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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:


Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes

The tragic shootings in Newtown have given us all a heavy dose of grief, as we contemplate the horror of twenty young lives snuffed out, and the loss of six brave educators.
As we have read of the heroic behavior of the teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook, there has also been reflection on the awesome responsibility we take on when we are teaching children. Parents entrust us with their children not just to teach them their ABCs, but also to nurture them as human beings, and in rare cases such as Friday in Newtown, to protect their very lives. The professional preparations and quick response by principal and staff likely averted more deaths, we are learning now.
But the most compelling image is this one. The principal and school psychologist were meeting with parents in the office. When shots were fired, the educators headed out into the hall, where the principal, Dawn Hochsprung, was shot dead as she lunged at the shooter.
These career educators are our heroes.
Public schools have been under political assault for more than a decade, accused of dooming our nation to