Marie Corfield: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Tales from the front lines

Marie Corfield: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Tales from the front lines:

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Tales from the front lines

Tuesday is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and all across the country PTOs and PTAs will be honoring us for the work we do. I am continually grateful for and humbled by all the PTO does at my school this week because they already do so much for us throughout the year. This week I will be showing my appreciation for my profession and those who support us, like our PTO, by writing stories from the front lines: the good, the bad and the ugly from my 13 years as a teacher, and stories I've heard from other teachers.

I also hope to pay tribute to those who have risen to the challenge of education 'reform' all across the country. I call them accidental heros. They didn't start their careers with a plan to blog, Tweet or organize on Facebook, but they are committed to fighting back against the corporate takeover of our public schools. They put themselves on the front lines every day. They confront, challenge and demand change. And in the end, they have the facts on their side because it's hard to argue with someone who makes a career out of doing their homework. Some of these heros are listed under My Favorite Bloggers. Check them out when you get a chance.

Today I begin with a little piece of legislation that expired in December and will have a big impact on the 2014-2015 school year: the $250 tax deduction for teachers. With education budgets slashed from coast to coast, teachers are forced to spend more out of pocket than ever before just to provide the basics to their students. Granted, we're not paying $7000 for a coffee maker, but why would we buy tissues, hand sanitizer and other supplies from contracted vendors, when we can get them cheaper on ourMarie Corfield: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Tales from the front lines: