"TEACHING - The profession that creates all other professions." - Anonymous

I believe that overall, teachers in the United States are undervalued.  Discuss teaching with any group, and you will hear phrases like, "They only work 9 months a year," or "They don't really have to WORK very hard."  Statements like that continue to infuriate me, but I think the biggest slap against teachers came this week when a teacher in Louisiana questioned the 27% raise of the school superintendent, and she was taken out of the school board meeting in handcuffs.  (Teachers in that district have not had a raise for 10 years.)  It is plain to see that teachers are NOT valued in that district.

I watched this story on the news and read about it online, along with the rest of the country. Along with thousands of others, I thought, "This can't be happening in the United States!"  But it did - all because of a single teacher questioning a raise.   

People need to wake up!  Teachers are the profession that creates all other professions. Teachers work with students of all ability levels, encouraging each child to be the best he can be. Every teacher I know spends hundreds of dollars of their own money to buy classroom supplies.  Watch the national news, and you will see that teachers work in some terrible conditions, with students from all walks of life, including homelessness, to help children to move forward to a better life.  Like many of my former colleagues and friends who are still teaching, I loved being in the classroom, teaching, and all of the challenges  that came with it. I was fortunate to teach in a school district that valued teachers, and our salaries were commensurate with that value.  Many of my counterparts across the country are not so fortunate. 

I hope Deyshia Hargrave receives an apology from the school board who had her removed in Vermillion Parish, Louisiana. I applaud her courage in speaking up, when others were afraid. Deyshia knows the value of good teachers, and she is not afraid to extol that value. Here is the link about the story:  http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/us/louisiana-teacher-jailed-speaks/index.html   and the link about Deyshia asking for an apology: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/01/11/louisiana-teacher-demands-apology-after-being-handcuffed-meeting/1023615001/   

Indeed, the value of good teachers cannot be fully measured, and all other professions are created by those who choose a life of service through teaching.

I am grateful for the many good teachers in my life. Those wonderful educators not only encouraged me, they also were my role models and mentors. #thankateacher 

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. 

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com  GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 from The Authors' Zone. For more information about The Authors' Zone, please visit http://www.theauthorszone.com/submissions/  

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

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