They Still Need A Teacher

The deadline lurks, the day for layoff notices and pink slips draws nearer.  In this economy, these slips of paper seem to float through the air with abundance that is rivaled only by ticker-tape parades, but this day is far from a celebration.  In fact to many, it is the darkest day of a career that has just began.  How could this be?  Why doesn’t your passion for students guarantee a slot on the roster?  Why do you watch others, far less successful and far more toxic to your school environment breathe easy at the understanding that their job, their income, is guaranteed no matter what?

You saw that teacher just the other day, you know the one. She shows up to work late, teaches from her chair at the front of the room, and leaves at the first sound of the final bell.  Enthusiasm for her was buried decades ago.  From all the stories you have heard, she worked just hard enough for just long enough to gain tenure.  Jaded by politicians, program changes, and other selfish colleagues that refused to collaborate and tap into her strengths, she became just like her predecessors. Will you?  Will the cycle continue? Or will you look at the faces of your children today and recognize that for today .… and likely tomorrow .… and likely until the end of this school year .… you still have a job, and they still need a teacher?