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Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Respect for Teachers

                                 R.E.S.P.E.C.T !  Parents, Politicians, Media and everyone in the world find out what the word means for all teachers. Why is it so hard for our teachers to be respected across the globe ? Yes I am tired of the lip service that is given. Teachers are the most unappreciated, underpaid and underrated profession there is. Can someone tell me why? Because I have been trying to figure this out for the past twenty-five years.

                               When I was leaving to start college to pursue teaching I just could not understand how many people dissuade me from going along this path including family, friends and even a high school boyfriend at the time. I was told I could do better. Are you kidding me? Our teachers are our backbone of every society but yet politicians used them as pawns. I have come to realize that this is a common world practice where teachers are treated less than, but a country as mighty and over flowing with resources as America ought to be ashamed. Surely America can treat its teachers much better than how they are treated now

                             Big corporations can be given tax breaks but the budget cannot fund teachers pay or help them to buy classroom resources. Many teachers use their own money to buy resources for their classrooms. Many teachers also use their own money to buy children breakfast and lunch. It happens all the time no matter where you are located. Because that is simple the heart of a teacher. To be in this profession you must absolutely have a passion for it, because you have to put up with incompetence administration at times, deplorable parents some times and in some instances children with behavioral issues who are normally the reflection of their environment. There is also the possibility that you never know when someone mental will barge into your school and shoot you or your students. These are just few of the stresses that teachers have to deal with.

                     How many school shootings have there been in the states yet nothing further has been done with regards to gun safety to protect teachers or students.Instead it was voiced that teachers should be armed. I would like one of these Politicians to give up their senate seat for a week or two to  teach in a public school. I doubt they would last two days but they want to cut food programs and other social programs of schools. The irony is that all these elected officials most times are clueless to what  goes on in public school programs as they themselves may have gone to private schools and 95% of the time their children are privately schooled so why should we expect them to care.

                       To add insult to injury teachers,school staff and students are now ordered back to school with Covid 19 still not showing  signs of slowing down. Yes getting the economy back on track is important but what is the plan? and why should teachers and students be sacrificed? Does no one care for our safety, why we are always at the bottom of the totem pole? But will this be taken seriously when in the Fall a few teachers and students start dieing. Is this how we want it to play out? It is disgusting to hear several politicians just glossing over reopening schools as no big deal.

                      Therefore I have a preposition. Betsy Devoe and Kudlow and all those who are big on schools reopening go and take a teachers place. Lead by example as I am sure many teachers would agree. God damn it I would give up my pay for any politician to replace me in the classroom. Because I know that they are all clueless as to the amount of thankless work we do. But real teachers teach because of the children and it has to be a deep love within you that makes you get up each day to go into a profession that is always being disregarded and disrespected in one way or another. I do it for the children because it brings me joy to see their faces or to see them years after they have left my classroom and there is no amount of money that can replace that feeling.  

                            We see where  schools in Georgia have reopened with no social distancing. This is not good. It is going to come back to bite us big time. I am not advocating for schools to close forever all I am saying is what is the plan? Government officials respect our teachers by working with them to find a solution that works for all stake holders.




                                      

Photos from social media showing schools that reopened in Georgia with no social distancing  
                                      

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