Ok I am not making this blog post a rant. I am writing this blog post from the heart. I can get mad and rant and post stuff to my facebook or twitter account (I started a small one after reading the article that sparked this post today), or I can collect my thoughts and share.  I am doing the latter.

So where do I start? Budget cuts or test scores or removing teacher’s right or firing teachers? How about I start here: The state of Alabama wants to change the tenure law.  Right now if a teacher has to go to arbitration he/she still gets paid during his/her leave. Ok I understand where they are going here, but the reports, the comments, the ideas behind it that all teachers are evil are upsetting to me. I hate that no one wants to protect teachers who are innocent, but the way this is written I understand why, just look at how the reporter portrays teachers.

I am sadden by the way people view teachers.  We are educated professionals.  Period. Education is a 4 year degree. You cannot do it with out. Not only a 4 year degree BUT a specialized degree that only focuses on our profession.  How many careers can say that?

It is amazing to see how the bodies of our government are treating the education system.  Why are people without teaching degrees making decisions about what happens in our school systems? Why are teachers having “rallies” to try to keep their retirement? Really?

We have test scores to hold us accountable. Well here is the deal, we are HUMANS teaching HUMANS.  Just like I cannot MAKE you jump off a bridge, I cannot MAKE a kid sit and try his/her best on a test.

We are humans. Period. I am saddened by the way media, community gossip, politicians, and interest groups draw a picture of us.  I am saddened that the education system is not respected enough that teachers get a voice in it. We are professionals who do teach because it is our life not because it is a job. Believe me no one would do this if it was just a job.

How are we supposed to get the best of the best to enter the profession if we make it sound like it is a second rate job? The future of our country in on the line here. We need the best to teach our future leaders to be better.

To my fellow teachers out there, I hope this is just a phase our country is going through (isn’t that the excuse we give to kids being disrespectful some times?). Keep your heads up, your students love and respect you, and eventually will be grateful for the impact you had on their lives.  Please keep fighting for reform, respect, and our children’s future. We are humans, I am not sure of a stronger more resilient species, are you?