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Dear John,
The start of September marks the beginning of yet another school year for our nation’s children and teachers. Around this time, I always think about the many wonderful educators I had throughout my years as a student.
I wouldn’t be here today without them.
But there was one teacher in particular who made an insurmountable impact on my life. I want to tell you a little bit about her and how much she meant to me. Her name was Mrs. Alice Camp.
I arrived in Mrs. Camp’s third-grade classroom in Lewisboro Elementary School, in South Salem, New York, as an extremely short, shy, insecure 8-year-old who was often bullied and mocked on the bus and made to feel like a loser on the playground and had no particular interest in school.
But Mrs. Camp saw in me something that I didn’t see. She fed me books, projects, and ideas. She challenged me and praised me. She made me feel special. Her slightly whacky sense of humor connected with mine. Her curiosity fueled mine. Her enjoyment of literature made it okay for me to love books. She helped shape me into the person I am today.
I think of her when I see America’s teachers blamed these days for almost everything imaginable — yelled at by parents over masks, reprimanded by school boards about books they assign or let their students read, vilified by politicians for teaching about America’s history of racism, even told to arm themselves against the possibility that their classrooms will be invaded by murderous young men with semi-automatics.
The disrespect our teachers face every single day is just plain wrong.
You’ve probably seen dozens of stories in the news lately about a so-called “teacher shortage” impacting our nation’s schools. Well I don’t think there’s actually a “teacher shortage.” I think there’s a shortage of jobs that treat educators with dignity — and pay teachers what they’re worth.
I hope you’ll enjoy this video and reflect on the teachers who made an impact on your life and the lives of people you love. Then I ask that you show support for teachers in your community. They need it more today than ever before.
We have to stand up and defend our nation's educators, before it’s too late.
Thanks for watching,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
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