Thank a teacher today!
Louisiana Democratic Party issued the following statement on Teacher Appreciation Week. For additional information, you can contact party headquarters by phone 225-336-4155 or by email.
The Louisiana Democratic Party (LDP) would like to thank every teacher in Louisiana for the work that they do every day to make our state a better place by fueling the desire to learn that resides inside every child.
For many decades teachers have been recognized as essential contributors to the progress of communities, states and the nation. Education is universally recognized as the foundation upon which economic and social progress is built.
“Public schools are at the heart of any community,” notes LDP First Vice Chair Shane Riddle. “National Teacher Appreciation Week is a good time to learn about the contributions educators make to our community every day.”
“Community involvement brings learning to life,” Riddle added. “I ask our party members and the entire community to learn about how teachers advocate for high standards for students, fair and meaningful evaluations of their work, and the resources in the classroom to do their jobs.”
“Better than an apple or a thank you card, a community’s active support of Louisiana’s educators and care for the community’s students is ample reward for all of us,” Riddle said.
In Louisiana, classroom teachers, technical instructors, university professors all contribute to the forward progress of our state despite handicaps imposed on them by conditions such as poverty, disease and a government leaders who have too often mouthed platitudes about the value of teachers and education, but not backed those words with the deeds that instilled credibility in those words.
But, those were the good old days by comparison to what we have seen happening in Louisiana this year. This year our governor and his legislative allies have decided that teachers and public education are the root of all that is wrong in this state.
They launched a full-scale attack to dismantle public education in the state and (using vouchers) to make public dollars available to private school operators in direct violation of the state constitution. They have attacked teacher tenure. Teacher tenure is nothing more than a due process procedure where teachers have an opportunity to defend their performance when it is questioned.
Teachers have been shut out of the formulation of the so-called public education reforms and chastised for attempting to participate in the legislative process that will determine the future of their profession. They have been attacked and vilified, mocked and humiliated.
So, this year — perhaps more than ever — it’s important that Democrats thank teachers for the work that they do, for their persistence in the face of daunting challenges, and for the the professionalism and commitment they bring to the classroom every day as they work to make Louisiana a better state.
The Louisiana Democratic Party salutes Louisiana teachers in this Teacher Appreciation Week. Imagine how much better our state would be if these professionals were given the tools and resources to actually do their jobs!
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Originally posted: May 11, 2012