Some Beautiful Words for Demoralized Teachers

[teacher gal]

Central Falls is becoming old news but I just happened across this and thought I'd share it. From the Anderson Cooper 360 Blog, amidst all the sad, thoughtless "FIRE THEM!" reader comments, there was this precious jewel from a Central Falls High School graduate:

I have graduated from Central Falls High School and now I am attending an Ivy League University. Every teacher I had at the high school helped get to where I am now. People can look at statistics all they want, but in reality they mean very little. Every teacher at Central Falls High school contributes to the development of the students and strives to help them succeed. From personal experience I know that they are more than happy to stay after school and help any student who needs help with anything. They are there to talk to not only about school matters, but also about personal problems. These teachers are more than educators, they are our family and no one has the right to take them away from our community

Link to the 360 blog: http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/22/evening-buzz-fire-teachers-for-failing-school/

[Catshrink]

1. Beautiful.

Thank you for posting that.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. Wouldn't want to be a cowardly rec'er who just marks a vote

and doesn't even post. ;-)

K&R

Tansy Gold

[teacher gal]

4. Thank you Tansy Gold and Catshrink! n/t

[FBaggins]

3. K&R

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Thank you, this proves what we have been saying all along

It's about what the KIDS do, how hard they work and how much they value their own success. There's not much a teacher can do when a student doesn't want to succeed.

[Dinger]

6. Kick % Rec # 15 From Me

Beautiful.:)

[Lifelong Protester]

7. Thank you, from another teacher who knows, education is

more about the relationships we have with student than all the crappy standards, curriculum, tests, etc. Who gives a damn about those things when you have left school? Do you remember any test you took in school or do you remember the teacher who helped you become a better writer/mathematician/scientist/person???

[DLnyc]

8. A society that valued knowledge would probably also value teachers.

Although individuals in our society often value knowledge, the corporate structures that rule our government hate nothing worse than knowledge. And our government tends to cut education first and raise taxes on the ultra-rich last. Most likely, there is some kind of connection there.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. "A society that valued knowledge"... aye, there's the rub.

The only thing more hated than knowledge is independent thinking.

[teacher gal]

9. I wish

we knew who this student was so we could thank him or her personally. I'm thinking maybe I should cross post on GD. Who knows, maybe if this marvelous message

These teachers are more than educators, they are our family and no one has the right to take them away from our community

is spread around the internet enough, the writer will discover it and reveal herself (himself?) and be flooded with thank yous and tears of gratitude. I posted it on my blog, sent it to Susan Ohanian, Diane Ravitch, the Perimeter Primate (whose blog and parent activism is awesome http://perimeterprimate.blogspot.com/) and to [e-mail].

[LWolf]

11. Thank you. nt

[glitch]

12. Thank you for the beautiful reminder of exactly why most teachers teach. K & R nt