My third grade son wrote a letter to his teacher thanking her for being his teacher. He explained that she is a very tough teacher, but in his letter also acknowledged that he understands she can be tough only because she cares and has faith in his abilities. This letter is one of many ways student will celebrate the National PTA’s Teacher Appreciation Week, which begins today and runs through May 12.
Writing is a difficult skill to learn, but critical for our children to know. My oldest son had a teacher in elementary school that was unbelievably patient with her students and gave my son the necessary skills and confidence to put down his thoughts on paper in a coherent manner. He has continued to use those skills as he finishes his successful middle school career.
Educators are underappreciated and often accomplish much more than simply teaching curriculum to our kids. They frequently use their own money to make sure that students have the necessary resources in their classrooms. In addition to spending all day teaching our children, they bring their work home to grade papers and tests and prepare lesson plans.
Funds For Learning specializes in guiding school districts through the regulatory maze of getting E-rate support, which helps our students have access to 21st century learning techniques. We appreciate teachers for what they do both within the classroom and beyond. We should be reminded of teachers’ additional preparation in the E-rate process as an example of the hard work they perform in their spare time. The FCC even noted in the Bishop Perry Order, “the primary jobs of most of the people filling out these forms include school administrators, technology coordinators and teachers, as opposed to positions dedicated to pursuing federal grants, especially in small school districts….”
As the FY 2017 Form 471 filing window closes on May 11, we urge the SLD to have this in mind as they review the E-rate applications, and to work with teachers to get their districts the E-rate funding they deserve. Please take the time to thank a teacher this week, and think of additional ways we can show our appreciation all 52 weeks of the year.
