Ok, in case you live outside the great state of Arizona, you may have missed that we’ve had a teacher walk out the last week.  School districts have been closed for 5 days (some less) and ours is slated to reopen tomorrow.  I know MANY teachers and MANY kids who will be happy to go back and finish the year strong!

Let me first say, I am for teachers.  I am for public education.  I am for increased funding.  I am for it all.  I was a public school teacher.  My mom retired from a public school.  My sister works in a public school.  We are all pro public education.  We LOVE our teachers and support them 100%.  We are pro Red for Ed.  I believe what teachers have accomplished in the last couple months is incredible.  They stood up and got noticed and influenced our state’s budget  They are incredible people and I am happy that they are the ones influencing my kids!

Also, in case you aren’t aware…this is a HIGHLY emotional thing.  There are many people on both sides of the Red for Ed stuff who have gotten ugly.  I don’t like reading that teachers are selfish.  If by selfish, you mean wanting to be able to pay their bills and not have additional jobs, then yes, they are selfish.  This is not my definition.  They are not asking for more money for a new expensive car.  They are asking for more money so they can put meals on the table and so their kids can be involved in extracurricular sports and lessons.  And let’s be real…part of the raise they get will go directly back into their classrooms because that’s how they roll.  They want what we want for our kids.  If you think there is a selfish teacher, come do their job for a day.

On the flip side, I don’t love seeing teachers blast parents because they want their kids back in the classroom.  I don’t love seeing teachers bully other teachers to stay out of the classroom or tell parents not to send their kids to school when it opens.  I don’t love seeing teachers call politicians names just because they don’t agree.  I don’t love seeing teachers yell because they didn’t get 100% of what they demanded.

The education system in Arizona didn’t break in a year or even 5.  This is a decades old problem and it will take time to fix.  In my opinion, this is a GREAT start!  You are getting a raise next year and there is additional money that districts can distribute.  Now, we continue to make education on the frontline and we stay on our districts to allocate that money to the greatest needs.  Just because not everything happened perfectly this time, doesn’t mean it never will.  This is a great start!  It is not over!

Neither side is perfect.  We live in an imperfect world, that’s just a fact.

So, here’s what I’ve learned…

• Don’t take any Facebook post or online article at face value.  Do your due diligence and read up.  I got caught up in blasting at the legislature simply because I wasn’t smart enough to know how it all worked.  Shame on me.
• Engage in the process.  Let’s never sit back and allow billions of dollars to be cut again.  Let’s be active participants in the process and hold our elected officials accountable.  They will meet with us if we ask and are polite.  Let’s not treat them with disrespect because then they won’t respect us.  We need to have mutual respect to get things done.  Would you want to meet with someone who blasted you all the time?  I wouldn’t.
• There were kids who were “hurt” in this walk out.  There were events that kids had worked on for months that were canceled and that makes me so sad.
• On the flip side, there are also kids who learned a lot.  I tried to engage my kids in understanding some of what went on and I could have done WAY better but hey, there’s always room for improvement.
• Know someone who is smarter than you.  I have a really smart friend who has done a whole lot for this movement and she has explained a lot and dealt with my stupid questions but patiently answered them.
• Think for yourself.  I have to say that one thing that made me sad was hearing teachers saying “they told me to take days off.”  While I understand and appreciate the gravity of the situation and what was needed, I do not think they should be told what is best for them.  Be your own person.  If you think you need to call in 3 more days, do it.  If you think it’s time to go back to school, do it.  Be you and stand strong.
• Ignore the stupid people.  Don’t retaliate with words.  You can’t reason with stupid.
• Think logically not emotionally.  Having no school for 5 days while your husband is traveling is not fun…I thought emotionally plenty, mostly “get my kids back to school because I need some quiet moments.”  But we all need to use the logical side that God gave us.
• Above all else, respect.  I may not agree 100% with what you say and you many not agree 100% with what I say but that doesn’t mean we need to name call and assume things.  Respect each other’s decisions and don’t try to influence them.  If you are not asked for your opinion, don’t give it.  As a parent, if I ask my teachers “should I send my kids if school opens again?” then they should give an opinion.  But if I do not ask that, don’t tell me to keep my kids home.  Respect.  We are lacking it something serious.  All you need to do is watch the news.  We call politicians all different kinds of names while discouraging our kids from calling other kids names.  Why is it ok for us but not them?  It’s time to practice what we preach and respect ALL people, whether you like them or not.

So…these are just a few of my thoughts.  For one, I am THRILLED my kids are going back to school and I can get caught up on some things.  I am THRILLED that more money is going to education next year.  My sister deals with some tough kids and she deserves a raise!!  I also know that it is NOT finished.  Now is our time to engage in the process and keep the momentum moving forward.  Keep supporting our teachers and our kids – it’s these kids who are going to be running things when we’re old.