Unsung Heroes & "Sheroes" . . . EDUCATORS!

Can you believe it! The school year is almost over. You’ve worked hard and have given unconditionally. No, you might not be a Joe Clark (“high school principal who armed himself with a bullhorn and Louisville Slugger and slammed the door on losers at Eastside High in Paterson, New Jersey. Brought in to save the school, he chained the doors to keep troublemakers out and strivers in. Some parents and teachers fought him. But many kids loved him. He turned the school around and his achievement became a national triumph”). You might not be a Ron Clark (“a passionate and innovative teacher who leaves his small hometown to teach in one of Harlem’s toughest schools. But to break through to his students, Clark must use unconventional methods, including his ground-breaking classroom rules, to drive them toward their greatest potential”). You might not be a Marva Collins (“a teacher who dreamed of having her own school, where high expectations create high achievers. To make that dream come true, she fought a hostile bureaucracy, skeptical parents and – especially – children who had already given up on themselves”). You might not be a Jaime Escalante (“a math teacher at East Los Angeles’ Garfield High who refuses to write off his inner-city students as losers. Escalante cajoles, pushes, threatens and inspires 18 kids who were struggling with fractions to become math whizzes”).

However, you are an unsung hero/shero in your own right! You gave all you had to make lasting impressions on the students this year. I just want you to know that I appreciate ALL you did this year and what I know you will continue to do for students.