Diane has posted numerous research showing that merit pay does not work and why not.
BTW, it’s interesting that your definition of a “bad teacher” is one who sends home a lot of homework. Just a week or so ago there was some crank claiming that one of his daughters’ teachers was bad because she *didn’t* send home homework (in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, no less). One man’s poison….
I teach 25 second graders in a public school and get
constant complaints from parents that I am not sending home enough
homework. I really do think every person no matter what his or her
career is should spend a week teaching in a public school
classroom. Only then will people realize how much of a sacrifice
this job really is on our physical, personal and emotional lives.
And no, we’re not in it for the money and the summers off . At
least I’m not.
Merit pay does not work because teachers largely do not have control over how well their teaching works (poverty and parental involvement are huge factors). And so what there are some bad teachers? There are probably bad whatever you do-ers as well…
If you can’t get people to agree on a divisive subject, you
come up with what is known as a middle ground. Its not easy when
death, politics and gins are involved. A compromise is what is
needed. It probably won’t eradicate the problem overnight, but
would most probably instantly reduce the incidents and be most
certainly a move in the right direction…:
Thank you for voicing this so well. I’ve been teaching 19 years and I can’t stand the attack on teachers we have seen lately. I still love what I do but I wish others would let us do what we know is best for our students and treat us as professionals. Best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and a great rest of the school year! From a teacher in Tennessee
Bill Ayers, in a Nov. 7 letter to Obama said (in part): “In a vibrant democracy, whatever the most privileged parents want for their children must serve as a minimum standard for what we as a community want for all of our children. Arne Duncan attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (as did our three sons); you sent your kids to Lab, and so did your friend Rahm Emanuel. There students found small classes, abundant resources, and opportunities to experiment and explore, ask questions and pursue answers to the far limits, and a minimum of time-out for standardized testing. They found, as well, a respected and unionized teacher corps, people who were committed to a life-long career in teaching and who were encouraged to work cooperatively for their mutual benefit (and who never would settle for being judged, assessed, rewarded, or punished based on student test scores).” We give our teachers the worst possible conditions, overcrowded classrooms, undisciplined & disrespectful students,etc., etc. and then expect them to deliver an excellent education to our children. As a longtime classroom volunteer & tutor, I’ve seen these conditions up close & personal. Most of our teachers are heroes just for showing up!! They have to not only try to teach, but to struggle with instilling the common decency & respect which most parents have failed to do. Our public schools are a national disgrace–& NOT because of our heroic teachers. In our disintegrating culture, education is not a highly valued priority. If we GIVE our schools the conditions described above by Mr. Ayers, then we will see true education. Even “poor” nations like Vietnam have better schools than the U.S. Many nations do. Until America values education more than the quest for the almighty dollar, schools will continue to fail. We KNOW what to do to succeed, but there is no widespread will, no outcry to demand small classrooms, etc. Parents have abandoned their responsibilities to their children, & relegated our teachers to be little more than babysitters. There are many dedicated teachers who would excel if only given the right & proper conditions.
i do appreciate all efforts that teachers do for their students, and I never understood why they get such low pay and are treated so badly. Teachers allow all to aspire to reach beyond what would not have been attainable.
great letter!
Awesome letter, Lisa! Unfortunately, you are preaching to the choir. There will always be uninformed folks like Vic, who are so hate-filled and uninformed, they have no room in their tiny mind for the truth. Then there are the liberals — Ted — who blame everything on conservatives, if they can’t blame a teacher first. Vic strikes me as a liberal, by the way – all that frothing and venom spewing out of his fingertips…
Teachers have to do what they do for the kids and for no other reason. There will never be public accolade for teachers (or even the respect of bygone days), unless they die on the “front line.” Then we become legend.
Ms. Meyers & Ms. Ravitch:
Thank you for the outstanding letter. As a high school teacher located between the #1 & #2 murder cities in the world, Flint and Detroit, Michigan, I am always afraid this situation will be occurring far too close to me one day. The worst was a 6 year old, Kayla Rolland, being killed by a classmate – yes, another 6 year old – in February 2000.
I went into education because my father taught high school for 40 years. If anyone ever told me he “taught because he could not ‘do'” I would simply laugh. The dedication we give to our kids is at times the only validation they receive. I invite any person to come and work my class for a week, share in the trouble AND the joy of my daily job, then tell me how easy it is. Maybe I get to laugh while a student tells me a new joke, or high five the girl who hit the winning basket the night before, or hug the young man who told me he was about to be a father because he and his girlfriend went too far. Maybe I work with the student who was beaten by their father in a drunken rant, or celebrate with the student who will be the first in their family to attend college and they bring in the acceptance letter to show me. It is all part of the job, and it often goes 12 months a year.
I am proud of what I do, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. What do I do? In the end, as with so many teachers, I push kids to go further than they ever thought they could. It is always worth it.
Thanks for the great perspective. God bless you both.
Anthony Coggins
Holly, Michigan
Thank you for the letter. I come from a dedicated family of educators. I myself am a home visitor who covers one of the nation’s most violent per capita areas. It is our love for children that we,I, do my job without protection and realy on God for guidance and protection to get me home safely to raise my children on my own. My daughter is racking up a gold mine of student loans so that she can committ her life also to teaching children. I would appreciate it if she could work in a field that was respected for the many sacrifices made! It makes me sad to think of salaries of pro ball players. Why are we so confused with priorities?
Not only teachers but, paras, therapists, nurses, and all other school staff. We all give 100 percent always.
Thank you, Deborah, for pointing this out. Your statement is absolutely true.
I don’t think the “reputation” teachers have gained is a matter of selfishness. In Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi it is a matter of whether or not they are “qualified” to teach since many have cheated to pass their boards since 1995. So the problem does not lie with “love” it lies with “respect” of self and for others.
Realistically, what percentage of the teachers do you think that is?
I’m sorry you feel that the public sees your profession that way. I can assure you, that even when you don’t hear it as often as you should – there are SO many of us who feel the same.
I completely respect and am thankful for you all and everything you do for so many.
Reblogged this on Proletarian Center for Research, Education and Culture.
What a wonderful letter. I appreciate it because I too am an educator. The six teachers who died protecting their students paid the altimate price, but the other teachers and school staff have somehow not given enough praise for doing what ever it took to save all the other students lives. They too are heros. I applaud them. Their names will never be remembered but hopefully their scarifice won’t ever be forgotten.
Your letter was absolutely amazing! I have been thinking about writing a letter like that since this incident happened. I have been teaching in a public school for 35 years! We only do what we do because we love it and we love our students.
Thank you.
Leeches. Not leaches. Sorry.
Thank you, Sandy. Just about to mentioned that.
That’s all you got from that heartfelt letter, Sandy?
Lisa, I thought your post was very well written and certainly expressed how I’ve been feeling after 29 years of teaching. After reading many of the comments responding to your post, I find it very interesting that people who have never taught a day in their life seem to know everything there is to know about teaching. I would invite any one of them to spend a day with me in the classroom. Fir those of you who think teachers are overpaid, I am a professional. I have my master’s degree and have taught for 29 years. I serve on many committees at my school and in my district for which I am not given a stipend. We had 10 furlough days for which I was not paid. I spend hour upon hour outside of the classroom preparing materials and curriculum for my students, for which I am not paid. I do not get paid over the summer. I pay for part of my insurance and I have been contributing to my retirement since I began teaching. I would never presume to know enough about another profession since I have never walked in their shoes. Some of the comments I see here are straight from the 6:00 news or from the pages of newspapers, neither of which seem to be a friend to education these days. Please, before you throw out comments about the teaching profession and teachers, know the facts. I would invite any one of you who seem to know so much about being a teacher to walk one day in my shoes.
I’ve posted a follow-up thank you on http://lisamyers.org/ with additional comments concerning our current window of opportunity dealing with the corporate reform movement. Here is an excerpt:
“We are at a place where we collectively sense that education is much more than the accumulation of high stakes testing, net gains and losses, and perfectly trimmed budgets. It is about community, a place wherein teachers and students share authentic relationships that enable the passing of knowledge from one to another. The relationship that exists between teacher and child is the vehicle through which learning occurs. The teacher’s job is to build that relationship, using all the skill and discernment years of practice have afforded him/her, in order to facilitate the growth of each member of this special community we call school. What we may be finally realizing is that this relationship and the depth of its results cannot be captured on a bubble sheet, nor a balance sheet, any more than our own relationships can be dissected and labelled with accuracy. Furthermore, like most teachers, we may be recognizing there are far more valuable things to appreciate in school than just the cold, hard facts that pass from teacher to student.”
The family is the primary unit of society. Schools are secondary units of society. If we honor this truth, there is hope for our nation.
Lisa I’ve just retired from education and about half my family are teachers. I hear you and agree with you. I do realize there are many
people who do not feel this way about educators . I believe there are more that
do feel that way. I am working to open people’s eyes. Thank you for your letter!!
Denise Arzola-Bass
I am proud to work with teachers and as a teacher. We love OUR students and all the students at our schools… Past, present , and future students. This includes their wonderful families (parents, siblings and when lucky to meet their grandparents, aunts and uncles too) May the Newtown teachers rest in peace and their students.
Thanks Sally Smith for sharing this. I am so luck to have worked with you. YOU are an amazing teacher. You give your all 24/7 all year.
Like · · about a minute ago ·
I’ve said it many, many times before but it needs repeating again. I still believe that police, firefighters and our teachers should be 3 of the highest paid professions. Police and firefighters we know try to protect us. However, teachers are there to teach our children, to guide them through education while showing them how education can help them achieve their dreams. And as in this case yet again, they’re putting the lives of their students first.
We need to remind parents, I’m not saying all, but many parents that it’s their job to assist teachers when it comes to their children’s dreams and edcuation. Parents are to teach children how to behave, to respect others and in this case, especially teachers, and to back up the teachers. Teachers are not the parents so it’s not their role to act as their parents.
I’ve been out of school since 1974 and I still remember many teachers of mine and the lessons I’ve learned from them. If I were in trouble at school…it goes without saying I was in more trouble at home!
From me to all teachers…THANK-YOU each and everyday because you are touching so many and hopefully it’s someone like me who owes so much to you.
Teaching children is not a job; it’s a calling. Thanks for your heartfelt letter!
Lisa.. thank you from a 25 year teaching veteran. As I suppose many of us did, I was not at all surprised at the sacrifice those educators made….any one of us would have instinctively done the same. And I thank you for so beautifully expressing this. God bless!
Lisa let me start by saying that NEVER have I felt the ills of society were a direct result of teachers and the way they performed their jobs. I’m 63 years old and BOTH of my parents played an instamental part in my education and felt that the home was an extension from the classroom. I help raise my two sons the same way, while still married. But my ex-wife continued with that outlook and if I might add, became a 4th grade teacher later in life.
But I’ve been a strong advocate for appreciation of all teachers and encouraging those parents with children in school to not place blame on teachers but to assist whenever and wherever possible.
It’s a shame Sandy Hook took place for society’s ire to be raised. But now that those lives have been lost it’s our responsibility to keep the pressure on our representatives to not cave into the NRA and other organizations that do not see the future of our world lives in classrooms. The power of the vote is bigger than any pocketbook.
There is an unfortunate misrepresentation in this letter:
1) America has not indicted the entire teaching community (in fact I am married to an absolutely tremendous teacher, one who is truly changing lives). That being said you truly have blinders on if you feel that our education systems is not failing us, as an employer who looks to hire high trained employees I can assure you it is truth. As a parent of school age children, I can further assure you that there are teachers that are failing our youth and their dedication to a critical profession is utterly disappointing.
2) American has also not changed their mind as assigned respect to the entire profession because the heroic actions of a few. The deficits still exist.
As Americans we can all too often be easily swayed by a heartfelt well written letter such as this and I simply ask you to truly consider the facts: the US education system ranks 17th out of 40 countries in “developed world”. All in all not bad still in the top half; however, I consider that the greatest nation in the world is capable of more.
Where we can all agree that the teachers who acted valiantly protecting children and absolutely saving lives should be honored; I am sorry to say this letter does not accomplish that goal. It is simply leveraging a tragic event for self-promotion. I would personally prefer that same energy be invested in to truly improving our education system. I am sure that my comments will offend some, I wish not but I cannot remain silent. My hope is that more will consider the comments carefully and invest in the improvement because it will take more than teachers to get us where we need to be.
You could not be more uninformed about the status of education in America, and your comments show that for all to see. 17th out of 40? You quote that meaningless statistic without understanding anything about what it does and far more importantly does not signify. It denies any effort to look at what the actual problems are. It’s as if you think that being a bit above average weight tells anyone anything at all about the how and why of your weight such as your diet, medical conditions or any other factor that might be more informative than rank based on a nation wide average, in this case one where America is compared to nations that do not educate very child as we do. You have fallen for a sales pitch and can’t see the forest for the trees. “leveraging a tragic event for self-promotion”? Stop projecting your angry fantasies onto to others who are far better people than yourself.