Newspaper against education, teachers

I have a burning question for the Daily Herald, and that is: What does the paper have against education?

Is everyone at the paper self-taught? Were they never in school? I assume you can read and write, but some of your math is questionable.

The paper shows nothing but disrespect for a profession that provides an educational foundation for the child, a foundation so that the child can be a productive citizen. Educators provide parental control for children (some teachers see the child more than the parent does), provide a role model, show children how to interact with others, build social skills, expose them to other cultures, all in addition to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic.

Many elementary teachers, if not all, spend hours upon hours daily beyond the school day grading papers, making lesson plans and preparing for the state tests that are misinterpreted to show that the educational system in Illinois and the nation is failing.

Is it wrong for a teacher to make a fair living? Is it wrong to live within a reasonable distance of the district they teach in? To me it appears as if the paper would like teachers to be considered indentured slaves, owned by the school system they work for, or maybe as a "Pullman" employee, where they live in the company town, buy from the company store, etc.

Many individuals chose to be teachers because they felt they had something to contribute. Teaching is considered a profession, yet teachers do not receive the same recognition nor esteem that other professions receive.

Isn't it time to look at the good teachers do, not just their mistakes? No matter where you look in society, you can always find something bad to complain about. Wouldn't it be a better place if you instead looked at the good teachers do?

If you are able to read this, then thank a teacher.

Jeff Blessman

Algonquin