By Zachary Richardson
Sedona Oak Creek School District Governing Board Member
“… a third grade teacher read a story to her students as they huddled in the corner during the shooting.”
I cannot get that vision of mayhem during the assault on the Newtown Connecticut elementary school out of my head. I served 20 years in the military spending untold numbers of hours training how to react under fire.
No matter the amount of training, the situation is chaotic and terrifying as one’s reaction is impulsive.
It was not training that taught that third grade teacher to calm her class, or training that taught a first grade teacher who died shielding her students from the attacker, or training that taught the school principal who died courageously defending her school and its students, it was pure dedication to their job and love for their students. A dedication no other job entails and a responsibility no other profession has. Teachers not only have the future of our country in their hands, they also have the safety of our most cherished possession – our children.
So why does our country not put teachers on a pedestal? Many people have told me that firemen and policemen have higher salaries than teachers because firemen and policemen put their lives at risk.
Try to explain this rationale to the teachers of that Newton elementary school. Other than teachers, who in our society would sacrifice their lives to protect our children. If these educators were policemen, firemen or soldiers, they would have been decorated with the highest medals of honor.
As a community, we cannot change the culture of the country, but we have the power to influence our community. Sedona is a rural town much like Newtown, and there is NOT a teacher or school principal in Sedona who would NOT defend their students or school the way the brave educators did in that small rural Connecticut town.
We should be proud that the dedication of our community’s teachers is second to none. We have tested our teacher’s dedication through huge budget cuts by the state, budget cuts by the federal government and our community recently voted to cut our school budget even further as we expect our teachers to provide the finest education in the state with increasing requirements.
There is no other profession that has endured such stress while entrusting them with such responsibility. As a community, we must understand this oxymoron and show support for our educators.
People often say “thank you for serving” when they hear I am a veteran. Save your “thank yous “ for the real heroes of Sedona – our community educators.
Zachary Richardson
Sedona
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6 Comments
People often say “thank you for serving” when they hear I am a veteran. Save your “thank yous “ for the real heroes of Sedona – our community educators.
Thank you, Zach, and AMEN!
Thanks Zach. The real heroes in our world; our teachers, fire fighters, police bear the most responsibility for protecting human life, yet they reap the smallest of financial “benefit” and there are those who think even that is too much.and are hell-bent to make sure they have no “bargaining” rights.
Something no one is examining is the connection between the amount of microwave emissions from the numerous cell towers, antennas etc. in locations especially around schools (e.g., children) and seniors. The military has known for the past 50 years or so that microwave frequency causes aggression and violence (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18470749).
You might be interested in learning how many of these devices our area has by going to http://www.antennasearch.com. Every cell tower has the capacity to house 40 antennas.
This beautiful homage to our educators should be published in every newspaper in the United States because it describes all of those who dedicate their lives not only to educating our children, but to protecting them more than anyone other than their parents. The critical and pivotal role teachers play in forming the values of our children is never acknowledged enough: compare the fame and fortunes reaped by athletes and entertainers, many of whose personal lives reflect the very opposite values of those that teachers try to instill in their young charges. In Sedona, I’ve often heard it said that no teacher works here because of the salary: there is no doubt that we have true heroes working every day in those classrooms. We can never thank them enough.
This is a fine piece you’ve written. I am in complete agreement that teachers here are dedicated to enriching the lives of their students…and keeping them safe. How different their task from MY teachers in the elementary/middle/high school years I spent in Philadelphia! It boggles my mind when I attempt to compare them!
I am proud of you, Zach, as a Sedona Oak Creek School District Governing Board Member, and thank you for sharing your views.
Thank you, Zachary, for this well written piece. I agree with Sue who said it should be published in every paper in the country.
Beautifully written piece.
The difference that has bugged me for a long time is that police and firefighters sign up to put themselves in harm’s way. Teachers don’t.
An officer in Los Angeles died by riding his motorcycle off the edge of an earthquake-damaged bridge. When it was rebuilt, it was named after him. He was a hero because he didn’t stop in time? Not to belittle his willingness to serve, but what?
Teachers and doctors and nurses get killed in the line of duty. When they do, it’s usually deliberately, with malice, not because they did not follow protocol or there was an accident.
You’re right, Zach. Those who help us help ourselves deserve as much esteem–and pay–as those who help us when we cannot help ourselves.