Our "Little bit of good"
"All of this is to say thank you for the foundation you laid for me; encouraging me to push myself, learn endlessly, and to be kind." That is just one line from a letter sent to one of our elementary teachers from a soon-to-be graduating senior. The teacher had this student when she was a new, young person in our district, and now the student will be graduating from high school and pursuing her next dreams. Nothing--and I mean NOTHING--means more to a teacher than to hear from a former student and to know that maybe--just maybe--you made a difference. Teachers don't measure "making a difference" by profit and loss statements. Some would choose to have us measure the difference we make by only high stakes testing. While it's easy to measure academic achievement and growth, wise educators know they are not what is most important. Yes, we help our students learn and grow in academic areas, but wise educators know that we teach children--and not just academ