Why the war on Michigan teachers will hurt education reform (guest commentary)
Published: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7:00 AM Updated: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7:28 AM
By Jocelyn Benson
I know I would not the person I am today without teachers.
My parents were teachers -- special education teachers. Which meant a childhood spent in classrooms while my mother worked late to meet with parents or finish reports for the day. And conversations around the dinner table involved dad talking about the importance of studying history and mom sharing stories about her students’ achievements. Their work was a mission that continued long after the end of the school day.
My high school English teacher appointed me to my first leadership position and gave me the confidence to seek out ways that I could contribute to righting things that were wrong. And a junior high civics teacher inspired me study all sides of an issue and see political work as an avenue