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Teachers are dedicated despite hurdles

November is a month where it is fitting to be thankful for what we have. I am very grateful that Durango has such a high percentage of teachers who strive to connect with their students and create learning environments that help prepare children to be good citizens of the world. Even 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger mentioned this in his Nov. 5 column in The Durango Herald. However, I am afraid that our teachers do not feel valued or respected these days, from state, national and local issues, and partisan, mean-spirited politics. Can you imagine trying to teach children in an environment where corporate interests attempt to rewrite history, and partisan attempts deny the simple dynamics of how children learn, overshadowing truth, reason and common sense?

I am saddened whenever I hear – and I have to admit that it is quite often these days – that teachers are frustrated and tired and fearful of their jobs and unsupported. It seems that all too often, school administrators translate their personal fears of and/or support for hot-button political issues into contempt, lack of support and meaningless tasks for classroom teachers. Durango’s classroom teachers are required to do even more with less this year – cuts in the gifted education staff leave little support for our bright students who already know the curriculum. And with media-specialist jobs in the district eliminated, there is no one in the library opening the door for the fascination of a book, or helping teachers find just the right material to support the lessons in the classroom.

I am grateful that despite these hurdles, the teachers I know continue to be committed to educating their students, instilling the joy of learning, carving out slices of time for real learning, believing that someday their jobs will once again be filled with joy and purpose. Our children’s teachers need our support and respect. We owe our children a meaningful education that they can one day be thankful for.

Nicki Massieon

Durango



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