Monday, July 6, 2020

Mr. President, This Is What Teachers Do

To the current occupant of the White House: A lesson in what teachers do by a veteran public school teacher.

Teachers feed children. 
They nurture them. 
They counsel them. 
They inspire them. 
They challenge them, and they support their dreams. 

They teach fact vs fiction, and they teach about science.
They teach children to question, analyze, synthesize and evaluate.

At an early age, they teach children to share and care for one another in a community setting. Teachers also sit knee to knee, eye to eye, and teach children to read and write.

Teachers show children the importance of remaining physically and emotionally healthy and how to cook and manage money.

Teachers expose children to art and music.

Teachers and public schools are the backbone and bedrock of our democracy.  

And there are millions of us spread across every state and every corner of this great country, a country which -- contrary to what the president says -- we love.

Oh, and teachers also vote!  We teach our students about the power and responsibilities of citizenship. 

Election Day 2020 cannot come soon enough, Mr. President, and when it does we will teach you a lesson about the strength of the collective and the will of the American electorate. 

Pack your bags.


A Family of Educators - My final speech as NYSUT's Executive Vice President

  Educators are my family. In the narrowest sense, members of my immediate family have been educators – I will talk about one in a moment. ...