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Give educators the respect they deserve

Enough already with the teacher bashing. I started my career as a teacher, then left to go to law school and became a litigator. I have been a teacher and a lawyer, and I will tell you right now without hesitation that teaching is a lot harder than the practice of law and pays a lot less.

And while I'm at it, I'm not sure where people have gotten the idea that public employees such as teachers do not pay into their own pensions. They most certainly do. And if you are eligible at any point for Social Security (which teachers are not) then your retirement is also subsidized by tax dollars.

As to the guy who asked why he should pay taxes when his kids haven't been in school for 18 years: I've never had a child in the school system, yet I have willingly voted for tax increases to support education. I think it's a great idea if the people I interact with in the world (you know, like my doctors, salespeople, representatives and such) actually know how to read, write and think. We are all part of a larger society and we need to contribute to it. The world does not stop at your living room door.

So can we please start to give educators the respect and the resources they deserve.

Patricia Motto

Elmhurst

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