By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist
There are three teachers in my life who made a profound impact on me. Mrs. Janda (kindergarten AND fourth grade), Mrs. Seedhouse (first grade) and Mr. Kraynak (high school English). The reasons for each are nuanced; however, the underlying theme is that each one of them went above and beyond to show me they cared while simultaneously setting the bar high.
While it’s been a long time since I was a student in those classrooms, I remember so many specific moments with these teachers. I understand now that emotions drive memory, so it is understandable that teachers who made me feel something more than “ordinary” would drive memories that are so strong.
And that’s the thing about great teachers. Great teachers love their students deeply. They spend hours developing lessons to inspire student engagement and rich thinking. They make every day so special that students can’t wait to return for another day.
We are blessed to have great teachers across our school district. This Thanksgiving holiday, I am particularly grateful for all of them.
On Nov. 19, public school educators from across the state of Indiana participated in the Red for Ed action day at the Statehouse. Over half of Indiana districts closed school that day because the number of teacher requests for leave far surpassed the number of substitute teachers available.
Brown County Schools remained open on the 19th. We worked with the Brown County Educators’ Association to send six representatives via a “professional leave” day and others took a personal day to attend. Ultimately, we were able to fill all substitute requests and didn’t need to close school.
I have reflected a lot on that decision and am affirmed that we fulfilled our responsibility to have school in session. However, I also wonder, with regret, how many more Brown County educators would have participated if we had closed for the day.
Watching the sea of red on the Statehouse lawn throughout the day on the 19th made me more emotional than I expected. I am so very proud of the educators from across the state making it known that the way they have been treated is not OK.
Education is a profession that hold the greatest of esteem and profoundly impacts our future is an immeasurable number of ways. That such a display of unity was needed to remind the Statehouse of that fact is heartbreaking, to say the least.
In this season of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to think about the teachers who positively influenced your life and ask yourself the question, “Without them, where might you be?” Or, to go a little existential on you, “Who might you be?”
Reflecting on that impact, is it right that our educators are held to accountability measures that are beyond their control? Is it fair to expect them to endure hours of annual training with no compensation? Is a long-standing policy that impairs the construct for teacher compensation just? And these are just a few of the positions of concern advanced by educators across Indiana.
This year’s legislative session is a “short” session. Historically, short sessions don’t necessarily mean legislation is limited. Therefore, my gratitude for teachers can’t stop in words alone. Advocacy on their behalf and on the behalf of public education is critical as never before.
To do this very important work, we need your help. I intend, in future columns, to detail proposed policy that impacts public education in general and Brown County Schools specifically. Through our collective advocacy, I have to believe we can positively affect the future for Indiana’s children and the most honorable and noble of professions: teacher.
Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
