Dear Editor:

I want to say a huge thank you to all the teachers of DeKalb County during Teacher Appreciation Week.

With changes at the state level in teacher evaluations and other issues, teacher morale has suffered greatly the last several years. Regardless of any disappointments, the teachers have kept their noses to the grindstone and continue to give all of themselves to their students. The politics of a profession may be disenchanting, but the love for their children continued to rise above the negativity.

I’ve often heard people remark that they couldn’t do a teacher’s job, and I believe that’s in reference to the challenges of classroom management, which is only a small portion of a teacher’s duty. The goal of a teacher’s job is to instill the desire to learn and grow academically. There are many other hats they wear that help the child to survive and thrive not only in the classroom but often at home as well. They tackle social and emotional issues as well as the academic. The work clock for them doesn’t stop when the last school bell rings. I often see teachers preparing until dinner time for the next day’s class. I know of others who begin phase two of their work day after they’ve put their children to bed, and then, they begin to burn the midnight oil.

A pat on the back doesn’t pay the mortgage, but I hope it serves as an encouragement and a show of appreciation for the choice that teachers have made to serve others. You’ve raised many great leaders in our community. DeKalb County teachers are building tomorrow’s future one student at a time.

Sincerely,

Bill Conger

DeKalb County Education Association President