With Teacher Appreciation Week coming up the first week of May, I wonder how many parents are going to take the time to let their children's teachers know how much they appreciate their hard work and dedication.
A good way of showing teachers our appreciation on a state level would be to give them a raise and pay them what they really deserve. Our teachers are some of the lowest paid in the nation, and yet they are expected to work in overcrowded and underbudgeted classrooms. We have wonderful teachers who love their jobs but quickly burn out and feel underappreciated.
It takes a lot of patience and dedication to teach in today's classrooms. We have children who require more help, children who have little or no respect for their teachers, parents who are unable or unwilling to volunteer, and, in addition to this, schools that have no budgets for teachers aides. Let's make education a priority and show our children that we value our teachers. We need to start paying teachers what they deserve.
Alice Coombs
Lehi