Foreshadowing? Let’s Hope Not
Today, I’m sharing a post from another blogger, this one a Teacher Librarian in the L.A. Unified School District. While this is not local, with all the RIFs (Reduction in Force) we’ve had lately, it easily could become Huntsville if we’re not careful. A friend of mine (a school librarian herself) recently shared this on Facebook and it has since “blown up” and garnered a lot of media attention and at least a small amount of notoriety for its author. I don’t know what to make of that since it seems the author is going to suffer personally for making the decision to speak out. I, for one, am very grateful that she did. She has provided a glimpse into a system that is deeply flawed and in critical condition.[pullquote type=”2″ align=”right”]
A moving portrait of what it’s like to be a teacher in today’s society…
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She titled the post “Settle In, It’s a Long One” and it is indeed very long. Don’t let that dissuade you from reading it all. It is well worth your time. A moving portrait of what it’s like to be a teacher in today’s society where that profession is not only undervalued but often looked down upon. I think part of what moved me so much about this article is the fact that when I recently attended a Speak Up meeting, there were parents in attendance who were openly disrespectful and actually contemptuous of our local teachers.
I get that there are some bad apples in the bunch but let’s be fair. In no other job would we expect and in fact demand that the employee work unpaid overtime (school events, lesson planning time, grading, etc.) and then proclaim that they have it easy because they only have to work until 3 (which is never true) and they have summer’s off (also never true). Anyone who has known a teacher, been a teacher or lived with a teacher knows that they are ALWAYS working and they will go above and beyond for any student that shows the slightest spark of interest.
Do me a favor. Take a minute, read this woman’s story and then share with any friend you have ever heard say something negative about teachers. Also, share this video with that ***hole.
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