From Private Practice to Public Service
To serve as a professional educator is an honor and privilege. Yes, I said serve. I firmly believe that teaching in our nation’s public schools is not a job, it is one of the most significant roles in public service . To my dismay, the respect the position of teacher once held in society has dwindled over the years. I am a third generation educator and my grandmother and mother, along with many other men and women, entered the field of education to help others through providing learning experiences that form the mind, character, and ability of an individual. Technically, it is the process by which society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another. I choose not to pinpoint this dramatic shift in society’s view of our profession; rather, I choose to illuminate the many reasons why serving as an educator is invaluable to children and our nation’s future. I believe teachers are leaders and as such...