Dear Kansas
Legislature,
I’m writing this to tell you, you
are losing yet another great teacher. Yes. Another teacher sat at an in-service
meeting and heard all the awfulness that could become of Kansas schools. And
for the first time she didn’t feel bad, she felt at peace. This certain teacher
felt at peace because she had made the decision to resign and get out of
teaching just a month before this. Yes, Kansas is losing another great teacher.
Let me fully explain the type of
teacher you are losing. Please don’t take this as a self-righteous monologue,
no. These are just the facts; the facts that have been noticed by her peers,
teachers, and superiors. You are losing the teacher that sobs all the way home
about her students’ broken homes. You are losing the teacher that spends hours
of her own time developing amazing ways for novels to come alive. You are
losing the teacher that brings humor and life into the classroom. You are
losing the teacher who regardless what needs to be done in the morning spends
her time hugging and greeting her students every day. You are losing the
teacher that refuses to be sucked in to the “old” negative ways of doing
things. You are losing the teacher who earned KEEN’s Teacher of Promise. You
are losing the teacher who has looked into adopting students who have terrible
homes. You are losing the teacher who helped feed five families for Christmas
last year. You are losing the teacher that inspired a boy not to kill himself.
You are losing the teacher who helped a girl see just how beautiful she was.
You are losing the teacher who prepared her students for college and life. You
are losing the teacher who says she loves each and every student as they walk
out every class period of every day just in case they don’t hear it that day.
You are losing the teacher who taught with every single cell in her body, to
the point that she had nothing left to give her own family.
Now I want you to fully understand
why this teacher is leaving. It’s not the pay or lack of materials as some may
think, no. It’s not any of that. Teachers are clear on the lack of these things
before entering in their field. It’s also not because of the long hours
invested in her subject or kids. On the contrary, she jumped at the chance to
go above and beyond just to help a student. No, it’s not because of the long
hours.
This teacher is quitting because of
all the extra “crap” she was forced to deal with each and every day. This extra “crap” was mandated by you, the
Kansas legislature and kept her away from doing her job. You made her worry day
in and day out about consolidation, and losing her job. You made her worry that decision weren't being made for what was best for her students. You made her give pointless tracking
tests like Aimsweb just for the sake of having “data” that was NEVER used. You
made her sit through HOURS of training on state testing and common core just
for them to not be used or be changed in the years to come. You have wasted
hours upon hours of her time filling out paper work just for the sake of doing
it. You have made her teach eight different preps in one day because of lack of
funding in her school! You made her put her retirement into KEPERS just for her
to know it won’t be there when she retires! You made her focus on everything
else, besides her students!
You
want to “fix” Kansas schools? LET TEACHERS DO THEIR JOB AND TEACH!!! Don’t
consolidate the districts because YOU couldn’t balance a budget for our
businesses. It’s a business; they expect taxes!!! Quit making students pay for
your mistakes! How dare you take away our students’ futures!!! Our students
should be our number one focus in this state. They are the future and the
number one way people will stay in Kansas! Keep schools open, and then let your
teachers teach!!!!
I
love Kansas. I was born and raised here. I want to stay here and I want to send
my child here. But with the way things are going, I just don’t think that’s
going to happen. PLEASE save our great
state!
Yours truly,
Amie Avery
913-645-8112
amavery9@gmail.com
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