There is much to be done.

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Recently, my mom has been given a lot of recognition for being nominated for Teacher of the Year for Washington State. Which in my humble loyal daughter opinion, I think she totally deserves. She truly is amazing at her job. And this being the first year I have ever worked in education, the things she has taught me over the years about education and institutions and being an educator has suddenly become what we usually refer to as...

really really really important. 

I understand that teachers are underpaid and overworked, that the educational system can be biased and it's hard to deliver and for everyone to be on the same page. Because children are not all the same, they are not cookie-cutter and so education cannot be cookie-cutter. And I completely agree with Sam Seaborn from The West Wing when he said, 

 "Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet."

And what I saw more than anything growing up was my parents coming home tired from teaching every day, which was dependent on the fact that they were underpaid, overworked, and misunderstood. Because it is very hard for people in power to understand the perspective of someone who is on the front lines, making direct contact with kids every day and who know that it is absolutely stupid to assess a teacher by seeing whether or not a kindergarten student can count to a hundred in Spanish in under two minutes (you can try this at home). Did I mention I'm biased? Ah shoot, I am. I really really am. 

But here's the thing, I've been thinking about how I want teachers to feel nurtured and appreciated, in the loop and supported. To feel like they can be Teacher of the Year, instead of experiencing what I know a lot of them experience; which is fatigue and not a lot of credit given to their efforts. What do they need? They stay because they love the kids and care about the future of the world. At least, those are my parents, who are lifelong educators. So that's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.