Quote of the day -- on education

Happy National Teacher's Day

If you had a great teacher in your life--and who hasn't?--and they're still alive, you might pick up the phone, email them, whatever you can do to thank them today.

Or maybe you have a child who has a teacher right this moment who has helped them so much. Same thing. Go to your computer today--now--and thank them.

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." --Khalil Gibran

Links: http://www.nea.org/grants/1359.htm; http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/teacher.html#rrUuX8MupQ9YjYjU.99

When did teacher's unions become "the enemy"?

Really, when did this happen? I can't trace it back to any specific time. Do we begrudge them collective bargaining because we don't have it or because we pay taxes that makes up their pay? I know unions, in general, have been looked down on for some time, foolishly, by even the more common working man, to his peril, but when did teacher's unions, specifically, become the center of evil in this country? I was just on Facebook and there was a sponsored ad for a group calling itself "Teachers Unions Exposed". Really. And what horrible things are teachers after, anyway? Oh, that's right--those horrible things like being treated fairly by the school district they work in and the administration they work for, right, that horrible stuff. So I Googled "Teachers Unions Goals" and this is some of horrific, diabolical stuff they're up to: Our Vision Our vision is a great public school for every student. Our Mission Our mission is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. Our Core Values These principles guide our work and define our mission: --Equal Opportunity. We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence, and character. --A Just Society. We believe public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society. --Democracy. We believe public education is the cornerstone of our republic. Public education provides individuals with the skills to be involved, informed, and engaged in our representative democracy. --Professionalism. We believe that the expertise and judgment of education professionals are critical to student success. We maintain the highest professional standards, and we expect the status, compensation, and respect due all professionals. Partnership. We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success. --Collective Action. We believe individuals are strengthened when they work together for the common good. As education professionals, we improve both our professional status and the quality of public education when we unite and advocate collectively. NEA also believes every student in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. In pursuing its mission, NEA has determined that we will focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to learn. Does that all sound so horrible? Does that not sound fair and smart and even good for the kids in the schools? I'm not so naive to think bad things don't come out of good ideas--in this case, unions, but I have to ask you, when did teachers and teachers unions become a big threat to us? To our society? What? When they asked for fair pay and fair representation in their school districts and with their administrations? When did teachers become the "big bogeyman" of our society? And why? Would you answer me that? Links: http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm, http://www.wtulocal6.org/Goals/